“There’s a big difference between writing a check and being a philanthropist. People can write checks for many reasons, and they may or may not be contributing in sustainable ways to a better future,” says AJ Discala. “A philanthropist is someone who gives consistently with intention because it is right and because they want to create a positive change in the world.”
“Good philanthropists are smart investors. They invest in institutions with great infrastructure and low overhead with steady returns – where return is measured in positive change. I am striving to be a smart philanthropist, and I believe that many of my peers are working for the same thing,” says AJ Discala. “We want to see measured differences in the world as a result of the money we spend. We want to know that, if for some reason we have to stop giving to a particular cause, that the work we’ve done will be sustained.”
“I applaud the work of guys like Warren Buffett and Bill Gates, who have both committed to leave the bulk of their fortunes to charity,” says AJ Discala. “But this doesn’t change the importance of giving now. The billions of dollars these men will contribute more than a decade from now could be going towards a very troubled planet if good people don’t band together to make substantive changes in the immediate future.”
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