Philanthropy (phi-lan-thro-pies) - “The effort or inclination to increase the well-being of humankind as by charitable aid or donations.”
Last year, I listened to a man named Simon Sinek give a TED talk on “How Great Leaders Inspire Action.” In the 20 minute talk, Simon had a simple message for the audience to take away which he called the “Golden Circle.” The golden circle consisted of 3 circles with the innermost circle having the word “Why,” the middle circle having the word “How” and the outer circle having the word “What.” After drawing this image, Simon went on to state that the great companies and leaders of our time live by the Golden Circle because they communicate from the inside out. They start with the why and work their way out of the circle. However, too often companies and leaders focus on the what and try to work their way in towards the circle. Simon had an issue with this and he put it simply, “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.”
This message resonated with me in the work that I do on a day-to-day basis. I started to see some areas in the fraternal world where I believe we were losing focus on the “Why” and focusing more on the “What.” One area that this has become evident in my opinion is philanthropies.
To illustrate this issue, imagine a fraternity or sorority hosting a basketball tournament for Children’s Miracle Network (CMN). Registration fees all go towards CMN and any spectator pays $7 for CMN. The idea itself it great! Yet, what I’m seeing more and more is that the focus is on the basketball tournament itself. The focal point is on the top team and the jerseys they wear. The spotlight is put on the DJ as he spins during the basketball tournament. The center of attention is on the tournament itself and not the cause.
What happens next is the basketball tournament goes on for 2-3 hours and at some point, an announcement is made that goes something like this, “We are proud to say we raised $5000 for CMN!” There is applause and cheers but then the focus shifts back to the tournament. In almost a robotic manner, the money is donated and the philanthropy with which the money was raised for has become second nature. I struggle with this as an administrator.
As I stated above, it’s not the concept of the event itself. The idea is great! What I want to see is more education on the cause, not on the basketball tournament. A case in point is when talking about CMN people will say, “DONATE…it’s for the kids!” Yes, but what does that mean? As a supporter, I want to know where my money is going so that I can feel like I contributed to a greater cause. Too often I see individuals give 1-3 prearranged talking points yet there is no emotional connection to what they are stating. As if to say, I’m just saying this so you will give me money. Don’t ask questions, just donate. Well, I want to know more. How will the money be used? How will it help that 3 year old child that you have a picture of on every marketing material for the event? Why is this important to you? Why is this philanthropy important to your fraternity/sorority? What impact is this philanthropy having on your chapter? I want a connection.
I believe people donate to a cause because they have an emotional attachment to the cause. Whether the cause hits close to home or because the connection created by the organization provided such an impact, the supporter felt compelled to donate. Some of the best philanthropies I’ve ever seen were successful because the members putting on the philanthropy were deeply impacted by the actual cause itself. The focus was as much on the cause as it was the planning of the event and the dollars raised.
“People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” When we can explain and rationalize the philanthropic cause to others with a heartfelt, personal connection, I think we’d see more people coming out to the philanthropic event. When we can develop a true connection with the cause, I think we’d see more money raised with ease. When we get back to the true purpose of philanthropies, I think we’d be increasing the well-being of humankind and having the kind of impact we all talk about on a daily basis as fraternal organizations.
To listen to Simon Sinek's talk, go here
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