(On the Meaning of Philanthropy)
Ang akala ng maraming tao e sa pamamagitan lang ng pag-aambag ng pera sila maaaring makatulong sa kanilang kapwa.
Money is not the only thing that people could use to contribute to the welfare of others. Of course, money is useful especially to the poor. However, many people are able to help their fellow humans in other equally important ways; for instance, services or skills rendered for free or through words of wisdom or sharing of information that they couldn’t easily get from ordinary sources.
For example, there are many physicians and nurses who—apart from working for the money at their workplaces—still volunteer during their free time to work for free in certain poor areas. Many of them join medical missions, and they even shoulder their own travel-and-accommodation expenses.
Many musicians I know perform for free during fundraising events to serve as entertainment for guests, waiving their talent fee to cut down the production cost of the event. There are artists who contribute original songs for free for cause-oriented compilation albums.
Many writers contribute articles to newspapers without getting paid just to be able to share their words of wisdom and ideas to people who love reading newspapers.
Philanthropy, in its basic sense, is “love for humanity” and the expression of caring, concern, nourishing, enhancing, and improving the quality of life—whether physically or mentally.
Therefore, anyone can be a philanthropist. If you have extra money to donate, then why not? But if all you could contribute are your skills, talents, knowledge, time, and other services, then it is still valid…so long as one of the primary reasons for doing this is the sincere concern for the quality of life of others.
According to Wikipedia, “Philanthropy etymologically means ‘love of humanity’ in the sense of caring, nourishing, developing and enhancing ‘what it is to be human’ on both the benefactors’ (by identifying and exercising their values in giving and volunteering) and beneficiaries’ (by benefiting) parts.”
Sa Madaling Salita
Malaki pa rin ang maaari mong maitulong sa iyong kapwa kahit wala kang ekstrang pera; basta ba meron kang sariling kaalaman, talento, panahon, o anumang serbisyong kaya mong iambag o ibahagi nang bukal sa iyong kalooban.
Or, in Simple Words
Even without extra money to spare, anyone can still help others by sharing their knowledge, skills, talents, time, or services for free.
