What's Your Philanthropic Footprint?
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What’s Your Philanthropic Footprint?
What’s Your Philanthropic Footprint? Is it a slight impression that is barely visible and will eventually fade only to give way for further acts of goodness in the future? Or is it a deep imprint that continues to have a strong impact on the community?
Does your Philanthropic Footprint create a path for positive social change, a path that inspires others to join causes? Do you have a Philanthropic Footprint?
Unlike environmental footprints (carbon, water, waste, fuel, ecological) where individuals and organizations seek ways to reduce consumption and minimize the negative effects impacting the globe, the objective of a Philanthropic Footprint is the opposite: it should be maximized and intensified for a positive and fulfilling life engaged in activism.
To analyze and enhance one’s Philanthropic Footprint, one first needs to understand the theory.
A Philanthropic Footprint, a term I coined, is an emotional and physical journey that is guided by one’s heart, mind and soul. It is an imprint of goodness created through a series of altruistic steps that encourage a positive change in society while forgoing opportunities for financial or economic gain. It is an imprint for the betterment of humanity.
True philanthropy does not require an exhaustive written document with plans, procedures and policies. Nor does it require a detailed tracking of the total hours worked, number of individuals helped, quantity of items collected or the sum of dollars contributed. The reason action plans are created and figures and statistics tabulated are: to provide guidance and goals for those involved, to inspire others, to give a voice to the needs of the community, and to validate the efforts of the programs. It can also provide a benchmark to determine what was successful, and what can be done to improve the activity?
There are many synonyms for philanthropy: human kindness, volunteerism, activism, goodwill, compassion, humanity, charity, patronage, generosity, benevolence, love, and so on.
A footprint, real or imagined, indicates that someone has been there physically or in spirit. It is a story of their journey. There are many positive and enlightening footprints: Neil Armstrong’s footprint on the moon, warriors who trekked into battle and our ancestor’s footprints in fossils.
Your footprint on a birth certificate identifies you as a unique individual: it tells the story of who you are and where you were born. The Philanthropic Footprint is an account of where you have been and the good deeds you have performed.
Each of us has the opportunity to establish a Philanthropic Footprint to leave a legacy and an impression on the universe.
Philanthropy is not a term or action reserved for the wealthy, albeit they may have more resources to back their efforts such as writing a substantial check or attending high-ticket fund-raising soirées. We are grateful for these benefactors; they are a vital segment of philanthropy and without them many organizations would collapse.
But anyone has the potential to be a philanthropist, has something to offer, and can help in creating change whether it be their time, talent, voice, or experience.
Community stewardship and corporate social responsibility (CSR) have become notable benchmarks for society and businesses worldwide. As the head of the household, a business owner or a corporate executive, you may find yourself in the position to make a decision regarding philanthropic endeavors. How will you lead them to create change?
One of the most important steps in establishing a Philanthropic Footprint is to create a sustainable program by connecting with the proper nonprofit or cause be it socio-economic, educational, health related, environmental, animal-focused or other platform.
We take time to seek out the “best fit” for a career, occupation, or employees by matching skills and traits to job descriptions and responsibilities. The same care and investment should be made with regards to philanthropy. There is a cause or platform for everyone and every business.
From individual acts of kindness to large scale CSR initiatives, each is a valued and necessary component for our society to survive. It’s not about affecting masses of individuals or collecting thousands of dollars in contributions; it’s about connecting from the heart. Even if only a single person has reaped the benefit of one’s actions, it is worth the effort.
Nonetheless, there are ways to optimize the potential for effective stewardship, intensifying one’s Philanthropic Footprint!
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About the Book
The book exposes Vail’s passion for philanthropy and details events and circumstances in her life that influenced her commitment. Her vision was to create humanitarian impacts within the community wherever she lived. What’s Your Philanthropic Footprint? explains how she guided her clients to become viable stewards of their community.
Vail has over 30 years’ experience in guiding individuals, entrepreneurs, small businesses and corporations in developing sustainable stewardship initiatives. She conveys how individuals of any age, of any lifestyle, can become agents of change. She also provides anecdotes as well as inspirational messages from individuals from a variety of sectors. Read their stories on how philanthropy has influenced their lives. Learn about their Philanthropic Footprint!
The book is an excellent resource for anyone looking to indulge themselves, family, clients, company or stakeholders in responsible community activism. From public relations professionals to non-profit leaders, and from corporate executives to media types, this book provides exceptional examples of how to engage others in supporting causes and how to create positive impacts.
What’s Your Philanthropic Footprint? is a guide to assist one in optimizing potential for effective philanthropy, while creating notable Philanthropic Footprints.
Forward by Robin Leach, Philanthropist | TV Personality | Celebrity Blogger | Vegasdeluxe.com
About the Author
Philanthropist | Publicist |Photographer Mary Vail is a veteran publicist who specializes in image building campaigns and who focuses her energies on “positive” publicity. She has become known as the “Philanthropic Publicist.” Vail directs all aspects of marketing and public relations. During her thirty plus years as a PR professional, she has designed innovative campaigns for a vast array of industries. Her humanitarian efforts have been the focus of her profession as she seeks ways to improve the educational, physical or socio-economic lifestyle of those less fortunate. She gives a voice to causes and finds opportunities to advance community outreach. The award winning publicist provides her services pro-bono to assist nonprofits and special interest groups with publicity, fundraising, manpower, photography and event management, as well as recruiting sponsors and luminaries to assist initiatives. A mandatory company policy is that all her clients must be willing to support nonprofit activities through whatever means they can provide. To achieve that end, she becomes her clients’ philanthropic coach: assessing and optimizing their stewardship potential. Vail has guided many into the realm of activism. For more than four decades, Mary has used her education, skills, talents and resources to assist others in improving their quality of life. Her humanitarian efforts have been recognized locally, nationally and internationally, garnering Vail numerous awards and accolades as well as funding grants that have furthered her efforts. Vail earned an Executive MBA from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas and a BS from the University of Hawaii-Manoa. She resides in Las Vegas, Nevada with her family. For information on coaching services and speaking engagements, visit maryvailpublicist.com.