Buddika Kadurugamuwa | Important Steps to Become A Philanthropist

Buddika Kadurugamuwa
5 min readNov 15, 2018

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Philanthropy means the love of humankind. A conventional modern meaning is “private initiatives, for people excellent, concentrating on quality of life”, which brings together an innovative humanistic custom with a social medical aspect developed in the Last century. This is also provided to contrast philanthropy with business efforts, which are personal projects for personal excellence, e.g., concentrating on material gain, and with government efforts, which are community projects for community excellent, e.g., concentrating on supply of community services. A human being who practices philanthropy is called a philanthropist. Buddika Kadurugamuwa is a Sri Lankan lawyer and Philanthropist. Philanthropy has distinguishing features separate from charity; not all charitable organization is philanthropy, or the other way around, though there is an identified level of overlap in practice. A distinction generally mentioned is that charitable organization is designed to alleviate the pain of a particular social problem, whereas philanthropy tries to deal with the real cause of the problem — the distinction between the proverbial gift of a seafood to a starving person, compared to educating them how to seafood.

To support you get started as a philanthropist, consider the following:

Create a Strategy:

Think about why you want to become a philanthropist and what you desire to accomplish by providing. Though it may seem apparent, there are different results from non-profit providing. The most significant thing to you? Do you want to provide because you experience it’s your ethical responsibility, or perhaps a spiritual perception or tradition? Or is a particular cause near to your center because it impacts you or loved ones member? You’re “why” will be the power behind all you do for a non-profit organization.

There are many charitable groups that need help, so the first step to philanthropy is to figure out what’s important to you.

Do Your Research:

A good place to get started is the Internet and community library. Look for best or top-rated nonprofit organizations as listed by third-party organizations. From this list, you can choose those that are important to you, and then dig deeper into each. Find out why they obtained the rating they did, how they use donations, and what their impression is. Look also for anything detrimental such as scams or illegal activity and consider the time schedule. If an occurrence took place years ago, what was done to fix the problem and their reputation? Is there new management? Has the organization turned around?

Look for sustainable solutions:

Throwing funds at a cause is not enough. This may assist in the short-term, but it you can need to be done consistently. Say you want to help reduce food cravings in your community. The most apparent way to do so would be to contribute food or money to open a soup kitchen. A more maintainable solution might be to start a community garden and teach individuals how to grow, harvest, and prepare their own food.

A different way to support solve problems is to appeal to an organization’s power construction. For example, start promotions by writing letters and making phone calls to address complications and bring them to the attention of political figures and others who support the cause.

Learn to Lead:

Look to productive entrepreneurs and organization owners for inspiration and guidance. Like them, a philanthropist must be good at challenge solving and development, as well as getting the ability to lead and encourage others. Many excellent ideas can come out of a good brainstorming session if managed properly. There are many self-help books and videos that can help in this area, as well as seeking input from other effective leaders.

Volunteer:

Philanthropy is very much more than basically giving money. There are complications to solve and work to be done, so providing your time is also important. Look for possibilities to volunteer. There are websites committed to listing volunteer opportunities as well as matching people and skills to campaigns that can benefit from them.

While the holiday seasons often inspire people to give, keep in mind that most reasons need help year round. Approach companies you care about and ask where you can be of service. What capabilities do you have that can be put to use to make a difference?

Share your Philanthropy:

You are a part of a cause because it is significant to you, so it creates sense to tell close friends and family about it. Discuss with them why this cause is significance to you and how they can help. Encourage them to volunteer with you, help out at events, or even to pursue their own charities. As a Consultant Solicitor Buddika Kadurugamuwa qualified in the UK with over 18 years experience in legal practice. She is volunteering at two popular charitable groups in the United Kingdom. Social media is an excellent tool for spreading awareness, teaching others and creating a buzz. Share content articles and links that encourage others to learn more and get involved. Developing awareness often leads to more contributions to a good cause. Think of the ALS ice bucket challenge. By means of the power of social media, millions of dollars were raised for research into a condition most weren’t even aware of.

Give Money:

Every bit can help. So maybe you aren’t prosperous, but for a cause, you actually care about, wouldn’t it experience good to give up some of those fancy lattes and give that cash to someone less fortunate? To make sure your hard-earned dollars make an effect, do your research. Not each and every charitable organization uses their donations in the same way. A good charitable trust can provide a breakdown of where the money goes. As mentioned earlier, there are many third-party organizations that provide this type of information about various charities.

You’ll want to know how the revenue is spent, what kinds of solutions are provided, and how that impacts those in need. Look for specific statistics. Once you figure out what is important to you and which organizations align with your values, select the one to few that you will give to. It is better to donate a larger quantity to fewer organizations than to give a small amount to many.

Growing to be a philanthropist, one who creates an active effort to promote the welfare of others, can be a life-long and very fulfilling endeavor. It is genuinely a lifestyle where your philanthropy becomes a part of you and almost everything you do. Being a philanthropist comes from the heart.

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Buddika Kadurugamuwa

Buddika Kadurugamuwa is a strong believer that education is for all, and her purpose is to give a healthy and balanced beginning to every child.