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The Gift of Philanthropy: And how supporting local businesses is good for us all.
Some years ago, I was at a friend’s dinner party where I had the good fortune to be seated next to the late philanthropist, Lady Leslie Ridley-Tree. At the time, she was 92 and clearly had no intention of slowing down anytime soon. As I was in graduate school studying healthy aging, I used this fortuitous seating arrangement to do some unofficial research. After we chatted for a bit, I asked her if she wouldn’t mind letting me in on her secret to longevity. Without blinking an eye, she said, “Philanthropy,” then turned to speak to the man on her other side. Feeling simultaneously anointed and slighted, I let her words marinate throughout the night and have not forgotten them since.
The word philanthropy itself can often seem intimidating, conjuring up images of large art donations and red ribbon cutting ceremonies (although, truth be told, I have always wondered where you get a pair of scissors that large.) According to the good, old Oxford Languages, philanthropy is “the desire to promote the welfare of others, expressed especially by the generous donation of money to good causes.” But I decided to dig deeper. What are the origins of this word that is so often bandied about? Turns out, it’s kind of cool. It has Greek roots (doesn’t everything?) and comes from “philein” which is to love. And “anthropos”…
