In our first blog in this series on meaningful philanthropy, we explored the difference between impact and meaning.
Impact concerns what philanthropy achieves for others. Meaning concerns what the experience means to the people involved.
This second blog goes beyond this to explore how philanthropy can become meaningful, not only because of the results it produces (impact), but also because of what donors, fundraisers, and communities experience during the process.
Meaning During the Philanthropic Journey
During Jen’s research into meaningful philanthropy, she interviewed 48 high- and ultra-high-net-worth individuals across five continents and ten time zones. One was P8, whose story shows how meaning emerges through a philanthropic journey.
Before giving, P8 was already a successful, creative business leader and a devoted son, brother, husband, father, friend, and community member. He saw himself as kind, caring, and compassionate, identities that both shaped and were shaped by his success.
When he entered a community he wished to help, he did not arrive as a blank slate. The community wanted support sending young people to university, so he planned scholarships, hoping recipients would also build community, problem-solving skills, and leadership.
Yet for two years, no families applied. They did not yet trust him or believe he had their best interests at heart. So he earned trust by helping in ways meaningful to them: repairing five schools when one was requested, establishing a clinic, and lobbying government for a police station and post office. These were not tactics to secure acceptance of his scholarship program; they were the response to what residents prioritized. The scholarships remained “over and above” expressed needs.
Through this, P8 changed. He spent almost every weekend listening with humility, recognizing he did not have all the answers. Over seventeen years, repeated, genuine involvement transformed the relationship. Outsiders became family; his philanthropy created deep personal meaning all the way.
Understanding Donor Identities
This story raises an important question for fundraisers: how can we recognize what is meaningful for our donors? One useful approach is to explore the different identities donors have and the ways those identities may change through their philanthropic experience.
Among others, donors may have:
Personal identities, such as being creative, determined, or entrepreneurial.
Relational identities, such as being a parent, partner, friend, or grandparent.
Organizational identities connected to their workplaces, charities, or professional associations.
Social and geographic identities based on communities, cultures, and places.
Moral identities, such as seeing themselves as caring, compassionate, or fair.
Fundraisers already interact with these identities when they create major-donor profiles. They may record information about a donor’s family, career, interests, religious beliefs, and personal connections. This academic language simply helps fundraisers recognize what they are already observing.
The purpose is not to label donors mechanically. It is to identify which identities are important to donors and which transformations may make their giving more meaningful.
In P8’s case, the central transformation was from outsider to family member.
Fundraisers can apply this by selecting a donor with whom they have a long-term relationship, identifying the donor’s different identities and roles, and asking what changes might deepen the donor’s experience. The goal is not to manipulate identity but to understand the person more fully.
How You Can Help Donor’s Find Their Meaning and Meaningful Experience
Fundraising meetings often focus on what the organization wants from the donor. Meaningful philanthropy reverses the emphasis. The fundraiser asks who the donor is, how they love, what they value, and what makes giving meaningful to them.
There is no universal list of questions that will reveal how every donor will experience meaning. The important issue is not simply what question is asked, but what the fundraiser is trying to understand.
Part two of this four-part learning journey shows how fundraisers and philanthropists can co-create the meaning with their community.
You can sign up to this learning journey and access the full content here. It includes around four hours of learning: 155 minutes of video lectures and 85 minutes of self-guided exercises.