We Need to Rethink Who We Call a Philanthropist

"It’s time to reclaim philanthropy as a shared human value, not just a privilege of the wealthy." Javier Alberto Soto, president and CEO of the Denver Foundation

When most people think of a philanthropist, they think of an older, wealthy white man, giving away his accumulated wealth at the end of his life. We think of men like Carnegie, Rockefeller, Ford and Gates.  

But from my experience, that is not only what philanthropy is. Philanthropy isn’t limited to the upper echelons of society, and you don’t need to be someone who can donate millions or have your name on a building for your philanthropy to matter to someone else. Although my parents would never be listed among such philanthropic aristocracy as Carnegie or Ford, they were the first philanthropists I knew. Read the full piece by Soto in Denver Westword.

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