Advice From 3 Inspiring Women In Philanthropy

Philanthropy, giving back, and supporting communities in need have been more important than ever throughout the past year and a half—and people have stepped up to the challenge. In fact, despite financial turmoil from COVID-19, charitable giving actually rose by two percent in 2020. On Giving Tuesday in early December, an astonishing $2.47 billion was donated to U.S. nonprofits by 34.8 million people.

Whether you are looking to get more involved in philanthropy as an individual or you’d like your company to do more philanthropic work, take the advice of these three women who are making a difference in the field.

Find work that genuinely excites you.

The folks who have found success in philanthropic and nonprofit work all have one thing in common: passion. No matter which specific issue is close to your heart, it’s crucial to find it and use your spirit and excitement about the cause to energize your efforts.

Stephanie Hill Wilchfort, President & CEO of Brooklyn Children’s Museum, found her passion in her first job after graduating college. “I got a sense of the breadth of roles that people at arts institutions play to make cultural experiences possible in New York City,” she recalled, “and I knew that I wanted to be a part of this work.” Her advice? “Work for organizations where you can be part of growth. These may not always be the largest or biggest name institutions, but rather organizations that excite you with their mission, new projects, and energy.”

Ali Rosa-Salas, Artistic Director of Abrons Arts Center, had a similar experience. “As a young artist, I had some of my most transformative experiences through the support of New York City–based arts nonprofits,” she said. “I decided to pursue a career in curatorial practice so that I could be part of facilitating such experiences for others.” She is grateful for the fulfilling nature of her work. “The most rewarding aspect about a career that combines nonprofit work with the arts that you can truly be a witness to and a participant in change. It is deeply gratifying to be able to provide a platform for people to think creatively about how to build a world that is more kind and just.”

Being passionate about the work is important, but it’s not always easy. “There is a lot of need in the world and you can’t help everyone, no matter how much you wish you could,” said Emily Fuhrman, Director of PR and Cause Marketing at Build-A-Bear. “If you aren’t committed to the mission and the work and really believe in the good you are helping to do, it can be easy to burn out. But the world needs people who are committed to making a positive difference, so I encourage anyone who is considering it to take the leap and lead the change.”

Be ready to provide support in unexpected ways.

Each organization and foundation has its own purpose, but sometimes the need is greater or different than what we are familiar with—and it’s up to each organization to figure out where it fits in and how it can help in its own way. Each of these women shared a story about how their organization pivoted and adjusted to fulfill the needs that the COVID-19 pandemic created, and deepened their connections with the community in the process.

The mission of the Build-A-Bear Foundation is to “add a little more ❤ to life by sharing hugs and making days a little bit brighter for those in need.” The foundation supports children and families around the world through partnerships with national organizations like Toys for Tots and Make-A-Wish, and has donated more than $18 million since its inception as well as 300,000+ furry friends in the last five years. In 2020, the need became greater and Build-A-Bear was ready to help in any way it could. “2020 was a unique year in so many ways, but we were committed to providing support during this time of great need,” said Fuhrman. “We were able to provide limited direct financial aid to our associates who were personally impacted when our stores were temporarily closed in the spring of 2020, and we also helped our home communities. Build-A-Bear Foundation made financial donations to organizations in St. Louis, MO and Columbus, OH to support those impacted by the pandemic, and donated more than 250,000 masks to these communities for essential workers.”

Abrons Arts Center, the performing and visual arts center of Henry Street Settlement on New York’s Lower East Side, mobilizes communities with the transformative power of art. The center provides resources for artists to develop new ideas for presentation, and also supports artists and educators in sharing their knowledge through class offerings. Rosa-Salas shared how the center was able to deepen its commitment to the community in new ways throughout the pandemic. “We were able to provide direct cash assistance to local artists, begin a food access initiative to supply groceries to our neighbors facing food insecurity, and serve as COVID testing site. Our outdoor amphitheater was and is a site to safely gather, process, and reflect in community with neighbors,” she said.

Brooklyn Children’s Museum continued the work it had been doing for over 120 years—bringing families together for cultural experiences—but it looked a bit different. “In March 2020, Brooklyn Children’s Museum thought that it would pivot right away to digital and online experiences,” said Wilchfort. “We did that for a few months, but we soon realized that families didn’t need more digital content—they needed safe ways to meet each other and have in-person experiences. Over the summer of 2020, we decided to turn all of our attention to figuring out how to open safely and with the live programs and performances families love. In October, we held our first day-long festival for Indigenous People’s Day on our outdoor roof terrace.” 

Do it for the right reasons—and go in with a game plan.

With customers being four to six times more likely to champion mission-driven companies, many companies are hopping on the philanthropic bandwagon. However, while consumers do want to engage with brands that take a stance on important issues, they’re also able to spot the companies that are not doing it for the right reasons. 

“For companies that are looking to make an impact,” said Fuhrman, “authenticity is the one of the most important things. It’s very hard to fake this work and most people will see through it. As more and more consumers look to engage with brands that align with their own values, people can tell when you’re just trying to check a box and when you’re truly committed.”

The best first step for companies that want to get involved with philanthropy is to outline a strategy for doing so. Whether they want to start a foundation of their own, get more involved with corporate giving, or anything in between, companies need to go back to the basics and look at their core values to determine why and how they’ll go about doing this.

“It’s helpful for companies to have a strategy as they think about philanthropy,” said Wilchfort. “What does your company want to accomplish with its funding over a period of time? How many people do you want to ‘touch’ and with what services? How does this meaningfully engage your customers and employees? Answering these questions helps to define who the best partners might be for corporate giving.”

Fuhrman added, “Companies need to find their ‘what’ and their ‘why’ to make sure that the way they give back makes sense for their brand and customers.” She’s proud of the team at Build-A-Bear for doing just that. “GIVE is a core company value and is reflected in much of what we do. I believe consumers trust our effort to give back because it aligns with the authentic and organic nature of our brand.”