Philanthropic Quotes

A gift consists not in what is done or given, but in the intention of the giver or doer. ~ Seneca.

The Seductive Lure of Socialism Here I encounter the most popular fallacy of our times. It is not considered sufficient that the law should be just; it must be philanthropic. Nor is it sufficient that the law should guarantee to every citizen the free and inoffensive use of his faculties for physical, intellectual, and moral self-improvement. Instead, it is demanded that the law should directly extend welfare, education, and morality throughout the nation. This is the seductive lure of socialism. And I repeat again: These two uses of the law are in direct contradiction to each other. We must choose between them. A citizen cannot at the same time be free and not free. ~ Frederic Bastiat

To be Christians finally, it is our duty and obligation to foster only those convictions that are justified by reason and experience, that have passed through the crucible of analysis, in a word, to act sensibly and not senselessly as in dreams or delirium, so as not to bring harm to a man, so as not to torment and ruin a man. Then, then it will be a real Christian deed, not only a mystical one, but a sensible and truly philanthropic deed ... ~ Fyodor Dostoyevsky

We're seeing that business models and philanthropic models are not mutually exclusive. ~ Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen

Exalt the Cross! God has hung the destiny of the race upon it. Other things we may do in the realm of ethics, and on the lines of philanthropic reforms; but our main duty converges into setting that one glorious beacon of salvation, Calvary's Cross, before the gaze of every immortal soul. ~ Theodore L. Cuyler

been baffled when Jobs insisted that he was not motivated by money, but it was partly true. He had neither Ellison's conspicuous consumption needs nor Gates's philanthropic impulses nor the competitive urge to see how high ~ Walter Isaacson

Naming rights are a seductive philanthropic inducement, yet more anonymous operational support may better advance the charitable purpose. ~ George Kaiser

Helping people doesn't have to be an unsound financial strategy. ~ Melinda Gates

Oh, of course, there is another meaning, another interesting interpretation of the word 'father,' which insists that my father, though a monster, though a villain to his children, is still my father simply because he begot me. But this meaning is, so to speak, a mystical one, which I do not understand with my reason, but can only accept by faith, or, more precisely, on faith, like many other things that I do not understand, but that religion nonetheless tells me to believe. But in that case let it remain outside the sphere of real life. While within the sphere of real life, which not only has its rights, but itself imposes great obligations--within this sphere, if we wish to be humane, to be Christians finally, it is our duty and obligation to foster only those convictions that are justified by reason and experience, that have passed through the crucible of analysis, in a word, to act sensibly and not senselessly as in dreams or delirium, so as not to bring harm to a man, so as not to torment and ruin a man. Then, then it will be a real Christian deed, not only a mystical one, but a sensible and truly philanthropic deed...let us decide the question as reason and the love of man dictate, and not as dictated by mystical notions. ~ Fyodor Dostoyevsky

I really enjoy my philanthropic work, traveling around the world and helping people in need. That's a lot of fun for me. It's really rewarding. You're helping people, but it's helping you, too. It puts life in perspective when you come back and you say, 'Man, it's raining again in Minnesota.' ~ Larry Fitzgerald

Misers makes money their lord, but the spenders makes it their slaves and servants ~ Michael Bassey Johnson

I have put together resources from the private and philanthropic communities to help provide a bridge because you've got to get the federal money. You've got to get the state money, but I'm going to do everything I can. And I will be with Flint all the way through this crisis in whatever capacity I am. ~ Hillary Clinton

We should never lose sight of the very close link between individual giving and the formation of philanthropic traditions. ~ Robert L. Payton

God never estimates what we give from impulse. We are given credit for what we determine in our hearts to give; for the giving that is governed by a fixed determination. The Spirit of God revolutionises our philanthropic instincts. Much of our philanthropy is simply the impulse to save ourselves an uncomfortable feeling. The Spirit of God alters all that. As saints our attitude towards giving is that we give for Jesus Christ's sake, and from no other motive. ~ Oswald Chambers

Let him that hath done the good office conceal it; let him that received it disclose it. ~ Seneca The Younger

If there is any substance in what I have said, will not the great missionary bodies of India, to whom she owes a deep debt of gratitude for what they have done and are doing, do still better and serve the spirit of Christianity better by dropping the goal of proselytising while continuing their philanthropic work? ~ Mahatma Gandhi

I grew up in a business-inspired environment, and over the years have started and run several businesses and philanthropic organizations. Understanding how large corporations work, by having hands-on and board experience, I apply that knowledge to the benefit of all that I do. ~ Shari Arison

The race of mankind would perish did they cease to aid each other. We cannot exist without mutual help. All therefore that need aid have a right to ask it from their fellow-men; and no one who has the power of granting can refuse it without guilt. ~ Walter Scott

I was trained from the beginning to work, to save. I have always regarded it a as a religious duty to get all I could honorably and to give all I could. ~ John D. Rockefeller

I've always been business-minded. I worked in corporate America before becoming an actress and knew that acting wasn't the end but a means to an end. It gave me the platform and the exposure I needed to do my philanthropic work. It also gave me the financial security to focus on my other businesses, start new businesses, and even help other people start businesses. ~ Eva Longoria

New York is a great place to be if you want to make an impact and be involved in charities or philanthropic organizations like my wife and I are. ~ Justin Tuck

Generosity is the flower of justice. ~ Nathaniel Hawthorne

Nothing will serve you better than a strong work ethic. Nothing. And it's something that you can't teach. You have to be thrown into it, where you're going to sink or swim. It's amazing how self-correcting and how clarifying a good, hard, shitty job can be. Because at the end of the day, any profession I've seen anybody in, when you peer behind the curtains of Oh, wouldn't that be a great job? Wow, what an amazing thing, a philanthropic endeavor! it really just comes down to It's a f**king grind. ~ Robert Downey, Jr.

Boredom is the legitimate kingdom of the philanthropic. ~ Virginia Woolf

The premise of this foundation is one life on this planet is no more valuable than the next. ~ Melinda Gates

The fundamental principle [of settlement work] remains: that people shall take up their residence in industrial communities, giving what they may have of public spirit, and partaking of the life about them; preserving their identity as individuals and endeavoring to keep the settlement free from the institutional form of philanthropic work ... the relationship is reciprocal ... ~ Lillian Wald

Online, you can become much more than a reactive donor - you can become a proactive, strategic, collaborative philanthropist, improving your giving every day by tapping into the wealth of philanthropic resources available at the tap of a keyboard or the click of a mouse. ~ Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen

If you can't distinguish people from lap-dogs, you shouldn't undertake philanthropic work. ~ Anton Chekhov

Philanthropy is often seen as society's risk capital. That means the onus is on philanthropists, nonprofit leaders and social entrepreneurs to innovate. But philanthropic innovation is not just about creating something new. It also means applying new thinking to old problems, processes and systems. ~ Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen

I am nothing if not misanthropic," declared Sebastian.
"I think you mean philanthropic," said Henry.
"God, you are so perdantic."
"That would be pedantic."
"See! You're even perdantic about the word perdantic. ~ Kevin Ansbro

As our parents planted for us, so will we plant for our children. When Charlie and I began our philanthropic journey, we wanted to focus our resources on planting seeds that would help perpetuate Jewish values and traditions for future generations and also contribute to repairing our world. ~ Lynn Schusterman

I have failed a lot in my philanthropy, where I will make philanthropic contributions and they just won't be effective. ~ Marc Benioff

Think of giving not only as a duty but as a privilege. ~ John D. Rockefeller

At the height of his popularity in 1977, Cat Stevens converted to Islam and dedicated his life to educational and philanthropic causes. ~ Shawn Amos

There is a natural law, a Divine law, that obliges you and me to relieve the suffering, the distressed and the destitute. ~ Conrad Hilton

No matter how well-born, how intelligent, how highly educated, how virtuous, how rich, how refined, the women of to-day constitutea political class below that of every man, no matter how base-born, how stupid, how ignorant, how vicious, how poverty-stricken, how brutal. The pauper in the almshouse may vote; the lady who devotes her philanthropic thought to making that almshouse habitable, may not. The tramp who begs cold victuals in the kitchen may vote; the heiress who feeds him and endows universities may not. ~ Mary Corinna Putnam Jacobi

Proactive giving is what you do when you've found your passion. It expresses your values, interests and concerns. It engages not just your dollars, but also your mind, time, skills and networks - the philanthropic equivalent of leaning in, rather than leaning back. Most importantly, proactive giving is something you want to do. ~ Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen

The truth of the matter is: you can create a great legacy, and inspire others, by giving it to philanthropic organizations. ~ Michael Bloomberg

It is more difficult to give money away intelligently than to earn it in the first place. ~ Andrew Carnegie

Elvis was sincere, and he was - he was so loyal. And he was so homespun. He loved his mother, he loved America. You know, he loved his fellow man. He had a great humanitarian philanthropic sense. ~ Linda Thompson

It has often been suggested to me that the Constitution of the United States is a sufficient safeguard for the freedom of its citizens. It is obvious that even the freedom it pretends to guarantee is very limited. I have not been impressed with the adequacy of the safeguard. The nations of the world, with centuries of international law behind them, have never hesitated to engage in mass destruction when solemnly pledged to keep the peace; and the legal documents in America have not prevented the United States from doing the same. Those in authority have and always will abuse their power. And the instances when they do not do so are as rare as roses growing on icebergs. Far from the Constitution playing any liberating part in the lives of the American people, it has robbed them of the capacity to rely on their own resources or do their own thinking. Americans are so easily hoodwinked by the sanctity of law and authority. In fact, the pattern of life has become standardized, routinized, and mechanized like canned food and Sunday sermons. The hundred-percenter easily swallows syndicated information and factory-made ideas and beliefs. He thrives on the wisdom given him over the radio and cheap magazines by corporations whose philanthropic aim is selling America out. He accepts the standards of conduct and art in the same breath with the advertising of chewing gum, toothpaste, and shoe polish. Even songs are turned out like buttons or automobile tires--all cast from the same mold. ~ Emma Goldman

The one thing the Victorians really believed in was philanthropy. I think we've forgotten the obligation to be philanthropic. I think we need smaller government, but I want to make it clear I'm not the Sarah Palin of the Cotswolds. ~ Susan Hill

My giving story started with my parents - my late mother, Frances Arrillaga, who dedicated her life to philanthropic and community service, and my father, John Arrillaga, whose daily generosity of heart, mind, and hands-on contributions make him one of the most extraordinary philanthropists I know. ~ Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen

Social activism has gone mainstream. A new generation of philanthropic leaders such as Bill and Melinda Gates, and Bono are providing inspiration, guidance, and billions of dollars through their global foundations. ~ Willow Bay

We cannot preserve philanthropic and charitable values if we detach them completely from our fundamental personal beliefs and convictions. ~ Robert L. Payton

To make the peaks higher.
[His reason to target philanthropic funding to only the best university science departments.] ~ Wickliffe Rose

Not what I have, but what I do is my kingdom. ~ Thomas Carlyle

When I work as a model, it feels like holiday. Doing a shoot is so light in a way that it's really a good break from being a mother or running a charitable organization and other philanthropic projects that I'm really passionate about. ~ Natalia Vodianova

It is unlikely that many people will take to heart the conclusion that coming into existence is always a harm. It is even less likely that many people will stop having children. By contrast, it is quite likely that my views either will be ignored or will be dismissed. As this response will account for a great deal of suffering between now and the demise of humanity, it cannot plausibly be thought of as philanthropic. That is not to say that it is motivated by any malice towards humans, but it does result from a self-deceptive indifference to the harm of coming into existence. ~ David Benatar

It has been said that the people of this country are deeply interested in the humanitarian and philanthropic considerations involved in [the Eastern Question]. All must appreciate such feelings. But I am mistaken if there be not a yet deeper sentiment on the part of the people of this country, one with which I cannot doubt your lordships will ever sympathise, and that is - the determination to maintain the Empire of England. ~ Benjamin Disraeli

Every woman who has any margin of time or money to spare should adopt some one public interest, some philanthropic undertaking,or some social agitation of reform, and give to that cause whatever time and work she may be able to afford ... ~ Frances Power Cobbe

I was the Chair of the WIFF Foundation, which is the philanthropic arm of Women In Film. The foundation runs the several programs including one that provide our film finishing fund. So we help women complete their films with a grant from Netflix. It's great to be associated with award winning films like 'Freeheld' and 'Circumstance'. ~ Sharon Lawrence

THEY WERE PEOPLE who went in for Negroes - Michael and Anne - the Carraways. But not in the social-service, philanthropic sort of way, no. They saw no use in helping a race that was already too charming and naive and lovely for words. Leave them unspoiled and just enjoy them, Michael and Anne felt. So they went in for the Art of Negroes - the dancing that had such jungle life about it, the songs that were so simple and fervent, the poetry that was so direct, so real. They never tried to influence that art, they only bought it and raved over it, and copied it. For they were artists, too. ~ Langston Hughes

American philanthropic custom owes much to leadership by business and professional people. ~ Robert L. Payton

The difference between charity and philanthropy is the distance of the soul ... To be philanthropic is to give something, to be charitable is to give one's own heart. ~ Maya Angelou

Modern reformers offer nebulous theories or write philanthropic novels. But your thief acts! He is as clear as a fact and as logical as a punch on the nose! And what a style he has! ~ Honore De Balzac

Benefit performances, bad paintings and statues, philanthropic societies, Gypsies, schools, subscription dinners, carousing, the Masons, churches, books - no one and nothing met with refusal, ~ Leo Tolstoy

One thing I began to realize in my travels was that everyone I met who was truly successful - whether in business, in philanthropic work, in human rights, in government, or in raising a family - shared one common trait: they were fanatically passionate about the work they did. ~ Wes Moore

I definitely got my philanthropic genes from my mom and dad. They taught me from a very early age to always lend a helping hand to anyone in need, and I hope to raise my daughter to be a very kind and charitable person. ~ Rebecca Gayheart

The continent is incredibly exciting. When I first went there, it consumed me, and I instantly felt like I wanted to be engaged one way or the other, whether on a philanthropic level or business. I'm lucky to say today that I do both. In terms of African Wildlife Foundation, I started working with them roughly around 2009, on the ambassador level. Then I joined the board and was exposed to deeper issues that the Foundation was combating on the continent. ~ Veronika Varekova

Fashion and wearing clothes is a daily routine for everybody. What better way to spread the word of giving back and philanthropic ways of life than to wear something that gives back to charity? ~ Patrick Schwarzenegger

Football is a personal interest which has been turned into a philanthropic initiative directed at encouraging social cohesion during the difficult process of African modernisation. ~ Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi

Oh, I long to prove myself by writing! The best seems to die in me when I give it up. It is the self I love
not this efficient, philanthropic self. ~ Ruth Benedict

The resources you happen to accumulate, what do you do with them? You can spend the money and buy some houses or whatever, and people do some of that and that's fine. You can give the money to other people, your family, but usually when you do that you screw them up and it ends up counterproductive. Or, you take those resources and reinvest them in things that you believe in, and that could be reinvesting in a philanthropic cause. ~ Steve Case

The drive for equality failed for a much more fundamental reason. It went against one of the most basic instincts of all human beings. In the words of Adam Smith, "The uniform, constant, and uninterrupted effort of every man to better his condition"9 - and, one may add, the condition of his children and his children's children. Smith, of course, meant by "condition" not merely material well-being, though certainly that was one component. He had a much broader concept in mind, one that included all of the values by which men judge their success - in particular the kind of social values that gave rise to the outpouring of philanthropic activities in the nineteenth century. ~ Milton Friedman

In general, however, these gentlemen, the reformers, legislators, and politicians, do not desire to exercise an immediate despotism over mankind. No, they are too moderate and too philanthropic for that. They only contend for the despotism, the absolutism, the omnipotence of the law. ~ Frederic Bastiat

We have killed "duty" so that our ardent desire for free brotherhood acquires heroic valor in life. We have killed "pity" because we are barbarians capable of great love. We have killed "altruism" because we are generous egoists. We have killed "philanthropic solidarity" so that the social man unearths his most secret "I" and finds the strength of the "Unique". ~ Renzo Novatore

Philanthropic people lose all sense of humanity. It is their distinguishing
characteristic. ~ Oscar Wilde

As the purse is emptied, the heart is filled. ~ Victor Hugo

the philanthropic banker his brother-in-law, who predominated so much in the town that some called him a Methodist, others a hypocrite, according to the resources of their vocabulary; ~ George Eliot

No, I mean, why are the Innaki here, visiting Earth?"
Its eyes narrowed, and I sensed it was reluctant to answer. "We are improving the human gene code."
"Why?"
"The human creature is sub-standard, stupid and prone to disease. We are working to advance its makeup."
How philanthropic of them, I thought wryly. ~ Tracey Lee Campbell

Philanthropic leaders genially speak of complementing government, not competing with it as if monopoly were good and competition destructive-thus unwittingly conspiring against the public interest. ~ Richard Cornuelle

The Americans make associations to give entertainment, to found seminaries, to build inns, to construct churches, to diffuse books, to send missionaries to the antipodes; in this manner, they found hospitals, prisons and schools. ~ Alexis De Tocqueville

There is a natural link between the effective running of my businesses and the effective direction of philanthropic funds. I apply business principles to my philanthropic work so that maximum value is given to the causes I support. ~ Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi

We do not claim to be more unselfish, more generous or more philanthropic than other people. But we think we started on sound and straightforward business principles, considering the interests of the shareholders our own, and the health and welfare of the employees, the sure foundation of our success. ~ Jamsetji Tata

By Jove the stranger and the poor are sent, and what to those we give, to Jove is lent. ~ Homer

The philanthropic tradition is older than democracy, older than Christianity, and older than higher education. It gives form and purpose to personal and social life that cannot be provided by the self-interest of economic enterprise or required by the mandate of political institutions. ~ Robert L. Payton

I used to do some philanthropic work, but with the political platform, I can contribute in a bigger way. ~ Chiranjeevi

I have tried to hold my philanthropic passion to fashion, because I think this is very important, and I realize I need to delve even deeper into it. ~ Donna Karan

gimmicks. A closer look at the online school movement illustrates how tax dollars and philanthropic donations are being used to fuel huge windfalls in the private sector. ~ Linsey McGoey

We must never forget what government is not. Government is not a philanthropic organization. Government is not the family. And government certainly is not the church. ~ Michele Bachmann

Discipline yourself to boil down your story/new business/philanthropic enterprise to a single page. ~ Steven Pressfield

When my husband Charles passed away in 2000, I took over as chair of our family's foundation. As I was mourning his loss, I also had to keep the foundation moving forward and to chart a course into what was then a very male-dominated philanthropic world. ~ Lynn Schusterman

My father ... very generous, very philanthropic, very charitable man. My siblings and I and my mother continue with always appreciating and always giving back. It's something I hope that I've become a role model for my children. ~ Steve Tisch

The best documentaries are independent. They don't exist to serve interests, philanthropic or otherwise. ~ Nick Fraser

He who gives what he would as readily throw away, gives without generosity; for the essence of generosity is in self sacrifice. ~ Henry Taylor

The mission of law is not to oppress persons and plunder them of their property, even thought the law may be acting in a philanthropic spirit. Its mission is to protect property. ~ Frederic Bastiat

Amazon is a corporation, not a philanthropic trust dedicated to the production of works of art and literature. ~ Nick Harkaway

With a generation of younger folks who have thrived on the success of their companies, there is a big opportunity for many of us to give back earlier in our lifetime and see the impact of our philanthropic efforts. ~ Mark Zuckerberg

Anya Hindmarch is indeed a handbag designer; she has the requisite fabulous life, tasteful home, and loving husband. She is also beautiful and self-deprecating, and has five children aged 5 to 20 and a philanthropic bent which spans causes from cancer care to Britain's Conservative Party. ~ Kate Reardon

I'm not doing my philanthropic work, out of any kind of guilt, or any need to create good public relations. I'm doing it because I can afford to do it, and I believe in it. ~ George Soros

Let's start a new slate, let's look for the rainbow in every cloud and let's be more humane and selfless, let us become more philanthropic- that's my wish for the New Year. ~ Charmaine J Forde

I'm amazed by the potential of more companies employing integrated philanthropic initiatives at earlier stages in their life cycle. What if this were done on an even more massive scale? Consider what would happen if a top-tier venture-capital firm required the companies in which it invested to place 1% of their equity into a foundation serving the communities in which they do business. ~ Marc Benioff

I think the beauty industry is a stepping stone in terms of pageants that will give you a launching pad to be seen. For people to understand who you are and what you stand for ... I think it teaches self esteem and self worth. And it also encourages you to have a more philanthropic viewpoint of the world. ~ Kenya Moore

The ideological blackmail that has been in place since the original Live Aid concerts in 1985 has insisted that 'caring individuals' could end famine directly, without the need for any kind of political solution or systemic reorganization. It is necessary to act straight away, we were told; politics has to be suspended in the name of ethical immediacy. Bono's Product Red brand wanted to dispense even with the philanthropic intermediary. 'Philanthropy is like hippy music, holding hands', Bono proclaimed. 'Red is more like punk rock, hip hop, this should feel like hard commerce'. The point was not to offer an alternative to capitalism - on the contrary, Product Red's 'punk rock' or 'hip hop' character consisted in its 'realistic' acceptance that capitalism is the only game in town. No, the aim was only to ensure that some of the proceeds of particular transactions went to good causes. The fantasy being that western consumerism, far from being intrinsically implicated in systemic global inequalities, could itself solve them. All we have to do is buy the right products. ~ Mark Fisher

However absurd it may seem, I do in all seriousness hereby declare that I am animated mainly by philanthropic motives. I desire to do good to my fellow creatures, even to the Cui bonos. ~ Oliver Heaviside

Much corporate giving is charitable in nature rather than philanthropic. ~ David Rockefeller

To pity distress is but human; to relieve it is Godlike. ~ Horace Mann

In my new book, 'Birth,' my goal is to share the path I have traveled in the spiritual sphere and in the business and philanthropic sphere in order to reveal the essential connection between the two. ~ Shari Arison

The sole precoccupation of this learned society was the destruction of humanity for philanthropic reasons and the perfection of weapons as instruments of civilization. ~ Jules Verne