Photo Credit Guille Pozz
Philanthropy is a mindset.
It’s awareness. It’s compassion. It’s action.
And it’s believing your smallest contribution still matters.
Because it does.
You don’t need a strategy, a fat checkbook, or a perfect cause to begin. You simply need to ask: Where is there a human being who needs a moment of grace? Maybe you offer your table to someone without a seat. Buy coffee for a stranger whose eyes look tired. Hold space for someone who seems overwhelmed. Or simply slow down long enough to truly see the person in front of you.
These are not grand gestures. They are human ones. And often, they’re the moments people remember long after you’ve forgotten you ever did them.
So as the holidays approach and we head into a new year, here’s a simple challenge: write a Post-it note with the words “Make someone smile” and place it on your car console. Then take a photo of it and set it as the wallpaper on your phone—the device you see a hundred times a day. Let it be a gentle daily nudge to create one small moment of kindness. And after you’ve done it, look at yourself—your screen, your reflection, your softened expression. That’s the quiet magic of giving—it brightens the giver just as much as the receiver… go ahead, try it and see for yourself! This is the perfect moment to reframe how we think about philanthropy. Giving doesn’t need a season or a spotlight—it only needs you.