People wanting to improve their communities or help people in need can easily find a charity and philanthropies to donate their time, money, or skills. Although many individuals use these terms in the same way, they mean different things.
Charity
Charities tend to facilitate short-term actions, such as relief and rescue, to meet immediate needs resulting from crises and traumatic events. Some charitable organizations collect money, food, clothing, medical supplies, and other items to help people affected by natural disasters meet their basic needs.
Charities often appeal to people’s empathy and solicit short-term giving. People can also volunteer their time instead of donating. Individuals and small groups can collect for charity, such as placing a jar at a cash register to solicit funds to pay for a child’s medical procedure.
Philanthropy
Philanthropy requires more strategy and research to understand the nature of a problem on a systemic level and formulate multifaceted ways to solve it. Solutions can involve rebuilding or uplifting a marginalized population, addressing injustice or violence, or reducing the risk of a widespread illness or safety threat. More than addressing immediate needs, the results of these efforts ideally have long-lasting impacts and focus on prevention.
Members of philanthropic organizations usually accept money and volunteer time, but many also engage in advocacy. Philanthropies that commit time and resources to their cause often enter public policy or legislative realms to raise awareness and bring about change. Although most workers stay out of politics, philanthropic advocacy usually involves talking with lawmakers and policy leaders about the issues important to the organization.
Charity or Philanthropy: Which is Better?
The short answer is neither. Both charities and philanthropies do good and vital work, but they use diverse approaches to tackle the same societal problems. Charities apply money, resources, and volunteerism to their causes to respond to immediate necessities and provide help right away to those in need. On the other hand, philanthropies spend more effort finding permanent solutions to problems rather than implementing short-term solutions.
Ultimately, there is a place for both charities and philanthropies, and both make up vital components to the nonprofit sector. They represent distinct but compatible ways to improve the human condition and make the world better.