This article was provided by and expresses the views of Nancy Bikson, Managing Director at Chapel & York, a partner firm of the Beacon Gainer private client advisory services group.

The following is an abridged (and slightly edited) part of a 2017 article by Patrick Sampson, (CEO at Cogeo & Executive Director at COGOSTAR Foundation in Portland, Oregon) entitled ‘7 Types of Successful Philanthropists’.  He was looking at the different types of philanthropists from the standpoint of charities and how they need to organise their fundraising engagement with donors based on an analysis of the donor’s philanthropic profile. However, working with donors, talking through the ‘why’ for their philanthropy is always the starting point and I recommend the following for your consideration.

Communitarian – Doing Good Makes Sense

  • Believes that doing good in the community makes good business sense.
  • What is good for business contributes to their personal success.
  • Has the desire to give rather than feels it is an obligation.
  • Tends to believe in the institution they give to and usually wants to establish a long-term relationship. Likes to be involved and have some control.
  • Usually likes recognition and public acknowledgment.

Devout – Doing Good Is God’s Will

  • Feels it is God’s will to do good; 96% of their giving is to religious purposes.
  • They usually have faith in the leadership of the institution. Feels it is their moral obligation to give and God’s desire that they help others.
  • Giving is an act of stewardship.
  • They do not care about recognition.

Investor – Doing Good Is Good Business

  • The investor says that doing good is good business. They are very careful about investigating the organisations they give to. They look for measurable returns.
  • View philanthropy as a business relationship. They are highly motivated to avoid taxes.
  • They feel no moral imperative, and they are very sceptical of altruistic people.
  • They do not really want to get too actively involved in the day-to-day operations of the organization. However, attention and respect are very important issues to them.

Socialite – Doing Good Is Fun

  • The Socialite likes having fun in their funding work, and that is the main reason they get involved. They like to be creative, especially in planning social events.
  • Their view of philanthropy is that it is a social exchange. The selection of the organisations they work with is purely a social decision.
  • They look for formal recognition and love to be honoured. They are influenced by the social implication of their work and contributions.

Repayer – Doing Good in Return

  • They feel that they are doing good because the organisation has already given them something special. They likely have had a life changing experience with the organization.
  • They are very focused in their giving.
  • The effectiveness and service delivery are very important to them.
  • They sometimes have low involvement in the organisation.
  • They give on an emotional level. They do not look for recognition.

Altruist – Doing Good Feels Right

  • They give because they believe it is the right thing to do. They are genuinely selfless. They almost always focus on social issues.
  • They believe that the wealthy have a greater obligation to give. By and large they are not influenced by others.
  • They like to know the leadership of an organization. They seek respect rather than recognition from an organization.

Dynast – Doing Good Is a Family Tradition

  • They usually come from affluent families. They grew up in families where there is a tradition of giving.
  • Interestingly, there is often a generational difference in the organisations they give to. They often do not follow family tradition in the causes they support.
  • They are the most selective type of philanthropist. They really do their homework. They focus on the core mission of the institution and how well the organization is doing implementing their mission.
  • They look to experts for advice. They work with tax advisors, lawyers, and philanthropy advisors.
  • They often support non-traditional institutions. They can be very interested in the economically disadvantaged.
  • They want minimal recognition.

Although I agree with the categories Patrick details, I disagree with his title ‘7 Types of Successful Philanthropists’ – the idea of rating the success of those who need not give anything to anyone at all, yet do so, is inappropriate at best and unhelpful at worst. I, and Chapel and York, firmly believe that all philanthropy is successful, and all philanthropists are a success.

Nancy Bikson

Managing Director

Chapel & York