Tim Garvin
Updated: January 27, 2025
Opinion
Viewpoint: Two types of philanthropy
By Tim Garvin
A cryptic e-mail arrived in my inbox in early November of 2020: “I support the efforts of a philanthropist who is interested in contributing to the United Way of Central Massachusetts. I was hoping to schedule a quick follow-up call to discuss next steps.”
Next steps? I was unaware that we had taken any steps.
So began our MacKenzie Scott story; that mysterious e-mail, the notice that we had already been chosen, and a $5-million unrestricted contribution in December 2020.
The Center for Effective Philanthropy is in the middle of conducting a study into the substantial impact of Scott’s giving. At our United Way, I have taken to referring to her contributions as transformational philanthropy.
Her gift to our United Way transformed us; it brought attention and credibility to our organization beyond our greatest hopes, it infused a large amount of capital into our operations, and it changed how we saw ourselves and how the community viewed us. It enabled us to change how we made grants and to what and to whom we made community investments. Simply, it was transformational.
In December, we were out on the fundraising trail – giving presentations to local businesses, meeting with individuals, writing proposals for funding. Much as we are working on the next Scott-like contribution, we’re also focused on the 7,000+ everyday philanthropists in our community who contribute through our organization.
Just a week before the holidays, I stood on the shop floor of a national food services company as corporate leadership chatted with employees. They each presented about the partnership between their company, our United Way, and the community. They announced a corporate match to both inspire personal giving and to amplify the good they could accomplish. One said it best to me, I paraphrase: “A strong and healthy community is good for our business. It also enriches my life to do good for others.”
MacKenzie Scott’s gift to us was announced in her blog post “384 Ways to Help,” in which she shared this story:
“In March, a 19-year-old girl in Chicago sent a group text to her friends suggesting they buy supplies for people in their neighborhood who had lost their jobs. She posted two Google forms — one for people who needed help and another for people with help to give — and by two days later they’d raised $7,000. 'We’re really excited,' she said. Me too.”
The most important sentiment in her essay are those final words: “Me too”.
What I have seen, what I have learned, what I believe is this: Each of us, we can all be everyday philanthropists, and everyday philanthropists create transformational philanthropy.
May we all choose to be everyday philanthropists today, this year, and into the future.
Tim Garvin is the CEO and president of the United Way of Central Massachusetts in Worcester.
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