PREPARING PHILANTHROPY TO PROMOTE EQUITY |
PHILANTHROPY IN THE MID SOUTH

It is important to think more expansively about who the philanthropists are in communities. Most operate under the traditional understanding that philanthropists are people of significant wealth who can contribute large sums to universities or art museums. This understanding is limited, though. Philanthropists in the Mid South are also church-goers who contribute $50 week in and week out for a student's scholarship fund. The Mid South philanthropist is also the accountant who spends then hours during tax season to help low-income families file tax returns qualifying them for the Earned Income Tax Credit. The list goes on and on.

Philanthropy, properly understood, is love of humanity expressed through giving. Philanthropists, properly understood, are people—regardless of age, race, income level, or social status—who share of their time, talent, and financial resources to promote the common good. Using these two definitions, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi have more than their fair share of philanthropists. Mid Southerners have a long tradition of caring for each other and sharing resources with people less fortunate than themselves.

GENEROSITY INDEX

Mid Southerners cannot rely solely on a handful of people within our communities—or an even smaller group of philanthropists outside our region—to come to our aid during this period of rising social needs and decreasing public revenues. We must come to realize that we—not some unknown "they"—are the philanthropists who must collectively invest our resources to strengthen the fabric of community life. We must come to see ourselves in a different light and take action accordingly.

If the Mid South hopes to respond constructively and creatively to the challenges of persistent poverty, devolution, and globalization, its leaders must be thoughtful and strategic about cultivating a spirit of community philanthropy and creating opportunities for all people who care about the places where they live to invest in the future health and well-being of their communities and the people who live there.