Encouraging Engagement Previous sections described donors’ thoughts on issues of particular interest and how they view potential organizations. This section presents a brief discussion of donors’ suggestions on encouraging engagement in philanthropy. Education Information. The key ingredient for encouraging engagement by the Chinese American community is information. Access to information on the role of philanthropy in community development and on ways to get involved would make it easier to become involved. There may be a tendency to think that only people with great wealth or elevated positions in the community are capable of giving in meaningful ways. People may simply not be aware of the many routes that exist for helping others and contributing to society. Ensuring that potential donors are aware of the variety of ways in which they can contribute besides financially is a crucial step towards engaging them. As they become more involved, they will discover the vehicles and activities that work best for them. As mentioned by several donors, educating youth and young adults as to how they can support their communities through giving – both of their time and their resources – will be an important long term strategy. Exposure. The ideal source of information is direct, personal experience with a program or an organization, such as that gained during a visit to a project site or by meeting individuals who are the beneficiaries of a program. This has two benefits for potential donors. First, they will be able to see firsthand the operation and effect of the efforts of a given program or organization. Second, they can start the crucial process of getting to know the organization administering the program. For the philanthropists who contributed to this study, a personal connection with an organization is a prerequisite to choosing to support it. Other important forms of exposure include social and professional networks and the media. Events such as fundraisers or project kickoffs often generate media coverage in the community, which can then be further disseminated through social and professional networks. Something as simple as a posting on a professional networking website has the possibility of exposing thousands of potential donors to a cause or organization. Resources. Becoming engaged in philanthropy can require substantial amounts of time and research to identify organizations to support and to select appropriate mechanisms for directing funds. Resources that describe options for managing financial contributions, explain the benefits and implications of the different vehicles, and evaluate the organizations providing services would make it easier for new donors to get started. Information resources such as GuideStar and Charity Navigator are helpful, but very broad in coverage. A resource that is focused on the specific needs and opportunities in the Bay Area, perhaps with special attention paid to the needs of the Chinese American and Asian American communities, would be more helpful. Information on opportunities for large and small donors, as well as those who prefer to donate time or expertise, would be especially helpful for new philanthropists. Role models can play an important role in inspiring engagement in philanthropy. “ ” Visibility Role models can play an important role in inspiring engagement in philanthropy. Potential donors may be stimulated by seeing others in their peer group giving openly and hearing them talk about the importance of contributing to the community. The tendency mentioned by participants in the study towards giving quietly or anonymously makes it difficult to know whether people are in fact giving. A number of donors suggested creating opportunities for others to learn from active donors about programs or projects of particular interest to them. They were clear that donors would be more likely to respond to another Chinese American donor rather than to an organization that approached them directly. This opportunity for leadership in philanthropy is seen by many as an important function that they could provide, either quietly and privately, or publicly. Seeing high-profile individuals engage in philanthropy can also be a powerful source of inspiration. Encouraging well-known members of the Chinese American community to give more publicly and to talk about their reasons for doing so would motivate others to consider ways in which they could become more involved. Participants suggested having Chinese American celebrities or prominent families take part in prominent philanthropic activities that would then be picked up and publicized by the media. Younger people in particular may be positively influenced by learning that someone they admire is involved in a cause that they believe in passionately. Community as Family Participants suggested that the traditional Chinese value of taking care of one’s family could be leveraged to encourage philanthropy by expanding the concept of family outward to include the community, the Chinese American population and eventually society as a whole. Whether community is defined as a geographic location, as an ethnic minority or as a shared heritage, contributing to the betterment of community brings benefits to one’s own family as well. 10 SILICON VALLEY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION SILICON VALLEY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION 11