There has always been a give and receive model of philanthropy. The ancient Romans even had a phrase for it: do ut des, which means "I give so that you may give." It started as the way people approached offerings to their gods, and it became a basic rule of how favors and gifts worked in Roman life. Today we might call it quid pro quo, or more simply, give to get. (Quid pro quo is also an IRS term for when a donor gets something back for a gift, like a gala dinner, and the ch

I’ve spent my entire career in philanthropy, starting at the American Cancer Society right out of college. But the truth is, it started long before that. Growing up, giving was just part of life. Giving a small portion of my allowance each week at church and watching my parents quietly help families around us who needed it. One moment stuck with me. A single mom at our church needed a car to get to work and support her family. My parents decided we were going to make that hap