Charity begins at home: Ways of cultivating sympathy

Charity is one of the noblest of virtues and is not easy to practice for anybody who has no innate compassion for giving. It is hard to be indulgent with others unless one is able to cultivate this virtue at home. This latest Alex von Furstenberg blog update introduces three ways of cultivating generosity and compassion at home.

• Teaching children to give - A giving attitude is a lesson that should be taught at a young age. Encouraging children to gather their allowance money for Salvation Army buckets, baking cookies for hospitals and nursing homes, and donating old toys, among others, can help them grow to become great philanthropists someday.

Image credit: greatschools.org

• Turning birthdays into a day of giving - Shari Nakakura, a mother of two, makes it a point that on occasions like birthdays, her family picks out a charity for their guests to give donations to.

Image credit: holistic-central.com

• Examining the difficulty for the working poor - Injecting the virtue of charitable giving at home is possible by looking into the lives of the disadvantaged. Parents can also enumerate the things that the family must spend money on every week so they can prioritize their needs over their wants. With their extra money, they can plan how they can give to others.

Image credit: 3quarksdaily.blogs.com

The home is the center of society where goodness develops. From the home, that goodness can radiate to neighbors, communities, and the world.

Find out more about Alex von Furstenberg and his philanthropy by following this Twitter account.

Making the holiday season a little brighter for others

“If we have the opportunity to be generous with our hearts, ourselves, we have no idea of the depth and breadth of love's reach.” -- Margaret Cho

Giving back seems to be popular nowadays, and it’s a great thing to do all year round. However, the spirit of Christmas perks up the generous side in many people. The holidays give them a moment to think that this is not a joyous time for all people and that this is the best time to give back to the community. For families that want to make a difference this season, here are some ways to give back to the community:

Choosing a charity

Those who are not sure where to give this year can pick up from seasoned philanthropists who have been generous to a fault, such as the likes of Dame Elisabeth Murdoch (a prominent Australian philanthropist), Bill Clinton (founder and head of the Clinton Global Initiative), and Alex Von Furstenberg (a supporter of various non-profit organizations in the country).

Image credit: blog.worldvision.org

Travel philanthropy

Travel philanthropy has attracted many tourists, especially with various calamities that occurred in different countries. People invest time and money to help less-advantaged nations.

Image credit: saidaonline.com

Helping others in simple ways

Insignificant they may seem, small acts of generosity can go a long way for others. This may be in the form of sending a package to a soldier, visiting hospital patients, donating clothes, or joining a group that does outreach projects for the community.

Image credit: globalgrasshopper.com

Giving reminds the people how blessed they are and that they can help in more ways than one. In helping others, the possibilities are endless.

Learn more about Alex von Furstenberg’s philanthropy from this Twitter account.

Corporate philanthropy: The benefits of giving back

Image credit: guardian.co.uk

There are many companies that sponsor charitable causes, but what drives them to do so? Does sponsoring charitable causes really benefit companies as well?

Investing in philanthropic efforts may sound like a waste of company budget, but many businessmen, such as Alex von Furstenberg, believe that it is a worthwhile cause and that getting involved in charity work does not only make employees feel better, but also allows the company to build personal connections with them.

Image credit: sbkandassociates.com

These personal connections are important in building employee loyalty and productivity. By being involved in philanthropy, the company shows that it cares about other people. This is especially important in larger companies, where most employees are more likely to feel that they are just looked upon as workers instead of as actual human beings—these are the people who earn a lot and like their job but dislike the way their company treats them.

Business philanthropy can also be beneficial to a company’s bottom line. Customers are more likely to buy from a company that supports a charitable organization, increasing brand loyalty. Helping out a cause also enhances a company’s credibility and image, and promotes and educates the public about its products and services, creating product awareness and visibility, therefore increasing sales.

Image credit: webgreeter.com

Visit the Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation website for more details.

Literacy Partners: Educating adults

Image credit: articles.nydailynews.com

The life of an industrialist-philanthropist, like Alex von Furstenberg, always revolves around helping others, especially when it comes to education. Part of Mr. von Furstenberg’s advocacy is increasing adult literacy through the Literacy Partners, a nonprofit organization dedicated to offering high quality, community-based literacy programs in New York City. Its main goal is to help adults reach their maximum potential as individuals, parents, and citizens.


Going beyond teaching people how to read
 

Image credit: literacyunion.org

Many people think that illiteracy means not knowing how to read. Literacy Partners changes this perception by not just teaching adults the basics of reading but also providing them a holistic approach service to attain a combined basic literacy, health and financial literacy, and job readiness. Included in its roster of services are the following:

1. Prepares students for their General Education Development or GED

2. Teaches English to non-English speaking students

3. Provides programs for financial and health literacy

4. Gives a comprehensive and individualized guided education

5. Awards each student with all the support services needed in order to succeed in life

There are over two million New Yorkers who are functionally illiterate. Literacy Partners strives not just to educate but also to empower these people to achieve more in life. The organization effectively addresses the root cause of issues to help generate a surge of effects boosting health, the economy, and society as a whole.

Image credit: hawkinspondstudy.com

Follow this Twitter account to learn more.

The prince with a heart for charity

Children who love to read usually look up to the princes and princesses they read about in their storybooks. These fictional characters usually exhibit unearthly beauty, bravery, and kindness, and usually get to live happily ever after. Although they are just products of fiction, some of these fairy-tale characters exist in real life.

Alex von Furstenberg is one such prince.

Image credit: guestofaguest.com

The son of fashion magnate Dianne von Furstenberg and Prince Egon von Furstenberg of Austria, Alex was born into a world where everything a boy can ask for is within reach. He lived in comfort in New York and went to the best schools, but being a prince with a huge heart, Alex knew that he wanted something more. Where most rich royalty would squander their money on extravagant parties and flamboyant estates, Alex would use his to help out charitable causes—a trademark of his inherent kindness.

Image credit: mdr-inc.com

With the Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation, Alex became involved in a number of charitable causes, including environmental advocacy, human rights, disease research, education, and community reform. One of the largest donations he and the organization gave was to the American Tall Ship Institute, a non-profit organization located in Oxnard, CA that offers free education to children 9 to 18 years old.

Alex’ generosity and dedication to helping others show that princes and princesses with kind hearts don’t only exist in fairy tales but also in real life.

Image credit: durbannews.co.za

For more information, visit the Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation website.

Paying it forward: Taking your first steps in charity work

Image credit: haltonrecycles.wordpress.com

Shoppers and consumers these days are much smarter and demand more than just products and services from your company. It is no longer enough to just have the best products and services in the market—you also have to help improve the community and society at large.

One of the ways to create a positive impact on the society is by involving your company in charitable causes. But a lot of companies don’t know where to start. Philanthropists and businessmen like Alex von Furstenberg stress that wanting to start is the first step. The second step is choosing a local charity.
 

Image credit: montrealgazette.com

Choosing a local charity is actually easy. The most important thing to remember in selecting a charity is that it should be in-line with what your company sells and believes in, as causes that mean the most to you and your employees will inspire you to do more. For example, if your company sells food, it is advisable to support an organization that helps feed the homeless and indigent people because it will highlight the fact that your company places utmost importance in helping end world hunger one step at a time.

Your company can also provide goods or services for free, donate a percentage of the sale of your products, ask employees to serve as volunteers, or sponsor an event that raises funds for charity.

Image credit: ivillage.ca

All in all, helping a cause or a charitable organization is not difficult; all it takes is the desire to take the first step.


For more information, visit the Diller-Von Furstenberg Foundation website.

The benefits of having a generous heart

Image credit: mdr-inc.com

Many individuals have set their focus on the vision of helping others, even if it takes giving a part of what they earn. But no matter how small or big their generosity is, it still enables them to make a difference in the world at large. Some may not be millionaires, but it doesn’t mean they cannot be philanthropic. Here are some fine things that a little help can do:

Image credit: expressivehart.wordpress.com

• Sense of well-being. - Utilizing the proceeds of success to help others makes people feel good about themselves. It also creates a ripple effect by inspiring people to do good to others as well.

• Lasting effect. – Whether philanthropists are famous or not, giving leaves an impact that will be remembered one way or another.

• Tax efficiency. – Giving to charitable causes may take a part of one’s earnings, but it is tax efficient.

• Benefits on children. – Disadvantaged children are given a fresh start and an opportunity to lead better lives.

• Cohesion. - Through philanthropy, giving integrates many communities and strengthens unity among people.

• Improving communities. - Offering assistance to charitable organizations makes communities better since it sustains them with services and goods, which are given to those who are not able to get the basic needs for themselves.

Image credit: fels.upenn.edu

Philanthropy encourages individuals and organizations to be thankful for what has been handed to them. It makes them realize that luck and fortune should not be taken for granted.


Mr. Alex von Furstenberg is a business maven who helps various charitable organizations. Follow this Twitter account for more information.

Strategy for good: The parallel benefits of strategic philanthropy

Young businessmen and philanthropists like Alex von Furstenberg venture into the type of practice that combines their companies’ marketing goals with their desire to sustain community well-being. This is called strategic philanthropy.

Image credit: images.search.yahoo.com

According to growth strategist Paul Lemberg, strategic philanthropy is a move that connects companies with not-for-profit organizations. This is a way for industrialists to work for both the common good within the community while achieving parallel benefits. Listed below are some of the valuable benefits of strategic philanthropy:

• Exposure - Companies can go from being “just like everything else” to making something that creates a difference.

• Values - This is the perfect way for companies to demonstrate their philanthropic values and show that they are sincere in helping others and not just there for the profit.

Image credit: mdr-inc.com

• Unity - Through strategic philanthropy, giving is integrated across places and strengthens unity among people.

• Impact - With this kind of positioning, it creates a win-win situation for both the companies’ bottom line and their respective communities.

• Maximum work - Companies have a clear picture of where to focus their resources on to deliver goodness in the communities.

• Sales - Consumers and clients love to do business with philanthropists because they know that philanthropists genuinely care about the community.

Image credit: images.search.yahoo.com

“What can my business do to help the community?” More and more entrepreneurs ask this question to get that parallel benefit as well.

More information is available on this Twitter page.