THE holiday season is traditionally a time for joyous gatherings, hearty laughter and mouthwatering feasts. But this year, more so than any other year within my lifetime, there are people around the world who are suffering in conflict areas and dealing with catastrophic weather events. With so many being forced to flee their countries and the natural world in a fragile state, what could it mean to get into the holiday spirit this year?

As we revel in the comfort of our homes with family and friends, I invite those who’ve been given the gift of privilege to contemplate how your resources can be harnessed to make the world a better place. Whether you’re curious about starting your giving journey or are an active contributor, here are five lessons I’ve learnt as a next-gen philanthropist.

Finding your purpose takes patience and work

Despite how naturally it may come to some, identifying your true calling can take time. As a child, I had the opportunity to witness my father’s humanitarian work first-hand. Driven by his passion for helping others and sharing that with us, he would often take us kids out to the field.

From the coastlines of the Philippines to the mountains of Thailand, I would trail after him as he interviewed villagers, conversed with aid workers and negotiated with local businesses. I saw how he channelled the fire from his poverty-stricken childhood into work that positively impacted vulnerable communities. And how, despite lacking a university degree, he relied on his resolve and passion to deliver humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, support schools and orphanages, and use microfinance as seeds of change.

Even after watching my father in the field, it took me nearly eight years of exploring the ocean while scuba diving and free-diving to begin my own journey. I needed to first witness how humans are destroying the ocean and its inhabitants, to then realise that I didn’t need to have a degree in marine biology or work in government to contribute towards its protection. It became clear that the only obstacle in the way of exploring the impact I could have was my own self-limiting beliefs.

Good philanthropy goes beyond generosity

Philanthropy is often misunderstood as being solely tied to the depth of one’s pockets. While it’s true that many high-profile philanthropists are wealthy, the essence of philanthropy is far from giving a certain amount, nor is it solely about the money. Originally coined to signify the “love of humanity”, philanthropy goes beyond generosity and is about the desire to promote the welfare of others or society as a whole.

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Today, good philanthropy is strategic, addresses root causes, requires commitment and collaboration, and involves systems thinking and risk-taking. True philanthropy begins with humility, and always puts the mission first.

My entry into philanthropy independent of my father’s started with micro grants, crowdfunding campaigns and leading ocean clean-ups. As a young person upset by the destructive trends of our world, these acts gave me a sense of agency, and the more projects I got involved in and changemakers that I met, the more experience and knowledge I accumulated to consider the wider ecosystem.

Always value people and partnerships

In a way, building relationships with non-profit partners is a bit like dating. You get to know one another, decide whether you want to commit, build an emotional connection, then journey together. And sometimes, as in the world of dating, not all experiences lead to lasting relationships. Reasons vary from misaligned values and ineffective use of funds to lack of impact, governance issues, or simply because the person you worked with in the organisation has left.

People form the heart of organisations, and it’s important when collaborating with non-profits to build relationships with multiple team members, while emphasising trust and respect. Today’s landscape of strategic philanthropy involves engaging with various stakeholders, extending beyond non-profits and their teams to communities, governments, corporates, academia, beneficiaries and other philanthropies. Philanthropists who value people and partnerships in fostering initiatives are in a better position to scale their impact.

The role of philanthropy in discovery and experimentation

Philanthropy is often referred to as “risk capital”, and holds the potential for significant outsized impact. Tackling complex issues demands unconventional approaches and reframing what success looks like. In the realm of philanthropy, capital serves as a tool to bolster impactful programmes that lack financial viability, test innovative and early-stage initiatives that create positive social and environmental benefits, and offer seed funding to emerging entrepreneurs dedicated to solving pressing challenges.

Functioning as risk capital, philanthropy assumes a distinct role alongside government and big business to address global challenges. While the size of philanthropic funding may seem insignificant next to other sources, it often has the ability to take risks that others can’t, which is why its impact within the ecosystem can be outsized and transformative. The momentum for blended finance opportunities is rising where multiple stakeholders with different risk tolerances invest alongside one another in the same projects. Here, philanthropy serves as a critical catalyst to unlock large volumes of private and public sector funding to scale impactful solutions.

Find like-minded communities to amplify your impact

I’m grateful to be involved in amazing communities of inspiring practitioners that have helped to accelerate my journey.

Two of these are the Asia Philanthropy Circle, a membership platform for Asian philanthropists to jointly grow our impact, and their Climate Collective, a close-knit community of like-minded individuals interested in learning and collaborating on climate action in Asia. With opportunities to discuss challenges and practices, these communities forged by collective dedication have sparked partnerships, nurtured personal growth and refined our giving strategies.

Beyond these benefits, they provide access to a reservoir of resources and expertise. Philanthropy can be an emotional journey, so regardless of which communities you join, surrounding yourself with fellow givers not only provides a pillar of support, but also amplifies the impact of one’s efforts.

Embarking on your philanthropic journey may feel like a daunting task, but our broken world calls for universal collective action. Whether you seek to contribute towards education, healthcare, poverty alleviation, human rights, nature conservation, climate adaptation, animal welfare, the arts, community development, gender equality, disaster relief or the plethora of other challenges we face today, there’s so much to be done.

The essence of philanthropy lies not in how much we give, but in our commitment to making a difference. As the renowned author and researcher Brene Brown says: “Leadership is not about titles or the corner office. It’s about the willingness to step up, put yourself out there, and lean into courage. The world is desperate for braver leaders. It’s time for all of us to step up.”

The writer is a director of Singapore-based family office Rumah Group and its philanthropic arm, Rumah Foundation