Tell us about something that has fundamentally changed the way you think.

I was raised understanding the importance of charitable giving; however, observing my parents answer the yearly petitions for donations, I viewed charities as synonymous to the causes they served, reliant on inconsistent monetary generosity. It wasn’t until my T2Help internship that I became exposed to non-profit business models designed to generate long-term sustainable revenue to fund operational expenses. T2Help utilized this model to create endowments for existing and developing projects and organizations on the ground in Africa.

Its “UnPoversih” campaign avoided the here today, gone tomorrow problem of philanthropic funding, providing 35-years of cash flow from the harvesting and sale of palm oil derived from a single $70 donation used to nurture the tree from planting to maturity. A donation to the campaign is viewed as an investment projected to increase in value 35x. The $1,500 I raised at Dartmouth will generate $52,500 in long-term funding for African initiatives. This steady stream of revenue allows recipient programs to focus on developing and expanding their mission, rather than fundraising.

My experience that summer transformed my attitude and excitement toward charitable giving as I strive to ensure my donations are always investments in sustainable impact.