Note: This is the first of a series of posts based on the exercises and reflections in Courage Money: A Guide to Becoming a Venture Philanthropist.

Who am I? I’m many things. I’m a skier, a hiker, a mother and grandmother, a wife, a lifelong learner, and an entrepreneur.

Above all, I’m an optimist. I grew up relatively poor, so I never expected to become a philanthropist. But my parents instilled in me the confidence that I could become anything I wanted to be. This made me curious about everything and fueled my work ethic.

I always saw my cup as half full, but once I married John, my cup overflowed! We had shared values. We knew who we were, what we cared about, and how we wanted to work. With that understanding, we began to give our money to projects that could transform systems and impact millions of people.

In Courage Money: A Guide to Becoming a Venture Philanthropist, I recommend that readers take time to inventory three things about themselves.

Your Passions: What do you care most about? How will that translate into your future philanthropy?
Your Skills: What personal and professional experiences and skills do you bring to your new role as a philanthropist
Your Values: What values guide you? Are you driven by achievement and accomplishment, or learning and gaining wisdom? Do you want to lead? Repair things? Help and serve others?

If John and I had made lists of our passions, skills and values when we started our philanthropy, we could have saved us a lot of time!

Once you make your lists, it’s time to reflect. Do you see clues to what kinds of people and organizations you might want to work with, and what role you hope to play?

As you learn more about yourself and the needs of your community, your philanthropic identity will evolve.

If you’d like a copy of Courage Money, send an email to couragemoney@thinkmff.org and tell us about yourself and what you’d like to learn.