Boston Common - Niche Media - A side of Boston that's anything but common.
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/603939
BOSTON'S NEW GUARD OF PHILANTHROPISTS GIVE BACK THEIR WAY, EMPLOYING BUSINESS-WORLD STRATEGY AND SOCIAL-MEDIA SAVVY TO MAKE THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS COUNT. BACK IN THE DAY, if you mentioned "soci al enterprise," you were probably talking about a party at the Four Seasons or a cotillion at the Copley Plaza. Today the phrase usually refers to the world of charity, yet increasingly it's heard alongside business terms like "metrics" and "return on investment." That's because millennial philanthropists are hell-bent not just on putting their money (and Moët) where their mouths are, but on rolling up their sleeves and delving into the nitty-gritty details of the charities they support. They don't want their names on a building. They want results. "They mean business," says Walter Sweet, vice president of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, a non- profit organization that guides donors to thoughtful, effective philanthropic choices. "The environment, homelessness, education… whatever the cause, this generation wants to find real solutions." And they have a good shot at it. According to a recent study by the Case Foundation, this generation of youngbloods stands to be the wealthiest and most philanthropically inf luential ever. "Social media and the technical revolution have allowed young people to really dig in and engage much earlier," Sweet says. "They can see immediately how they're making a difference." No need to tell that to our city's vanguard of do-gooders. Introducing Boston's newest ambassadors of Generation Generosity…. by LISA PIERPONT photography by ERIC LEVIN Just 28 years old, Michael Winston boasts quite the charitable résumé— except he's not the type to boast. Exhibit A: He named his creative agency, which offers discounted services to nonprofits, Humble Hues. (He's also a real estate developer.) The Northeastern University graduate has volun- teered since elementary school—working at shelters, tutoring, participating in neighborhood cleanups, you name it. Winston joined his first charitable board of directors, of the Friends of Blackstone School, at the ripe old age of 25. Think of him as a philanthropic Boy Scout. ( Yes, he was a Scout leader, too.) MAIN FOCUS: TargetCancer Foundation: "The organization is funding some of the most innovative scientific research to cure rare cancers." Year Up: "This organization asks for the donation of time and resources by established professionals to mentor students." OTH E R LOVE S: AIDS Action Committee, Pan-Mass Challenge, French Cultural Center, Boston Creates Leadership Council, and Bay Village Neighborhood Association, among others. ROOTS O F G IVIN G : "My grandmother instilled the values of giving, no matter the amount. When I received my first paycheck ever, she asked if I would make a donation to her favorite charity." N E X T- G E N PH ILOSO PH Y: "I love Booker T. Washington's quote 'If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.' Millennials are looking to make positive, tangible changes while participating in meaningful experiences. At Blackstone, we spend time not just fundrais- ing, but friend-raising—recruiting volunteers." SCOUT 'S HONOR M I C H A E L W I N S T O N 86 BOSTONCOMMON-MAGAZINE.COM