Jean Shafiroff Shares Her Special Gift For Giving In The Hamptons

Her earliest experiences with charity work: I attended Catholic grammar and high school, and the nuns were instrumental in teaching the importance of giving back. My dad, who was a music school teacher, was another role model. He truly cared about his students, cared that they succeeded, so the idea of helping others became ingrained. When I graduated [with a BS degree in physical therapy from the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and an MBA from Columbia University], I worked at St. Luke’s Hospital. There, I saw a great deal of human suffering. You can’t help but develop compassion when you experience that.

On how her Columbia MBA helps: It has been a great asset. A charity needs to be run like a business. Volunteer fund-raising is a very serious business. There are many legal components to everything I do—the education I received has been very useful.

The most challenging part of philanthropy: It is always a great deal of work to raise funds and make an event successful. As a volunteer fundraiser, you have to be willing to accept rejection. People can be rude to volunteers, which is something I do not understand. Volunteers are giving up their free time and they must be treated with dignity and respect.

The most enjoyable aspect: Seeing how your work can change lives. Today, I am on seven charity boards. One of these charities, the New York City Mission Society, has many programs that have helped inner-city children go on to colleges and have meaningful careers. It is very gratifying to know that you were part of creating that change. Seeing the good these programs do makes you want to be involved with philanthropy. At least it has for me.

Getting a donor to say yes: A no today can be a yes tomorrow. If [potential donors are] reluctant to donate, I suggest taking them on a tour of a charity’s facilities. Sometimes when they see the great work being done, they do a turnaround. A tiny donation can become a much bigger one. For larger gifts, there are naming opportunities. But I believe naming should have time limits because if a facility needs renovating in the future, where will the funds come from? I discuss these issues in my book.

Dealing with donor fatigue when there are so many noteworthy causes to support: Personally, I do not see this as an issue. Most people tend to pick and choose their causes carefully. Many recognize the importance of philanthropy. I feel very blessed and that it is my obligation to give back. Through my travels to places like Cambodia, Colombia, Costa Rica and China, I have seen enormous poverty. I’ve come back from these trips with a whole different mindset.

On why New Yorkers and Hamptonites appear to be more involved with charities than their counterparts in major European cities and resorts: It’s part of the American culture. I think in some countries the assumption is the government will take care of people in need. Also the taxes in those countries tend to be higher.