Category Archives: Holidays

Difference Between Thankfulness and Gratitude

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Thankfulness is synonymous with Thanksgiving Day, the day families gather to share a feast, usually with roasted turkey and all the trimmings. It’s the prelude to Black Friday when deals can be made in stores and online, and making preparations to “deck the halls” in anticipation of Christmas Day.

Thankfulness, however, is is a reaction — like when we were kids and woke up on Christmas morning to find a shiny, new red bicycle next to the Christmas tree. Your eyes light up, you stroke the handlebars, and look over at your Dad. He has a huge smile on his face, and your Mom says, “Say ‘Thank You’ to your father, dear, he picked it out.” You rush over and give your Dad a huge hug. You just expressed thankfulness.

Gratitude is a bit different. While being thankful is an emotion, gratitude is an appreciation, under any circumstance in daily life, even when nothing happy or exciting is happening. It’s the quality of being thankful, showing appreciation for what comes your way, an eagerness to return kindness. 

Gratitude requires a positive attitude. It’s formed by the choices we make and how we react to the world around us. When we brush off disappointment or rude comments, we maintain a positive attitude. Our attitude is also influenced by how well we ignore negative self-talk, and accept our current circumstances.

When something good or exciting happens, it is easy to be thankful. We appreciate the warm feelings that come with gifts or happy news. Thankfulness involves how we feel in the moment, and like all feelings, eventually, it fades. Thankfulness is a temporary emotional response to a temporary circumstance. 

Gratitude is a chosen state of being, even when nothing exciting happens. A study from the University of California Berkeley states, that when put into practice, gratitude unshackles us from toxic emotions and has a lasting effect on the brain.

So this Thanksgiving week, try a little Gratitude with dinner.

  • Thankfulness fades-Gratitude remains
  • Gratitude deepens our inner connections
  • Gratitude improves longterm relationships

Practicing gratitude is something to be thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving week from us at the Stewardship Foundation!

Philanthropy

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After almost two years of quiet “pandemic worthy” Christmases, we’re beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and (knock on wood) it’s not a train.

Even Pope Francis is getting into the Christmas spirit with a contest that inspires young people to create new songs inspired by Christmas and its values. When asked what he hoped to achieve, the Pope said that music is “not alienating; it is neither superficial nor escapist. It broadens the heart, opens it to gratuitousness…” 

Fifty-six years ago, Pope St. Paul VI offered a similar message:

“This world in which we live needs beauty so as not to fall into despair.”

This Christmas, we wish you the beauty of giving back. We encourage ourselves, our families, our friends, colleagues and clients to set your sights on social causes that are in tune your own values, and to encourage others to do so as well.

A great way to give back is through philanthropy. If you think philanthropy is only for the rich and powerful, you’d be wrong. Philanthropy is something that anyone can do. All it takes is having the desire to promote the welfare of others and then achieving it by generously donating money to a good cause. 

There’s a difference between philanthropy and charity. For example, an act of charity is when you spot a homeless person on the street and give him five dollars. Philanthropy focuses on helping that homeless person solve the problems that required them to ask for a handout in the first place. Both are good. 

Philanthropy is long-term and strategic; it often involves making multiple gifts to help people over a number of years. As someone once said:

Delivering bottled water to a drought-stricken village in East Africa is charity, but philanthropy is building a well.

Our job at the Stewardship Foundation is to be good stewards with our donors’ money, and our skills as charitable gift consultants in a public foundation is proven. Please pass this along to a friend that may be interested in our services, and have a beautiful, quiet, spirit-filled, rich-in-spirit Christmas!

We Believe… In Caring for the Poor

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In our continuing series of reflections based on the credos, or statements of belief on which we founded The Stewardship Foundation, we explore care for the poor, specifically the hungry…

We believe… that it is our responsibility to care for the poor, the sick and the disadvantaged, and to use our talents for the betterment of mankind through education, opportunity and freedom.

We need not look further than Matthew 25 verses 35-45 to understand the source:

“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me. … Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.”

According to the Urban Institute, poverty in the U.S. in 2021 is 13.7%, or 1 in 7 Americans. A leading charity, Feeding America puts the number of people experiencing hunger at 35 million. In our hometown of Columbus, Ohio, you can help support a local Food Pantry (see the list) or this coming Thanksgiving plan to provide a holiday meal to a family in need through the Byron Saunders Foundation. 

We understand that values are the driving force in a nonprofit and that the social mission trumps profit in the bottom line. 

Nonprofits and charities, like the Byron Saunders Foundation often seek funding from foundations such as ours. We work with estate planners, financial advisors, accounts and attorneys. Nonprofits and charities can benefit from our relationships within the charitable planning community. We offer:

  • A cost-free resource for charitable planning
  • Donor motivation seminars and events
  • A philanthropic partner that embraces your mission and cause
  • Opportunities to meet colleagues and potential donors and clients

We are willing to formally share what we know about the causes we support with other foundations and funders. Our success rests on our commitment, leadership, energy, enthusiasm and ideas that will emerge when we work together. Contact us now at (614) 800-7985, and please consider forwarding our message to a friend or associate.

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