• knows that money isn't the be-all and end-all and draws on all available resources: time, professional experience, passion, entrepreneurial know-how and personal networks are often equally as important as the money contributed to a cause.
  
  
• proactively engages with an issue instead of just reacting to requests for help.
  
  
• sees himself/herself as a changemaker. As anthropologist Margaret Mead famously said: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."
  
  
• is willing to try out new approaches and take calculated risks.
  
  
• knows that learning is an essential part of becoming an effective donor, as is sharing lessons learned with other actors in the field.
  
  
• is looking for ways to cooperate with other donors, the private or the public sector.
  
  
• is aware that the best partners are often those that are active in the field and know the local situation inside-out: the grantees.
  
  
• brings an entrepreneurial approach towards philanthropy: a combination of inspiration, creativity, tenacity, the determination to constantly improve and dedication to a cause.
  
  
• knows that problems today are intricately interlinked and need to be looked at from a grassroots as well as a systemic point of view.
  
  
• is in philanthropy for the long haul and willing to tackle problems that cannot be solved by "quick fixes".