--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Philanthropic humility is necessary if a…" description: "\"Philanthropic humility is necessary if a giver is to do more good than harm, but it is not sufficient - philanthropic prudence is also needed.\" — Marvi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/904/marvin-olasky-18081_giver_philanthropic-humility-is-necessary-if-a_241603.jpg" --- # Philanthropic humility is necessary if a giver is to do… ![“Philanthropic humility is necessary if a giver is to do more good than harm, but it is not sufficient - philanthropic prudence is also needed.” quote by Marvin Olasky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/904/marvin-olasky-18081_giver_philanthropic-humility-is-necessary-if-a_241603.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/904/marvin-olasky-18081_giver_philanthropic-humility-is-necessary-if-a_241603.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/904/marvin-olasky-18081_giver_philanthropic-humility-is-necessary-if-a_241603.jpg) > “Philanthropic humility is necessary if a giver is to do more good than harm, but it is not sufficient - philanthropic prudence is also needed.” [Marvin Olasky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-olasky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Philanthropic humility alone can cause unintended harm; prudence ensures actions truly benefit others. **In simple terms:** Humility needs prudence to avoid harm. Key Takeaway Combine humility with careful judgment. Themes philanthropy ethics responsibility Mood reflective cautious Type advisory ethical When to use this quote - charitable giving - nonprofit management - policy making - community projects Key Concepts moral philosophy risk assessment Questions to Reflect On - How can donors evaluate the impact of their giving? - What safeguards prevent good intentions from causing harm? A Different Perspective Humility without prudence may lead to misguided aid. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Harm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harm/) [Humility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humility/) [Philanthropic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philanthropic/) [Prudence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prudence/) ## Related quotes > [A great deal of humility is necessary in the process of self-discovery. Humility is the ability to accept what and who you are at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/a-great-deal-of-humility-is-necessary-in-the-process-of-self/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Humility is a necessary veil to all other graces.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gurnall/humility-is-a-necessary-veil-to-all-other-graces/) [William Gurnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gurnall/) > [Who gives himself with his alms feeds three, himself, his hungering neighbor and me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/who-gives-himself-with-his-alms-feeds-three-himself-his-hungering/) [James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/) > [A benefit consists not in what is done or given, but in the intention of the giver or doer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/a-benefit-consists-not-in-what-is-done-or-given-but-in-the-intention/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [Wealth is not to feed our egos but to feed the hungry and to help people help themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-carnegie/wealth-is-not-to-feed-our-egos-but-to-feed-the-hungry-and-to-help/) [Andrew Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-carnegie/) > [An attitude of gratitude creates blessings. Help yourself by helping others. You have the most powerful weapons on earth - love and prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-templeton/an-attitude-of-gratitude-creates-blessings-help-yourself-by-helping/) [John Templeton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-templeton/) > [I try to pay it forward. I do a lot of philanthropic and charity work. Some of my greatest awards, greatest rewards, have not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-perez/i-try-to-pay-it-forward-i-do-a-lot-of-philanthropic-and-charity-work/) [George Perez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-perez/) > [Football is a personal interest which has been turned into a philanthropic initiative directed at encouraging social cohesion during the difficult process of African…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-hussein-al-amoudi/football-is-a-personal-interest-which-has-been-turned-into-a/) Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi > [I have always been generous because I know that I have done well in life and I believe it is part of my duty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-turnbull/i-have-always-been-generous-because-i-know-that-i-have-done-well-in/) [Malcolm Turnbull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-turnbull/) > [There is a natural link between the effective running of my businesses and the effective direction of philanthropic funds. I apply business principles to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-hussein-al-amoudi/there-is-a-natural-link-between-the-effective-running-of-my/) Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi > [Generosity is the flower of justice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/generosity-is-the-flower-of-justice/) [Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/) > [No matter how well-born, how intelligent, how highly educated, how virtuous, how rich, how refined, the women of to-day constitutea political class below that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-corinna-putnam-jacobi/no-matter-how-well-born-how-intelligent-how-highly-educated-how/) [Mary Corinna Putnam Jacobi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-corinna-putnam-jacobi/) > [If I get the chance to be philanthropic, I want to help kids and teachers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-l-martin/if-i-get-the-chance-to-be-philanthropic-i-want-to-help-kids-and/) [Jesse L. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-l-martin/) > [ The fundamental principle \[of settlement work\] remains: that people shall take up their residence in industrial communities, giving what they may have of public… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-wald/the-fundamental-principle-of-settlement-work-remains-that-people/) [Lillian Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-wald/) > [International friendly games are not worth the lives of the silk worms who perish to make the pennants. They do not even have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-baker/international-friendly-games-are-not-worth-the-lives-of-the-silk/) [Danny Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-baker/) ## More by Marvin Olasky > [Baseball needs to put the steroids era behind it by having and enforcing tough rules against all kinds of artificial advantages, so that spring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-olasky/baseball-needs-to-put-the-steroids-era-behind-it-by-having-and/) [Marvin Olasky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-olasky/) > [But to understand what it means to be strong and courageous, Christians should look to the person of Christ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-olasky/but-to-understand-what-it-means-to-be-strong-and-courageous/) [Marvin Olasky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-olasky/) > [Political journalists love graduate student intelligence, the ability to make clever allusions in seminars, and in 1999-2000 they hassled George W. Bush for not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-olasky/political-journalists-love-graduate-student-intelligence-the-ability/) [Marvin Olasky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-olasky/) > [More people need to understand the games secular liberals play. Here's one rule-of-thumb: No matter how bad a story sounds - particularly if it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-olasky/more-people-need-to-understand-the-games-secular-liberals-play-here-s/) [Marvin Olasky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-olasky/) > [Those who believe in the importance of serving others should lead the way by fighting against the temptation we all have, and maybe especially…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-olasky/those-who-believe-in-the-importance-of-serving-others-should-lead-the/) [Marvin Olasky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-olasky/) > [ \[The disestablishment of religion\] may not have been such a good idea. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-olasky/the-disestablishment-of-religion-may-not-have-been-such-a-good-idea/) [Marvin Olasky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-olasky/) > [And yet, those who speak loudly and call anyone who disagrees with them a wimp often do a disservice to the cause they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-olasky/and-yet-those-who-speak-loudly-and-call-anyone-who-disagrees-with/) [Marvin Olasky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-olasky/) > [Most organizations should be pro-active, but philanthropists concerned with poverty should deliberately be reactive, learning from the efforts of ordinary folks who tired of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-olasky/most-organizations-should-be-pro-active-but-philanthropists-concerned/) [Marvin Olasky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-olasky/) > [Many American Muslims are peaceful and define jihad primarily as an internal struggle to improve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-olasky/many-american-muslims-are-peaceful-and-define-jihad-primarily-as-an/) [Marvin Olasky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-olasky/) > [I still favor alternatives to governmental race-based preferences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-olasky/i-still-favor-alternatives-to-governmental-race-based-preferences/) [Marvin Olasky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-olasky/) > [I grew up Jewish, became an atheist and a Marxist, and 28 years ago, at age 26, became a Christian.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-olasky/i-grew-up-jewish-became-an-atheist-and-a-marxist-and-28-years-ago-at/) [Marvin Olasky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-olasky/) > [For nearly a decade Democrats have sought a religious wedge issue that could separate big chunks of white evangelical voters from their Republican home.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-olasky/for-nearly-a-decade-democrats-have-sought-a-religious-wedge-issue/) [Marvin Olasky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-olasky/) > [The data, however, do indicate that Christians who see Jews through a 17th-century lens, believing that most are thoroughly religious, are thoroughly wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-olasky/the-data-however-do-indicate-that-christians-who-see-jews-through-a/) [Marvin Olasky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-olasky/) > [Materialist philosophies that treat human beings as machines or animals possess the high ground in our culture - academia, the most powerful media and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-olasky/materialist-philosophies-that-treat-human-beings-as-machines-or/) [Marvin Olasky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-olasky/) > [We do not increase compassion by expanding it to cover anything. Instead, we kill a good word by making it mean too much, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-olasky/we-do-not-increase-compassion-by-expanding-it-to-cover-anything/) [Marvin Olasky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-olasky/) [Explore all 35 Marvin Olasky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-olasky/) ## More Giver quotes > [Don't be a taker, be a giver, because when you give you get back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudy-ruettiger/don-t-be-a-taker-be-a-giver-because-when-you-give-you-get-back/) [Rudy Ruettiger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudy-ruettiger/) > [“THE UNFORGIVEN Tell me if you've ever had to deal with these kinds of people: The kind who take and don't give. The kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/the-unforgiven-tell-me-if-you-ve-ever-had-to-deal-with-these-kinds-of/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [And it´s so different for a lot of people I´ve known. One partner doesn´t love the other enough to stop drinking, or gambling, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alma-katsu/and-it-s-so-different-for-a-lot-of-people-i-ve-known-one-partner/) [Alma Katsu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alma-katsu/) > [“I don't like taking from anyone. I'd rather be a giver, though not for any worthy reason. It's about control, obviously. If I give,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-forster/i-don-t-like-taking-from-anyone-i-d-rather-be-a-giver-though-not-for/) [Margaret Forster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-forster/) > [We are not the healers, we are not the reconcilers, we are not the givers of life. We are sinful, broken, vulnerable people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/we-are-not-the-healers-we-are-not-the-reconcilers-we-are-not-the/) [Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/) > [The more you give, the more comes back to you, because God is the greatest giver in the universe, and He won't let you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-alcorn/the-more-you-give-the-more-comes-back-to-you-because-god-is-the/) [Randy Alcorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-alcorn/) > [In years to come, he would be a giver of bread, not a stealer - proof again of the contradictory human being. So much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/in-years-to-come-he-would-be-a-giver-of-bread-not-a-stealer-proof/) [Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/) > [“Doing things for others can make the 'giver' happy, but trying to change or control another will drive you crazy, because it cannot be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-f-hodge/doing-things-for-others-can-make-the-giver-happy-but-trying-to-change/) [T.F. Hodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-f-hodge/) > [“He was not a colonizer. He was a giver, not a taker.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alaa-alghamdi/he-was-not-a-colonizer-he-was-a-giver-not-a-taker/) [Alaa Alghamdi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alaa-alghamdi/) > [Authentic gratitude is a way of life. When you wake up in the morning let your first thought be one of thanksgiving that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-beckwith/authentic-gratitude-is-a-way-of-life-when-you-wake-up-in-the-morning/) [Michael Beckwith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-beckwith/) > [“Only God writes great non-fiction.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-c-lartigue/only-god-writes-great-non-fiction/) E.C. Lartigue > [“GOD IS A CONSTRUCT, CREATED TO CARRY ALL”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-seiler/god-is-a-construct-created-to-carry-all/) [Elaine Seiler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-seiler/) > [Thou O Lord, art my Father and Thou my Mother. Thou art the Giver of peace to my soul and very life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guru-arjan/thou-o-lord-art-my-father-and-thou-my-mother-thou-art-the-giver-of/) Guru Arjan > [Thnx god a lot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/thnx-god-a-lot/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God is not a taker. God is a giver.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-giglio/god-is-not-a-taker-god-is-a-giver/) [Louie Giglio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-giglio/) Browse all 554 Giver quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Philanthropic humility is necessary if a giver is to do more good than harm, but it is not sufficient - philanthropic prudence is also needed.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Marvin Olasky" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-olasky/philanthropic-humility-is-necessary-if-a-giver-is-to-do-more-good/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Giver" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-olasky/philanthropic-humility-is-necessary-if-a-giver-is-to-do-more-good/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/904/marvin-olasky-18081_giver_philanthropic-humility-is-necessary-if-a_241603.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/904/marvin-olasky-18081_giver_philanthropic-humility-is-necessary-if-a_241603.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/904/marvin-olasky-18081_giver_philanthropic-humility-is-necessary-if-a_241603.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Philanthropic humility is necessary if a giver is to do more good than harm, but it is not sufficient…” — Marvin Olasky", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Marvin Olasky", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-olasky/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Philanthropic humility is necessary if a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-olasky/philanthropic-humility-is-necessary-if-a-giver-is-to-do-more-good/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-olasky/philanthropic-humility-is-necessary-if-a-giver-is-to-do-more-good/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```