A few months ago, I met someone who had just experienced an unimaginable loss: An extraordinary, beloved family member had been killed in a mass shooting that made global headlines. In the aftermath of the tragedy, he wrote a statement of purpose and values to honor her memory. His question was how to translate the statement into action, into something enduring, leading to the 13 intentions of philanthropy.

His credo was incomparably more human and compelling than any viral LinkedIn post or stylized foundation report. Perhaps that’s unsurprising. Yet I was struck by how little its communitarian and humanitarian vision and ambitions had to do with scale, leverage, power, collective impact, or any other philanthropic trend or buzzword of the moment. It opened my eyes and softened my heart.

Among the many distinctive qualities of his loved one was a beautiful discipline of care. Every night she would ask, “What else can I do for someone?”—and then do it before bed. Inspired by her practice, I committed to sending him a detailed email before the next day was out. I had promised that it would contain a list of philanthropic intentions to reflect on, outlining the varied reasons why people give and how different visions for success result in different playbooks for giving. It was harder to draft than anticipated. I had just assumed there would be any number of such typologies in print and online. But a late night of digging and a panicked gut check with colleagues in practice and academia confirmed that to keep my promise, I would have to create one from scratch, leading to the 13 intentions of philanthropy.

My new friend’s credo highlighted a more complete and compelling way to think about success, whether pursued by everyday donors or by legacy foundations: one grounded in the intentions that motivate giving. Those intentions reflect enduring human impulses (the virtues and follies); our relationships, communities, and senses of self; and rich and diverse cultural teachings and religious traditions. Seeing giving through the lens of intentions better reflects how the world works and offers a more coherent, ambitious, and pluralistic vision for American philanthropy at a moment when its ideologies, theories of impact, and, yes, tax deductions have all been called into question.

Read the full article about intentions for philanthropy by Ariel Simon at Stanford Social Innovation Review.