For better and for worse, America is a deeply capitalist society, and as such, it values entrepreneurship highly. Whether it’s Bill Gates on the cover of another business magazine, or Oprah Winfrey on the cover of her own magazine (she is, each and every month), Americans can become famous for their business acumen and sheer wealth, and many have. Americans also value generosity, both because it appeals to their sense of fairness and because it implies success and financial well-being. Using language that emphasizes the entrepreneurial nature of our work—empowering individuals and communities to succeed, grow, and prosper— can help place that work in a context that many Americans easily understand and naturally tend to support. Highlighting the generosity of members of our community encourages respect for them and encourages those with even greater resources to support our work.
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