Aid for Africa, The United Way, Save the Whales, PBS, supporting your local jazz station… take your pick. When it comes to making a difference through your charity there is a far better act of philanthropy you can perform—and it doesn’t even require your checkbook.

I attended the star-studded Andre Agassi Grand Slam for Children this weekend where $8 million dollars was raised within a few hours. This got me thinking about philanthropy. Here were some of the items sold to raise money:

• A private dinner prepared at your house by Emeril Lagasse went for $100,000 (twice!);
• A 45-min coaching session by David Beckham, Mia Hamm and Tony Hawk went for $25,000 each;
• A week vacation on a private island went for $125,000; and
• Art pieces sold for over $100,000 each.

The paddle was never raised at our table. It soon became obvious that this level of philanthropy exceeded the allotted commas of my charitable checkbook. And I’ll be candid, I felt a tad inadequate.

A friend of mine later shared with me lessons from The Eight Levels of Charity, written by Maimonides, a 12th-century Jewish philosopher. I’ve summarized them for you here:  

#8—When one gives reluctantly and grudgingly.
#7—When one gives less than he should, but does so cheerfully.
#6—When one gives cheerfully and adequately, but only after being asked.
#5—When one gives cheerfully, adequately, and of your own free will, but puts it in the recipients hands in such a way as to make them feel lesser.
#4—When the recipient is aware of the donor’s identity, but the donor does not know the identity of the recipient.
#3—When the donor is aware of the recipient’s identity, but the recipient is unaware of the donor.
#2—When the donor and recipient are unknown to each other.
#1—When charity is dispensed with altogether by helping others gain the wherewithal to earn their own living and thereby, making it unnecessary for them to be dependent upon others.

Take special note of level #1 – if you are in the business of helping recruit, train or support other entrepreneurs, you are performing the greatest act of philanthropy there is—every day!

Viewing charity or philanthropy with this perspective can change our perception of charity and the act of making a difference. For example, we tend to think that we can only be charitable by sending our check to Save the Children, volunteering at the YMCA, or donating our old clothes to The Goodwill. While all of these are worthy deeds and contributions, there are even greater deeds you can be performing daily.

I love a bumper sticker I once saw: “Before you try to ‘save the planet’, clean-up your own front yard”. Maybe before (or in addition to) sending our check to Africa Aid, Green Peace or Save the Pandas, we should learn how we can be of greater service and value to those immediately around us.

There are people that surround us every day with whom we could be practicing Level 1 philanthropy. Maybe it’s someone who works for you, someone who works with you, a vendor or even a customer with whom you could offer assistance or mentorship.

Helping someone better their life—and more importantly, their livelihood—by helping them create their own business or market their particular skills or talents that result in financial independence and success. You are bestowing upon them the greatest form of philanthropy and humanitarianism there is . You are teaching them how to fish for themselves so they never need to come begging for fish again.

I challenge you to do the following: Pick three people in your extended sphere of influence and offer some special attention, time and mentorship. Find out how you can help them develop a business for themselves or be more successful in their current business or position.

Serving others through this much-needed leadership and guidance will make you the most honorable among donors—an “Entrepreneurial Philanthropist.” This is giving in its purest and most potent form and I congratulate you (along with Maimonides in spirit) on giving one of the greatest of all gifts!

I would love to hear the stories of who you plan to mentor and what you are going to do in the comment box below!