Dr. Susan Aurelia Gitelson is a philanthropist who has a background in serving the people through academic, international business, and cultural institutions. She was featured in Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in the World, and Who’s Who in Finance and Business. As an author, Gitelson was the front-cover featured author in ReadersMagnet’s RM Digest Magazine for the Festival of Storytellers issue in January 2025.
Giving is Not Just for the Very Rich is a valuable resource for philanthropists looking for worthwhile programs that align with their field of interest. In this book, Susan shares inspirational stories of notable philanthropists, including celebrities, the wealthiest donors, innovative givers, social entrepreneurs, government officials, nonprofit professionals, volunteers, and content creators. The book also serves as a guide for potential philanthropists to connect to the right charities that would not waste their goodwill.
Susan Aurelia Gitelson: The Origin of a Philanthropist
Susan shared an insight into her life as a philanthropist and a guide for those who are considering a career in philanthropy. Starting with her name, Susan told an interesting story about her origin and life goal.
“I have an easy name like Susan. But my father gave me a special name – Aurelia – which comes from Marcus Aurelius, a Roman Stoic emperor. And that gave me a high bar to live to from birth.”
Marcus Aurelius, a Stoic philosopher, lived his life in accordance with his philosophy – one of virtue.
Susan Aurelia Gitelson, the daughter of a philanthropist, also wanted to live a life of virtue. Her father had a profound influence on her at a young age.
“When I was nine years old, my father used to take me around to all kinds of adult meetings, club meetings, and everything. He’d introduce me, and he’d encourage me to ask questions even though I was only nine years old. But I enjoyed doing it. That started my career, and asking questions. That’s what I’ve been doing for the rest of my life.
I learned from my father and other teachers and all kinds of wonderful people how important it is to give to others, to think of others, to listen to others. Listening is the real principle because too many people like to talk about themselves.”
The Book Cover is a Statement
Susan expressed her joy about the book cover, as it tells much about what she wanted to convey. The book cover features a pair of hands that are open and ready for something to be given. Settling are beams of light from the sun beyond the golden horizon while birds are flying by.
“I am happy to say that the gentleman from ReadersMagnet designed the second edition of my book. And that’s why I went with ReadersMagnet. This is golden! Have you heard that Marcus Aurelius was gold? But the main thing here is that everything is giving. Open your hand. Give to others.”
Giving is Not Just for the Very Rich by Susan Aurelia Gitelson | ReadersMagnet
McKenzie Scott: An Inspirational Icon
Author Susan Aurelia Gitelson showed two articles about a philanthropist connected with Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon. McKenzie Scott is a novelist, philanthropist, and co-founder of Amazon. She was the former wife of Jeff Bezos. What amazed Susan about McKenzie is that the latter is actively helping people from around the world without the objective of fame.
“He buys the yachts. And she helps people. She really spends time to research, finding out who needs money. Not the very rich, but, usually, the people in schools and poor neighborhoods.”
Susan said she found McKenzie incredible. She compared the two articles that show Scott’s photos. One article featured a portrait shot, while the other only showed McKenzie Scott’s back.
“She doesn’t want people to look for her. She does this anonymously, and she has other people help her.”
Writing About Philanthropy
The Philanthropist was asked how she overcame the challenges of writing about philanthropy. Susan shared that what she did was to listen to others and be practical, looking around at what was happening. She reflected on the time she returned to America after her academic career in Israel ended due to the war.
In America, Susan pursued a career in philanthropy as an assistant at a foundation. During this time, the 9-11 incident happened.
“I’m giving this example of how I had an academic career and, all of a sudden, there was a war. It shouldn’t happen often, but we’re going through this in the United States now. It’s really tragic. Then what do you do? I came back to America, and I had to start a whole new life, a whole new career. Then, 9-11, it shouldn’t happen to anyone. But for New York, for America to be the set and fired at and the World Trade Center was bombed. Again, many people couldn’t take this. I was going to work in New Jersey. I was walking home because it was hard to take regular transport. And I said on that day, ‘I’m going to study International Relations, and I’m going to help other people.’ Just like that, I made a decision.
So, suddenly, I was on another profession, which was philanthropy. And then, I was doing things. I had my own projects and so forth and I developed that. And then I wrote about it and so forth. And lo and behold! Out of all this came a book, ‘Giving is Not Just for the Very Rich.’”
The Book Addresses the Misconceptions about Philanthropy
What makes ‘”Giving is Not Just for the Very Rich” a great book is that it guides its readers in connecting with worthwhile programs. It steers promising philanthropists away from scams while aligning them to their fields of interest.
“The worst that can happen is that people come up to you and say, ‘Oh, you have money. Give it to me!’ Yes, we wanna be generous, we need a reason. So, that’s why the book can be so helpful. First of all, what kind of giving is there? There’s a whole section on the Main Watchdog Agencies. It’s very important to give to the right places and organizations that are really known, who are helping others.”
Time, Talent, or Treasure – A Type of Giving
Susan was asked how she would compare her writings to time, talent, or treasure. The philanthropist/author did not answer right away, but she shared her insights about how she felt about it.
“The main thing is thought, consideration for others, and how do we express. In the book, what is giving? What is altruism? Why should we help people?
I always encourage and praise those who are doing the right things and stay away from those who are too selfish.”
The Golden One—Dr. Susan Aurelia Gitelson
Giving is Not Just for the Very Rich by Dr. Susan Aurelia Gitelson is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and the ReadersMagnet bookstore.
Let us help The Golden One share the book with purpose and show how to have a meaningful life!
0 Comments