Jean Shafiroff is a philanthropist, humanitarian, TV host, writer, and the author of the book &ldquo;Successful Philanthropy: How to Make a Life by What You Give&rdquo;. Jean is often referred to as the first lady of philanthropy by the international press because of her generosity and extensive work as a volunteer fundraiser and leader in the philanthropic world. Jean is also widely recognized as an Instagram influencer. Her Instagram account @JeanShafiroff has over 1.2 million followers. L`Officiel Baltic just had to ask some questions to this amazing, extraordinary woman.

You hold the official title &ldquo;First Lady of Philanthropy of New York&rdquo;. What encouraged you to become a philanthropist? How did you come to the realization that this was your path?
At a very young age, I was encouraged to get involved in helping those in need by both my teachers and parents. I attended 12 years of Catholic school where the nuns taught us the importance of helping the less fortunate. Both my parents were good role models, too. I grew up very middle class. My father was a schoolteacher, and my mother was a stay-at-home mom. My father was very involved both in the family life, and in providing a good education for his students. He cared about our future. My mother would volunteer at our school and church. She had me do the same. My higher education, travel experiences and then work experience were also key in encouraging me to become a philanthropist.
After high school, I continued my education at Columbia University where I earned a BS in Physical Therapy and then an MBA in Finance from the Graduate School of Business at Columbia University. My education played a key role in the philanthropic work I do because it taught me valuable skills that I would need to become a leader, organizer and volunteer fundraiser in philanthropy. In between college and graduate school, I worked for one year as a physical therapist at the inner-city hospital, St. Luke's Hospital in New York City. There I worked with patients who lived at or below the poverty level and who also had serious illnesses. This experience made me see first-hand all the suffering that existed in this world. I then decided to go to graduate school to pursue higher education. After earning an MBA (Masters in Business Administration) in finance, I worked on Wall Street as an investment banker for a number of years where I learned a great deal about business. Soon, I realized I had to do more with my life to help those who truly suffered. I gradually got involved with different charities by volunteering, donating resources, and serving on the board of directors of a few different charities. Then, I started to volunteer at my daughters' schools.
Today I serve on 7 charity boards, two honorary boards and each year chair about 8 to 9 charity galas. I also host many charity events in my homes and elsewhere. In addition, I host a TV show on philanthropy called "Successful Philanthropy". Philanthropy is my life's mission. It is greatly fulfilling. I plan to stay involved with it all my life.

The number of projects you support as a philanthropist is unbelievable. Which ones are a priority for you at the moment?
I have four areas of focus: they are women's rights, rights of underserved populations, health care and animal rights. Although these are my main interests, I also support LGBTQ rights and the arts. Since fashion is a great interest of mine, my involvement as a long-standing board member of the Couture Council of the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology is also something I love to support.
In your TV show &ldquo;Successful Philanthropy&rdquo; you interviewed many people, including candidates for the US presidency. Which interviewees turned out to be the most difficult to talk to?
On my TV show "Successful Philanthropy" I have interviewed many different celebrities, politicians, fashion designers, executive directors of charities and billionaire philanthropists. It is easy to interview someone who has had extensive media experience who loves to talk about what they do. The difficult interviews are of those people who have never spoken on television before or who are extremely shy and have difficulty speaking about what they do. To be a fascinating guest on a TV show, it takes practice and then the desire to leave an audience with a message. There is an art to public speaking.

You are the author of "Successful Philanthropy: How to Make a Life by What You Give". Please tell us what this book is about.
The main message of my book is that anyone can become a philanthropist. If you do not have large amounts of money to donate, you can become a philanthropist by giving your time and knowledge. Time and knowledge are very valuable resources. However, I do believe that those that have financial resources have an obligation to give. Another important message that was conveyed in my book is that giving is greatly rewarding. When we give to help others, we achieve great personal satisfaction. Giving is most often far more satisfying than receiving. The purpose of writing my book was to motivate others and then to serve as a guide for philanthropic work.
How do you champion women empowerment in your work?
Women's rights are extremely important to me. One of the boards I serve on is the New York Women&rsquo;s' Foundation. Our mission is to empower women out of poverty and to create a just and equitable world for women. I love serving on this board because of the great work it does. We fund many charities that help to make more opportunities for women and their families.

Why do you think it&rsquo;s important to work to have women in leadership?
Women make up more than half of the world's population. Women should be involved as leaders in government, business, education and every other field. A strong education should be available to all women. A good education opens doors to opportunity. Mothers and fathers should stress the importance of education to all their children. Thankfully, I was raised to believe that I could achieve as much as a man could achieve. All women have to be given this message. Women make strong leaders and we have seen many female heads of state across the world! I tell everyone - believe in yourself and you can achieve. Work hard, live an honest life, be kind to others and never underestimate your ability to achieve.

Is philanthropy the privilege of wealthy people? Or can people with average incomes also do something to make the world a better place?
Philanthropy is certainly not only the privilege of just the wealthy. All people can get involved in philanthropy. By volunteering time and knowledge, those that do not have large sums of money to donate can still be considered philanthropists. This is the premise of my book, "Successful Philanthropy: How to Make a Life By What You Give." I think this is a strong and powerful message.
What is your main dream as a philanthropist?
I love to inspire others to become interested in the giving process. Especially important to me is encouraging future generations to get involved and excited about philanthropy. It is my dream to see a world where more and more people on all socioeconomic levels realize that they can help change this world for the better. The divide between those that have resources and those that do not, is too large. Philanthropy can help to greatly reduce that divide. I dream of a day when poverty and war no longer exist. I also dream of a world where all people have an opportunity to receive a good education and improve the conditions of their lives.

Finally, Jean, you are considered a fashion icon. You have been on many best dressed lists. Why is fashion so important to you?
I am passionate about fashion. It is a great hobby of mine. Hobbies are important because they add new dimensions to our lives. I love collecting the fashion of the great designers such as Chanel, Dior, Dolce &amp; Gabbana, Gucci, Oscar de la Renta and Carolina Herrera and many others. Over the years I have also collected the works of lesser known but highly talented designers such as Malan Breton, Victor de Souza, Zang Toi, B Michael, Ron Dyce and Zac Posen. I have a large gown collection that I will donate to a museum one day.
To learn more about Jean Shafiroff, go to <a href="https://jeanshafiroff.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JeanShafiroff.com</a>
Follow Jean Shafiroff on social media: I: @<a href="https://www.instagram.com/jeanshafiroff" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JeanShafiroff</a> @<a href="https://www.instagram.com/jeanshafiroffatwork" target="_blank" rel="noopener">jeanshafiroffatwork</a> F: @<a href="https://www.facebook.com/people/Jean-Shafiroff-Style-Philanthropy/100057804440457/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JeanShafiroff</a> X: @<a href="https://twitter.com/jeanshafiroff" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JeanShafiroff</a>

Jean Shafiroff: «Believe in yourself and you will reach success”

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