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Through a series of meaningful human and divine encounters over decades—which included empowering his business employees, volunteering with nuns in Nicaragua and Colombia, and working as a hospice caregiver in Florida—Philip Orso was steadily encouraged to alter his life from a high-flying businessman to become a humble philanthropist. Phil spurned his drive for further material wealth in favor of orienting his life towards lifting up talented people to achieve their own potential by respecting their human dignity, providing opportunities for their professional advancement, addressing the poverty that might hinder them, and promoting education to propel their promising lives.
Phil’s transformation into a philanthropist was accretive through illuminating experiences that led him to seek to create a significant impact that would pair his business acumen with his generous spirit. His growing sense of virtue drew him to The Catholic University of America and inspired his decision to make a series of generous bequests. Phil has designated appreciated securities and a portion of his retirement funds to Catholic University to establish the Philip F. Orso Scholarship Program, providing students with severe financial need the opportunity to pursue degrees in AI, computer science, engineering, or nursing. His bequests will also help fuel an interdisciplinary AI program grounded in ethical principles, bringing together technology, the human person, and the University’s Catholic intellectual tradition to explore how AI can be developed and applied for the common good.
In his own words, Phil shares why he gives to help others:
“I want to speak from my heart to your heart. We human beings miss each other because we don't understand or show who we really are. I learned early in my career that my job was to empower other people, not myself.
“In my work, I applied behavioral sciences to create high performance organizations. The key to this is turning the organization chart upside down with the president at the bottom. By having coffee with all levels of employees and asking how we can improve and what are we doing wrong, we pursued the goal to use every employee's best ideas for the organization.
“I remember a dear friend, a 55-year-old man with an intellectual disability who could not read or write. I had the honor of hiring 50 individuals with similar disabilities and after one year their performance was comparable to that of their nondisabled colleagues. Their dedication, abilities, and contributions challenged assumptions about what people with intellectual disabilities can accomplish when given meaningful opportunities.
“During my recent visit to Catholic University, I loved the people I met and a few of them shared life difficulties that moved me so much. I feel happy for the beautiful messages I received afterward because each one was about who the person really is inside. When someone is vulnerable with you, that is the highest honor you can receive in life.
“Throughout my career, the best job I ever had was hospice work. I still have nurse friends, and we are in frequent contact sharing our life, vulnerability, and joy about helping vulnerable people. I want to thank the people at Catholic University for their vulnerability, kindness, and the opportunity to develop close friendships.
“My message is clear: none of our accomplishments is as important as who we are inside ourselves. I realized I am simply the custodian of my wealth and that it isn’t for my use alone, which is why I give to help others. If you are wealthy, I encourage you to leave money to your children and grandchildren but also still seek to donate to the poor. Believe me, you will wake up with joy in your heart every day.”
–By Philip Orso
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