Fifth, encouragement is often more important than money. Self-confidence is something that can be learned. Aspirations can be increased, at least if the person has a lot of drive to begin with. I take aspirations to refer to how high a person sets their sights, whereas the slightly different concept of ambition focuses on how determined they are to get there. Many young people, even if they are very hard workers, genuinely do not sense the scope of the opportunities in front of them. A funder or mentor can make the possibilities of the world clear to them, and backing that up with some money can be incredibly valuable. Money granted is a signal that the grantor truly believes in the grantee, and that belief often proves contagious.