Accidental Philanthropist A Journey Towards Intentional Generosity

Philanthropy has grown into an industry unto itself, with both fashionable and aspirational aspects. Most philanthropists start out with good intentions. They have a deep desire to benefit society by supporting worthwhile organizations and ministries. But good intentions, no matter how honorable, can unintentionally cause great harm. Unless granting is done with great care and focus, the money disbursed can cause serious damage to the community, the organization or ministry, the final beneficiary and even the donor. Accidental Philanthropist details the hard lessons learned during Sacred Harvest Foundation's (SHF) fifteen-year history of striving to effectively steward its resources. The book tries to answer the question, "How can philanthropists enhance the impact of their grants, minimizing mistakes and maximize joy to the organization or ministry, its clients, and the donor?" Unlike many works on the subject, Accidental Philanthropist is not designed to be a "do as we do" book. Instead, it describes SHF's journey in hopes that it might stimulate the thinking of philanthropists of all sorts and inspire them to become more intentional in how, why and where they give.

Financial giving can be its own spiritual path. We have a deep potential for meaning-making and life satisfaction when we look to grow from being occasional, haphazard donors to deliberate, ambitious ones - the life-changing transition from donor to philanthropist. With easy-to-read guidance, The Generosity Path sheds new light on our finances - connecting money to our values, beliefs, and loves - promoting skills and strategies in charitable giving. Starting from a very personal place, it helps readers to find clarity in their own experience and then focus on their areas of passion to build a plan of action. Inspiring personal stories help demonstrate the development of financial generosity, the challenges involved, and the deeper benefits we all might expect from being more intentional with our giving. Creative tools for reflection and practice guide readers' progress. This practical yet wise volume also features information about collective giving in a community setting, family, or giving circle. Ideal for religious and civic organizations, The Generosity Path includes a discussion guide for group use.

Many of us have the desire to make a difference. But when it comes down to it, how many really know what steps to take and how to fit philanthropy into our lives. The Generosity Plan shows readers the unexpected benefits and joys of generosity in our daily lives. This smart, practical guide to philanthropy illuminates the power of giving by helping readers to discover what inspires them, clarify what he or she can afford to give, and direct that generosity toward a better world. Contributing time or money to causes far removed from the immediacy of our individual lives may feel overwhelming, especially in times of financial stress and uncertainty. Author Kathy LeMay breaks through these initial roadblocks to give easy and valuable tools to spur definite and rewarding action, demonstrating how our time, treasure, and talents can make a world of difference. By building and acting on a generosity plan, each one of us can create change simply by doing what we can, where we are, with what we have.

Mark Petersen has learned philanthropy in the process of leading a private grantmaking foundation. It has been a pilgrimage with mountaintops and valleys, high-impact grants and dead-end disasters. He parallels a personal account of a physical pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago alongside his philanthropic journey to create a sense of momentum and intentional movement toward a shared destination. Each of the thirty-five chapters leads with a short journal entry from the author's month-long pilgrimage along the Camino del Norte and Camino Primitivo in Spain. Mark uses compelling stories to vulnerably shares fifteen years' worth of failures as well as successes in his journey of philanthropy. Along this journey he developed practical steps for reviewing grant applications and achieving goals for philanthropy. He advances the values of transparency, mutuality, and collaborating with others to achieve common goals. The vision of philanthropy espoused not only includes charitable impact but suggests the giver can be transformed in the process. The book offers a window into how people of faith struggle with giving, humanizes the mystique of a philanthropist, and provides grantmakers with tangible tools in their efforts to be both shrewd and faithful.

Praise for A Passion for Giving "Klein and Berrie have produced a great book that manages to make complex issues simple. It blends with grace and craft the deep with the practical and the concrete with the philosophical. It is a precious tool for both the neophyte and the experienced philanthropist. It is both a useful manual and a profound exploration of the core values of giving. In a word, this book is a true gift." Andres Spokoiny, President and CEO, Jewish Funders Network "Through the years, many people have asked us why we set up our family foundation and how we went about accomplishing this goal. The 'why' is easy to answer: we are fortunate enough to be able to give back and help others in need. The 'how' is perfectly explained in this compelling and very informative book by Peter Klein and Angelica Berrie." Marilyn and Barry Rubenstein, The Marilyn and Barry Rubenstein Family Foundation "This book should be required reading for new donors and experienced philanthropists. Klein and Berrie have crafted a winning combination of practical guidelines and heartfelt personal accounts to create a moving call to action for anyone who wishes to give back. The stories remind us that when philanthropy, an intensely personal journey, is coupled with deep learning, transformation occurs for both the recipient and the donor." Debra Mesch, PhD, Professor and Director, Women's Philanthropy Institute, IUPUI "I wish I could have had this book to guide me and refer to as my wife, Andrea, and I launched our Harbor Glow Foundation a decade ago. We would have been much more efficient in the process and more focused in our direction from the get-go. Peter and Angelica capture the spirit and nitty-gritty of a family foundation." Michael Leeds, Co-Chair, Harbor Glow Foundation

An honest assessment for how to determine your individual relationship with charitable giving in today's world From world-renowned philanthropists Charles Bronfman and Jeffrey Solomon of the Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies comes a comprehensive guide on how to be a canny, street-smart, effective philanthropist, regardless of your income level. It is also a perfect companion for nonprofit program and development executives who would like to introduce donors to their work and their organizations. Despite their critical importance to philanthropy, donors have few resources for solid information about making their gifts-deciding what type of gift to give, how to structure it, the tax implications, what level of follow-up and transparency they should ask for and expect, and countless other complexities. This book fills that vacuum and helps you gain a special understanding of philanthropy as a business undertaking as well as a deeply personal, reflective process. Drawing on decades of experience, the authors offer a fresh, enlivening approach to the nonprofit enterprise that, too often, is undervalued and thought of as the province of the burnt-out and the overwhelmed. Along with its many candid insights and memorable anecdotes, The Art of Giving also offers instruction on how to create a business plan for giving that works for you.

Why leave a legacy when you can live one right now? When you realize that your success journey is really a journey of giving, you will unlock the potential for profound riches. The world’s top entrepreneurs and leaders derive their success and fulfillment from the alignment of their professional endeavors with their search for meaning and impact. Rather than waiting until they feel they have something to offer, they consistently share their resources to better the lives of others. Now is the time for you to discover your unique gifts and create a giving plan so that you can begin to live your legacy. The Gift of Giving traces the ultimate giving journeys of Jim Stovall and Don Green, who have implemented Napoleon Hill’s timeless achievement principles to live a legacy of generosity. When Jim Stovall committed to finding a driving passion and giving away $1 million to it, he was a broke college student whose dreams of playing in the NFL had been sidelined by a rare condition causing progressive blindness. With the guidance of the successful businessman Lee Braxton and a worn copy of Think and Grow Rich, Jim brought himself from poverty to prosperity and became an award-winning entrepreneur and philanthropist. His journey connected him with Don Green, the executive director of the Napoleon Hill Foundation, who lives out his calling and continues Hill’s work through the Foundation’s many philanthropic efforts. Together, their stories reveal that you can render service and charity at every stage of your giving journey; you simply have to identify opportunities for generosity and take action on them. You have everything you need to create your legacy. The time has come to live it now, while you can enjoy the gift of giving.

In a world that often equates success with accumulation, "The Law of Returns: Unraveling the True Power of Giving" offers a refreshing and transformative perspective. This compelling narrative invites readers on an enlightening journey alongside individuals who discover that the true secret to fulfillment and success isn't about how much we can get, but how much we can give. Through a tapestry of inspiring stories, insightful teachings, and a touch of humor, the book explores the profound impact of generosity not just on the recipients but on the givers themselves. It challenges conventional wisdom and societal norms, proposing that generosity is not a finite resource but a renewable energy source that enriches everyone it touches. From the historical roots of giving across cultures to the modern neuroscience explaining why generosity feels so good, "The Law of Returns" delves deep into the human psyche and societal structures. It reveals how acts of kindness and generosity can lead to a more fulfilling life, a stronger community, and a better world. But this book is more than just an exploration of generosity's power; it's a practical guide that offers readers actionable steps to integrate giving into their daily lives. It demonstrates that everyone has something valuable to offer, whether it's time, resources, or talents, and highlights the myriad ways these gifts can be shared. Whether you're a seasoned philanthropist or someone just beginning to explore the impact of generosity, "The Law of Returns" will inspire you to look beyond your own needs and consider how you can contribute to the greater good. It's a reminder that in the economy of kindness, everyone profits, and the returns on giving are limitless. Prepare to have your perspective shifted and your heart opened. "The Law of Returns: Unraveling the True Power of Giving" is not just a book; it's a movement towards a more generous and fulfilling way of living. Join the journey and discover how the most valuable things in life are not those we take for ourselves but those we give away.

How you give matters. Discover philanthropic strategies for creating transformational change. Whether you regularly donate to charity, run a small family foundation, or are responsible for millions of dollars in grants, you are a philanthropist. Delusional Altruism: Why Philanthropists Fail To Achieve Change and What They Can Do To Transform Giving looks at how you can create transformational change. It reminds us that how we give is as important as the amount we give. The author describes common practices that hinder transformational change and explains how to avoid them, ensuring that your gifts help create the impact you seek. Delusional Altruism—a set of all-too-common errors in philanthropic strategy—can derail a program of giving and result in a loss of efficiency and effectiveness. This book asks philanthropists and charitable organizations to consider whether they have fallen under the spell of Delusional Altruism. Are you cutting out impactful giving in order to save money or avoid uncertainty? Is your philanthropic approach unnecessarily restricted by traditional thinking? This book will help you answer these questions and determine how you can achieve better outcomes through the process of Transformational Giving. Ask questions that spur learning and fuel innovation Believe that investment in yourself and your operation is important Increase the speed of your actions to increase the impact of your giving Give in ways that create lasting, sustainable change Follow strategies to make your philanthropy unstoppable Although enhanced opportunities for philanthropic giving are on the horizon, changes to philanthropic practice are needed to prevent this philanthropy boom from becoming under-leveraged. Implementing updated approaches now can lead to positive change for the future. Read Delusional Altruism to learn how you can transform reality with strategic giving.

Gold Medal Winner; Philanthropy, Charities, and Nonprofits; 2012 Axiom Business Book Awards Giving 2.0 is the ultimate resource for anyone navigating the seemingly infinite ways one can give. The future of philanthropy is far more than just writing a check, and Giving 2.0 shows how individuals of every age and income level can harness the power of technology, collaboration, innovation, advocacy, and social entrepreneurship to take their giving to the next level and beyond. Major gifts may dominate headlines, but the majority of giving still comes from individual households—ordinary people with extraordinary generosity. Even in 2009, at a time of deep recession, individual giving averaged almost $2,000 per household and drove 82% of the $300 billion donated that same year. Based on her vast experience as a philanthropist, academic, volunteer, and social innovator, Arrillaga-Andreessen shares the most effective techniques she herself pilots and studies and a vast portfolio of lessons learned during her lifetime of giving. Featuring dozens of stories on innovative and powerful methods of how individuals give time, money, and expertise—whether volunteering and fundraising, leveraging technology and social media, starting a giving circle, fund, foundation, or advocacy group, or aspiring to create greater social impact—Giving 2.0 shows readers how they can renew, improve, and expand their giving and reach their fullest potential. A practical, entertaining, and inspiring call to action, Giving 2.0 is an indispensable tool for anyone passionate about creating change in our world.