How to Become a Strategic Philanthropist

Strategic or impact philanthropy identifies a challenge or need in the world and invests resources to address that problem in a targeted and measured way. It is the shift from making simple donations that you hope will help a cause, to actually articulating a focus and helping to shape a program that will have significant impact. Focus is key!

A strategic grants program will allow you to make important change. You may choose to make individual grants that are strategic or your actual grant choices may be linked in a way to accomplish an overarching goal.  

I find that clients are more engaged and satisfied when we have worked together to develop a strategic granting process, which includes the following:
 

As a philanthropy advisor, I work with my clients through all these steps, so they understand what they really want to accomplish and have strong administrative tools and practices to carry out their objectives. With focus and balance, they achieve their goals.  

 
““Janice Loomer Margolis is an icon in planned giving.
Nobody even comes close to her knowledge.””
— Susanne Dubé, Senior Manager, Philanthropy and Legacy Giving, Pearson College
““I have found that among its other benefits,
giving liberates the soul of the giver.””
— Maya Angelou
““I resolved to stop accumulating and begin the infinitely
more serious and difficult task of wise distribution.””
— Andrew Carnegie
““Wealth is not new. Neither is charity. But the idea of using private
wealth imaginatively, constructively, and systematically to attack
the fundamental problems of mankind is new.””
— John Gardner
““My father used to say, ‘You can spend a lot of time making money.
The tough time comes when you have to give it away properly’
How to give something back, that’s the tough part in life.””
— Lee Iacocca
““Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can
change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.””
— Margaret Mead
““Think of giving not only as a duty but as a privilege.”

”
— John D. Rockefeller
““What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have
done for others and the world remains and is immortal.””
— Albert Pike
““You make a living by what you get. You
make a life by what you give.””
— Winston Churchill
“Phil-lan-thro-py – the practice of giving money and
time to help make life better for other people”
— Merriam-Webster Dictionary
““The process that you led was very important to me and we certainly came to a good outcome. We all enjoyed your company and you fit well into our situation.””
— EP - Client