Delusional Altruism

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.

Foreword xiii

Introduction xvii

Part I Delusional Altruism 1

Chapter 1 You Save Money on All the Wrong Things 3

Chapter 2 You are Fearful 21

Chapter 3 You Respond Too Slowly 35

Chapter 4 You Have Too Many Steps 43

Chapter 5 You are Too Overwhelmed to Take Your Next Step 51

Chapter 6 You are Fooled by Your Own Efforts 61

Chapter 7 You Ask the Wrong Questions 71

Part II Transformational Giving 79

Chapter 8 You Start with the Right Questions 81

Chapter 9 You See and Act Abundantly 109

Chapter 10 You are Fast 123

Chapter 11 You Transform Lives 141

Chapter 12 You are Unstoppable 177

Chapter 13 You Found Your North Star 195

Chapter 14 You Do What It Takes 211

Chapter 15 Get Moving: Transform Your Giving and Change the World! 225

Acknowledgments 231

About the Author 235

Index 237

KRIS PUTNAM-WALKERLY, MSW, is a trusted advisor to the world's leading philanthropists. For over 20 years, ultra-high- net-worth donors, foundations, Fortune 500 companies, celebrity activists, and wealth advisors have sought and benefited from her advice to transform their giving and catapult their impact. Her clients include the J.M. Smucker Company, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation, Walton Family Foundation, National Center for Family Philanthropy, and the Cleveland Foundation. Kris was named one of America's Top 25 Philanthropy Speakers. Learn more at putnam-consulting.com.

How you give matters. Transform your giving and change the world!

The world is full of philanthropists. They include billionaire donors, leaders of foundations and corporate giving programs, celebrity activists, wealthy families, donor-advised fund holders, professional athletes, and everyday people who donate time, money, experience and skills to help create a better world.

In the U.S., more than ninety percent of high-net- worth individuals donate to charity. Over the next 25 years, nearly 45 million U.S. households will transfer over ^$68 trillion in assets to heirs and the charities that are important to them.

How will philanthropists use this money for social good? Clearly, there is no lack of desire to effect positive social change driven by philanthropy. Yet why do so many philanthropists fall victim to bureaucracy, underperformance, and lack of innovation? What can be done to transform philanthropic practices that will leverage the coming "philanthropy boom" and achieve lasting change?

In Delusional Altruism, author and global philanthropy expert Kris Putnam-Walkerly provides you with real-world advice and practical guidance for avoiding hidden pitfalls in giving and becoming more effective at delivering social change. Divided into two parts, the book first explains the seven most common ways we can experience "Delusional Altruism," the deceptive and illogical thoughts that unnecessarily hinder our impact and disrupt our giving. Regardless of how many delusional thoughts we suffer from—such as saving money on the wrong things, responding too slowly, having too many steps, and asking the wrong questions—it's never too late to banish these thoughts from our minds and eliminate their negative effects. The second part of the book examines the top seven strategies for "Transformational Giving" and explains how to use them to remove any of the delusions of altruism that negatively impact giving. By applying these strategies in your philanthropy, you will see a significant improvement in the impact of your charitable gifts and your ability to create positive change in people's lives.

How you give is just as important as how much you give and which causes you support. Delusional Altruism: Why Philanthropists Fail To Achieve Change and What They Can Do To Transform Giving is here to help you make your giving as powerful as it can possibly be.

PRAISE FOR Delusional Altruism

"We all want to change the world, but sometimes our thinking gets in our way. For philanthropists, clouded thinking can hold you back from helping society in big and important ways. In Delusional Altruism, Kris Putnam-Walkerly shows you how to sidestep faulty thinking, so your resources create the greatest impact possible. I highly recommend this book!" DANIEL H. PINK, New York Times bestselling author of WHEN and DRIVE

"All philanthropists can support transformational change—but not without some support of their own! Delusional Altruism is a great guidebook to help avoid unnecessary pitfalls on the path to achieve impact. Through her years of experience working with foundations and donors and her passion for making the world a better place, Kris Putnam-Walkerly provides a candid and credible look at why 'how' we give is just as important as 'what' we give." KATHLEEN P. ENRIGHT, President and CEO, Council on Foundations

"Kris Putnam-Walkerly offers insightful observations and useful tools for philanthropists. Delusional Altruism is definitely worth reading for those who want to make their giving more impactful!" YANNI PENG, CEO, Narada Foundation and Chair, China Social Enterprise and Impact Investment Forum

"I once thought giving away money was easy. I learned the hard way I was wrong. Delusional Altruism identifies the ways we often fool ourselves and offers practical advice to transform our giving and increase our impact. Whether you are an experienced philanthropist or just getting started, this should be on your reading list." HENRY L. BERMAN, CEO, Exponent Philanthropy

"Kris Putnam-Walkerly brings her visionary gift of change-making philanthropy forward in this book. Not only does she identify many common mistaken notions of giving, but she also shares seven strong strategies that lead to better impact." TAMARA FYNAN, Executive Director, Community Engagement and Philanthropy, The J.M. Smucker Company

"A thought provoking and insightful look at smart giving. Kris scrutinizes the pitfalls that hinder traditional philanthropy, making a compelling case for a more strategic form of 21st century giving. This is essential reading for anyone who wants to really make an impact." EMMA TURNER, Director of Barclays Private Bank Philanthropy Service