Delusional Altruism

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 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.