GETTING STARTED AND FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Starting Your Philanthropic Journey

Every philanthropic journey is different. Learning about the three broad stages of a philanthropic journey, including which activities are appropriate at each stage, can help you get even better results from your giving.

• Stage 1: Exploring
• Stage 2: Experimenting
• Stage 3: Swinging for the Fences

Monday Morning Checklists

How can you tell whether you’ve wrestled with a philanthropic question sufficiently to move on? If you can check many of these markers off your Monday morning to-do list, then you’re probably well on your way to giving smart!

•  What Are My Values and Beliefs?
• What Is Success, and How Can It Be Achieved?
• What Am I Accountable For?
• What Will It Take to Get the Job Done?
• How Do I Work with Grantees?
• Am I Getting Better?

Frequently Asked Questions About Philanthropy

•  How Do I Measure Performance—Both Mine and My Grantees’—in a Practical Way?
•  How Do I Build Strong Relationships with Grantees?
• How Do I Work with My Family to Achieve High-Impact Philanthropy?
• Do I Spend Down or Form a Foundation in Perpetuity?
• Should I Give Anonymously or Publicly?
• What Are the Five Most Common Traps I Should Avoid in My Philanthropy?
• What Is Impact Investing and Why Should or Shouldn’t Philanthropists Consider It?
• Which Legal Structure or Structures Should I Use to Give My Money Away?

Nonprofit Due Diligence Guide

Donor Decision Tool: Your Customized Guide to Researching a Nonprofit

Conducting nonprofit due diligence on a potential grantee is a unique process for each situation. Your process for deciding whether to invest in a nonprofit will likely depend on your answers to these questions:

• How large and/or critical to your strategy would this grant be?
• Do you believe that your potential support is very important for this nonprofit?
• Is this grant potentially controversial in any way?
• How familiar are you with the organization?

Deciding the level of nonprofit research your grant warrants will help you focus on the most important questions and be efficient with your time (and the potential grantee’s). Below are a list of documents that focus on varying degrees of research. Start with the "Light-Touch Approach" (below) for grants that are smaller or less critical, then move to a more intensive approach as your grant warrants. (For a tailored research plan, you can take our 10-question diagnostic by clicking the link above.)

At a Glance: Worksheet and Tracking

• Key Questions and Worksheet to Track Your Progress

General Research into a Potential Grantee

• How to Research a Nonprofit: Light-Touch Approach
• How to Research a Nonprofit: Moderate Approach
• How to Research a Nonprofit: Deep-Dive
• Guide to Conducting a Site Visit

Closer Looks into a Nonprofit's Strategy and Results

• Researching a Nonprofit's Strategy and Results: Moderate Research Guide
• Researching a Nonprofit's Strategy and Results: Deep-Dive Research Guide

Closer Looks into a Nonprofit's Leadership

• Researching a Nonprofit's Leadership: Moderate Approach
• Researching a Nonprofit's Leadership: Deep-Dive
• Guide to Interviewing a Nonprofit's Board Member
• Guide to Interviewing a Nonprofit's CEO

Closer Looks into a Nonprofit's Financials

• Researching a Nonprofit's Financials: Deep-Dive Approach
• Researching a Nonprofit's Financials: Moderate Approach
• Researching a Nonprofit's Financials: Financial Resources
• Researching a Nonprofit's Financials: Financial Audits

A Closer Look into a Nonprofit's Organization and Operations

• How to Research a Nonprofit's Organization and Operations

Finding Your Philanthropy Compass

Our toolkit is for philanthropists who are getting serious about their philanthropy: ramping up, becoming more intentional, becoming more strategic.

Section-by-Section

• Introduction
• Get Started
• Identify Your Values and Beliefs
• Translate Your Values and Beliefs into Strategic Initiatives
• Prioritize Your Strategic Initiatives and Seek Advice
• Reflect on Your Giving Journey
• Appendix
  • Donor Values and Beliefs: Sample Statements
  • Statement of Values and Beliefs Worksheet
  • Giving Checklist

How-Tos

• Clarifying Your Aspirations

  Although many worthy causes exist, you only have limited amounts of time and money to devote to them. Here's how to make hard choices about your focus.

• Defining Success

  Your personal definition of success will provide much-needed focus to you and everyone supporting your work. Find out which three criteria will help you create a working definition of philanthropic success.

• Partnering for Results

  Even the wealthiest philanthropists need help in solving society's toughest problems. Find out why you shouldn't go it alone.

• Getting Better Over Time

  To be a successful philanthropist, you’ll need to make good decisions about how to spend your money, time and influence. Here's advice on how to do just that.

• Saying Goodbye: Exiting Grantee Relationships With Care

  Although you may end up giving some grantees more money, you will also, inevitably, have to transition away from others by reducing or ending your support for them. Here's what to think about.

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