The Business of Giving

Philanthropy today is big business; a worldwide phenomenon that seeks to bring about effective social change through the investment of philanthropic assets. While there are many books that suggest philanthropy can change the world, few provide a hands-on guide to the actual process of funding -- how [...]
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Philanthropy today is big business; a worldwide phenomenon that seeks to bring about effective social change through the investment of philanthropic assets. While there are many books that suggest philanthropy can change the world, few provide a hands-on guide to the actual process of funding -- how to select a method for supporting social projects and what business methods to adopt in doing so. How do you really ensure that your assets will achieve maximum impact and efficiency? The Business of Giving tells you how. It explains, in practical terms, the systems and processes philanthropists need to adopt in order to achieve their goals. It provides a 'toolkit' for philanthropic investment, taking you through each stage of your decision making. The techniques given are equally applicable whatever investment vehicle is being utilized; from traditional grants to new products such as social bonds and impact investing.As well as proposing an innovative model for implementing philanthropic giving as an integrated system, the author also provides a comprehensive review of the state of philanthropy today; outlining current thinking on its effectiveness and presenting a critique of different philanthropic styles. In contrast to other books on the subject, the tools and processes described here have been successfully tried and tested in real life across hundreds of different programmes and in making thousands of investment decisions. They have been utilized by the author during 20 years of investing more than GBP5 billion in social causes. The Business of Giving will prove a valuable guide for all those engaged in or with an interest in philanthropy or civil society in general.