How to Give with More Impact: What You Need to Know

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February 18, 2021
by Chelsea

Why You've Got to Listen to This Episode...

In today’s episode, I’m talking with In today’s episode, I’m talking with Global Philanthropy Advisor and Expert, Kris Putnam-Walkerly. She is the author of Delusion Altruism, which highlights the truth that how we give is just as important as how much we give.

We’re talking about why you don’t need to be wealthy to be a philanthropist, why philanthropists struggle with a scarcity mindset, and how you can take your first step to give with more impact today!

Moments You Don't Want to Miss

[4:33] This is a definition of philanthropy you might connect with
[6:56] This is why how we give is just as important as how much we give
[11:45] Listen to find out how non-profits find ways to measure their impact with accuracy
[15:17] Why philanthropists can ironically carry a scarcity mindset
[37:22] Why we need to be adaptive as funders and stop being paralyzed by the unknown
[40:22] Here’s step one of how you can become a philanthropic family
[45:49] Chelsea’s Top Takeaways

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Key Takeaways to Help You Give With More Impact

As always, we’ve rounded up our top three takeaways to summarize what we believe are the core points to remember from Kris.

1 - We Are All Philanthropists

First, we are all philanthropists. As Kris said, philanthropy is a big fancy word that makes people think they need millions of dollars to qualify. But anyone who wants to make the world a better place is a philanthropist – especially because we can give so much more than money. We can give our time, our connections, our knowledge, and we often discuss how words matter here on the podcast.

So no matter how much you’re giving, adopting the mindset of a philanthropist will help you identify more ways you can increase your impact on issues that matter to you. When you truly believe you are a philanthropist who is making an impact, you’ll see more ways to do that.

2 - Scarcity Mindset Can Hold Us Back From Changing the World

We all know that a scarcity mindset can hold us back from reaching our money goals. But that mindset also threatens our ability to give with more impact. Often we think we can’t start giving until we earn more money, or we wait until the need is urgent, like a natural disaster or pandemic to help in our communities. We also expect nonprofits to run on a shoestring budget and look for organizations that have the absolute lowest possible overhead.

But while a small percentage of overhead might mean more money is going to the cause, it can also reduce their effectiveness and long term impact too. Think about different ways to consider how that money is being used. Get to know the organizations you’re supporting. Think about the type of impact you want to have and start taking small steps to build that into your life today. Create a habit of giving so that when you do have more wealth, it’s natural to give more.

3 - Build Relationships With The Organizations You Want to Support

Financially, let these organizations know your plans. This is a great tip from Kris because it will help them better prepare for the year. That way, they can let you know times that you could increase your impact by giving a little earlier or a little later when they have donors doing matching.

You may also find new ways to help out by hearing about the connections or volunteers that organization needs. Perhaps most significant is the confidence you’ll gain in the organizations you’re supporting by getting to know them better. No matter where you are financially, you have the power to give with more impact to the things that matter most to you and to your family.

Links & Resources Mentioned

Connect with Kris

Kris Putnam-Walkerly 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 her advice to transform their giving and catapult their impact.

As a philanthropy advisor, speaker, and award-winning author, she’s helped hundreds of philanthropists strategically allocate over half a billion dollars in grants and gifts. Kris’s clients include the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, J.M. Smucker Company, Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation, Heising-Simons Foundation, Annie E. Casey Foundation, David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Walton Family Foundations, Fujitsu, Blue Shield of California, and Avery Dennison Foundation, among many others.

A thought leader in transformational giving®, Kris has been named one of America’s Top 20 Philanthropy Speakers for the past three years. She is the author of Delusional Altruism: Why Philanthropists Fail To Achieve Change and What They Can Do To Transform Giving.

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