Five Ways for Individual Donors to Give Better

Giving Compass’ Take:

• Here are five considerations for donors to remember when facing challenges reaching their giving goals.

• How are you staying engaged with your philanthropic strategy? Are you focused on specific goals?

• Here are tips for personal philanthropy.

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While most recognize that grant making is a privilege, there are many times when the role can be awkward, such as when one has to say no to prospective grantees, family, friends, and worthy causes. To avoid these encounters, some donors keep their philanthropy private. However, doing so can sometimes diminish impact and rob a funder of rewarding interactions with grantees, stakeholders, and peer funders.

There are ways to overcome these challenges, freeing donors to put their energies into the aspects of philanthropy they find most satisfying while advancing their philanthropic goals:

1. Define a clear philanthropic focus, strategy, and goals.
2. Create a buffer by hiring staff, advisors, or outsourced management support.
3. Build a network of peers.
4. Give with others.
5. Use various giving vehicles.

The longer philanthropists are passionately engaged in their work, the greater impact they can have in both the short and long term. We frequently draw upon the strategies above to help our clients sustain their work and increase their impact.

Read the full article about individual donors by Betsy Erickson at Arabella Advisors.