Here’s what Raikes Foundation Co-Founders and Giving Compass Advisory Board members Jeff and Tricia Raikes are reading.

The Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, by David Grann
This book tells an untold story of American history—one that is deeply consequential to our history as a nation, but one that stands in stark contrast to our professed values. Grann chronicles the systematic murder of the Osage tribe, once the richest people per capita in the world, and how prejudice against Native Americans permitted their killings well into the 20th Century. This story of the deeply-ingrained racism of America’s past will cause you to reflect on the negative narratives we create about people, then and now. It's a crucial story to understand as we grapple with our country’s racial struggles today.

Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World, by Anand Giridharadas
In this insightful and thought-provoking book, Giridharadas pulls no punches taking on changemaker elites and society’s self-appointed problem solvers. His questions challenge our assumptions about what it will really take to make the world a better place for everyone. It’s at once an indictment of philanthropy, as well as a call to action.

Money Well Spent: A Strategic Plan for Smart Philanthropy, Second Edition, by Ed Lebar and Paul Brest
This book offers a comprehensive and crucial resource for individual donors, foundations, non-profits, and scholars who focus on and teach others about philanthropy. The second edition of this guide reflects on 10 years of progress, including the emergence of a new class of donors and the rise of impact investing. The opportunity to make lasting, positive change has never been greater, and Money Well Spent gives us the tools to seize this moment.

Systems Thinking for Social Change, by David Peter Stroh
Everyone who sets out to change the world has good intentions, but sometimes even the best laid plans can cause harm. Stroh’s book helps us break down the complex systems we must change in order to create lasting, positive impact in society. Philanthropy is no stranger to unintended consequences, and Stroh’s book offers a strategy to avoid those consequences and to find the right leverage points to solve our most challenging problems.

Good Work: When Excellence and Ethics Meet, by Howard E. Gardner, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, William Damon
The world around us is changing at a breakneck pace. Everything from the way we interact with technology, both professionally and personally, to how the unprecedented power of the global market impacts the world around us. In this book three psychologists ask what it means to do “good work” and maintain both moral and ethical standards in a time of great change.

Just Giving: Why Philanthropy Is Failing Democracy and How It Can Do Better, by Rob Reich
In Just Giving, Reich asks philanthropists to grapple with the true outcomes of their generosity, and posits that, despite our best intentions, philanthropy can undermine democracy. Reich also offers a way forward, providing a path for philanthropists that allows for contributions to the public good and a strong, liberal democracy.