The Art of Giving

An honest assessment for how to determine your individual relationship with charitable giving in today's world From world-renowned philanthropists Charles Bronfman and Jeffrey Solomon of the Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies comes a comprehensive guide on how to be a canny, street-smart, effective philanthropist, regardless of your income level. It is also a perfect companion for nonprofit program and development executives who would like to introduce donors to their work and their organizations. Despite their critical importance to philanthropy, donors have few resources for solid information about making their gifts-deciding what type of gift to give, how to structure it, the tax implications, what level of follow-up and transparency they should ask for and expect, and countless other complexities. This book fills that vacuum and helps you gain a special understanding of philanthropy as a business undertaking as well as a deeply personal, reflective process. Drawing on decades of experience, the authors offer a fresh, enlivening approach to the nonprofit enterprise that, too often, is undervalued and thought of as the province of the burnt-out and the overwhelmed. Along with its many candid insights and memorable anecdotes, The Art of Giving also offers instruction on how to create a business plan for giving that works for you.

FOREWORD vii by James Wolfensohn INTRODUCTION: Who We Are 1 PART ONE The Donor 1 Getting Started 11 2 The Joy of Giving 19 3 The New Philanthropy 23 4 Donors Come in All Types 29 5 The Soul of the New Philanthropist 39 6 Accelerants 57 7 Finding Your Niche 65 PART TWO The Partners 8 Do I Do It—or Do I Buy It? 81 9 Working with a Nonprofit 97 10 Running the Show 113 11 The Family 127 12 The Face in the Mirror 143 13 Philanthropy in Hard Times 153 PART THREE The Gift 14 A Glossary of Gifts 161 15 The Pudding Is in the Proof 175 16 A Little Financial Advice 189 17 On Innovations 203 18 Twenty Questions—Investing in Changing the World 213 EPILOGUE: Why We Are Here 217 PART FOUR Resources RESOURCE A: Index of Nonprofit Resources 223 RESOURCE B: Further Sources of Information 259 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 261 ABOUT THE AUTHORS 263 INDEX 267