Getting Started with Your Philanthropy: An Overview for Donors

Philanthropy has been part of the collective conscience of the United States since the founding of the nation. Shortly after his tour of America in 1831, Alexis de Tocqueville, an aristocratic Frenchman, observed that America's success as a non-aristocracy was largely attributed to our commitment to philanthropy in providing for the needs of its people. He noted: "I have seen Americans making great and sincere sacrifices for the key common good and a hundred times I have noticed that, when needs be, they almost always gave each other faithful support.”

Philanthropic generosity, as evidenced by activities such as The Giving Pledge (an initiative focused on inviting the wealthiest individuals and families in America to commit to giving away the majority of their wealth) is alive and well in twenty-first-century America. Unfortunately, great needs ranging from the environment to worldwide poverty compete for those charitable dollars. For many individual donors, it can be challenging to know where to begin. The number of causes will always exceed available resources no matter how significant, and there are numerous ways to pursue funding selected causes. 

This publication is designed to help new donors think through seven key questions that every philanthropist should endeavor to answer. These questions are especially relevant to those starting in philanthropy but are also valuable for those revisiting their philanthropy at any given time: 

1. Why do you want to give? 
2. When do you want to give? 
3. Where do you want to give? 
4. What do you want to give? 
5. Who do you want to give with (alongside) you? 
6. How do you want to give? 
7. Do you want to know how successful you are in giving? 

At the end of the day, only you can answer these questions about your philanthropic efforts. The authors of Give Smart: Philanthropy That Gets Results, a book focused on helping philanthropists become more effective in their giving, remind readers that all philanthropy is personal and almost every philanthropic initiative contains a huge dose of "me." The questions are not necessarily sequential, as your answers to some may inform how you answer others. It is important, however, to take all your answers to these questions in sum in order to thoughtfully develop a coherent approach to your giving. 

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