Death By a Thousand Data Points
Let me start this post by saying that data is not a bad thing. It informs our decisions much more accurately than our guts, and
April 24, 2017
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Practical Tips for Philanthropists
Kris Putnam-Walkerly is a philanthropy expert and consultant. If you find Practical Tips for Philanthropists useful, please consider subscribing.
Get in the Spirit of Collaboration
Donors and foundation leaders often expect nonprofits to collaborate, but they less frequently turn that expectation on themselves. Yet there is tremendous opportunity to exponentially expand
April 10, 2017
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Innovation is for Everyone
“Innovation” is one of those terms with many connotations, so it’s important to consider what you mean when you use it in your philanthropy. If
April 3, 2017
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The Best Practices You Never Knew You Had
We often look to external sources for best practices, hoping that others have figured out the ideal way to accomplish something and we can simply duplicate it.
March 27, 2017
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From Well Done to What’s Next
As some of you may have noticed, I recently was inducted into the Million Dollar Consultant® Hall of Fame by my own mentor and advisor,
March 20, 2017
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5 Ways to Prepare for the Unexpected
Unexpected events are a part of philanthropy, in much the same way surprise snows can be a part of spring. Depending on where you are
March 13, 2017
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Who’s In The Room? Who Should Be?
Bringing people together is one of the key roles of philanthropy. Foundations are especially suited to convene those with similar interests and shared goals, as
March 6, 2017
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Philanthropy and Science in an “Alternative Truths” World
Guest blog by Michael Green, CEO of Center for Environmental Health, www.ceh.org, and former Putnam Consulting Client. For more than two decades, our organization, the
February 28, 2017
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Prudent Risk is Wise But Don’t “Bet the Farm”
If you’re familiar with research and development philanthropy, you know that when a foundation decides to invest in R&D, they must be willing to take
February 27, 2017
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How We Constrain Ourselves
I fly a good bit for my work. As a seasoned traveler, you’d expect that I’d have strategies and practices I use to make the
February 20, 2017
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Remember to Say Thank You
There is a lot of angst flying around these days. Uncertainty on the national stage and in our home communities seems to have everyone on
February 13, 2017
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Keep Calm and Carry On (With Your Mission)
In the face of a rapidly changing policy environment that appears to sometimes question the values most philanthropists espouse (you know, things like justice, compassion,
February 6, 2017
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