Articles Putnam Consulting Group is pleased to share its knowledge with the field Browse topics below to find articles to inspire and guide your work. Leadership and Governance 6 Mistakes Philanthropists Make During a Crisis (And What They Can Do Instead)Delusional Altruism: Avoiding Self-Deception and DisrespectEight Questions to Improve Your Philanthropic Giving This YearAre You a New Philanthropy CEO? Don’t Make These Five MistakesScarcity or Abundance? – Which Mindset Guides Your Organization?Using an Abundance Mentality to Streamline Foundation ProcessesDon’t Do This – 10 Mistakes New Foundation Boards Make, and How to Avoid ThemSimilar and Different – Five Key Shifts from Hospital Foundation Board to Private Foundation Board10 Essential Roles of Foundation Board Members10 Essential Roles of Good Foundation BoardsTelling the Truth – 3 Myths of Foundation WorkSuccessful Leadership Recognition Programs – Turning “Thank You” into Ongoing Growth and DevelopmentCreating a Culture of Respect in Philanthropy Strategy 8 Things Every Philanthropist Can Do to Change the World (Even When the World Keeps Changing)Increasing Speed in PhilanthropyFostering Innovation in PhilanthropyThe Role of Philanthropy in Systems ChangeResponsive vs. Strategic Grantmaking: Exploring the OptionsSpecial Ops – 5 Situations for Deploying a Red TeamBoost Your Impact: 3 Techniques to Pack a PunchSupercharge Your Grantmaking Strategy – 7 Ways to Get the Biggest Bang for Your BucksHow to (Not) Strike Fear in Grantees – Developing and Bringing Your New Strategic Plan Online Without Alienating Your Community Grantmaking Get Out of Your Bubble and Into Your Community 5 Best Practices of Extraordinary Grantmakers From Essential to Savvy: Key Practices for Effective Grantmaking Asking “What If?” Using Research and Development as a Strategy to Achieve Dramatic Impact Successful RFP Management for Foundations – 10 Tips to Select the Best Grantees Do Your Homework to Increase Grantmaking Success Prepare for the Expected: 5 Grantmaking Challenges You Will Experience, and How to Avoid Them From Ingenuity to Implementation – 10 Ways to Shape Your Foundation’s Newest Grantmaking Initiative The Secret of Success – One Question Guaranteed to Save Funders Time, Save Money, and Achieve Results Sharpen Your Focus – 5 Questions That Will Improve Your Grantmaking Who Is Your Customer? Improve Your Grantmaking by Improving Your Focus Fail vs Flourish – 3 Reasons Your New Funding Initiative Will Falter 9 Smart Practices of Savvy Grantmakers 11 Essential Practices for Effective Grantmaking Communication Tools The Power of a Communications Plan – Why You Need One Now – and How to Get It Rolling Engage Key Stakeholders with a Successful Communications Plan – The 4 Dimensions of Successful Communication The Strategy Behind the Story – Putting the Pieces in Place for an Effective Communications Plan Eight Ways to Share Lessons Learning Evaluation Oops, I Forgot to Evaluate! 3 Easy Steps for Retrospectively Evaluating Your Funding Initiative The Power of Taking Stock – 5 Reasons to Conduct Evaluations Gaining Leverage Small Stone, Big Ripple – 12 Strategies for Spreading Your Small Grant Further6 Ways to Engage Your StakeholdersIncrease Your Impact with Funding Partnerships – 6 Avenues to Explore Special Topics The Road to Achieving Equity: Findings and Lessons from a Field Scan of Foundations That Are Embracing Equity (full article) The Road to Achieving Equity: 12 Findings from a Field Scan of Foundations That Are Embracing Equity (2-page summary) After Disaster Strikes: 8 Strategies for Supporting Disaster Recovery Efforts for the Long Term Working with Consultants How to Effectively Hire a Consultant – 5 Tips for a Win-Win Relationship Why RFPs Waste Time – Choose a Better Approach to Finding a Great Consultant Don’t Need a Consultant? 5 Good Reasons You Might Be Wrong 20 Ways a Consultant Can Make Your Life Easier – A Little Outside Help Goes a Long Way Don’t Do It – 10 Mistakes to Avoid When Hiring Philanthropy Consultants What To Do When You’ve Inherited a Consultant Want to learn more? Schedule a call with Kris