Saying Yes Wisely: Insights for the Thoughtful Philanthropist [Paperback]

Richard Marker (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Blooming Twig Books (October 21, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933918470
• ISBN-13: 978-1933918471
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,947,390 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

"It is hard to say 'no' graciously; it is even harder to say 'yes' wisely" is the underlying theme of Marker's writing, teaching, and advising.

Richard Marker devotes his life to philanthropy. He is:
- a funder, trustee, and board member of several grantmaking foundations,
- an advisor to foundations, families, and funders [WISE PHILANTHROPY - Marker Goldsmith Philanthropy Advisors],
- a professor of philanthropy and educator of other funders [Founder, NYU Academy for Grantmaking and Funder Education],
- a popular speaker and lecturer [5 continents, 38 countries, 40 of the United States],
- and regular writer and commentator about the philanthropy field.

His 40+ year professional career includes being CEO of a major foundation, International VP of a multi-national non-profit, president of a for-profit consulting company, and university chaplain.

Marker is an astute observer of trends and cutting edge thinking, but also very wary of fads. Knowing which is which is the core of the good judgement required of being a successful philanthropist.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Giving In a Time of Less, October 28, 2009

By 

D. Brown - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Saying Yes Wisely: Insights for the Thoughtful Philanthropist (Paperback)

Timely and timeless - an excellent way to describe Richard Marker's just released book, Saying "Yes" Wisely: Insights for the Thoughtful Philanthropist.

Saying "Yes", a collection of Marker's essays written over the past ten years, lays out his vision of what thoughtful and responsible philanthropy should be. His lifetime of varied experiences has taught him that "it may be hard to say `no' graciously, but it is even harder to say `yes' wisely. Addressing real issues, including family legacies, Marker does not shy away from controversial topics and through this collection helps funders to be more thoughtful about the decisions they need to make.

Here's an excerpt:

"If it is hard to say no graciously, it is even harder to say yes wisely. In reviewing eligible proposals, the decisions become even harder. In my career, I have been an executive in the not for profit sector, taught at the university level, consulted in the for-profit sector, and served on a variety of boards. Yet, as a foundation executive, I am continually struck by how little I know. There are seemingly wonderful projects which we cannot adequately evaluate because we lack the expertise, and whose worth cannot be proven unless a funder takes a chance. Some ideas and projects might change the world, or at least some small part of it; others will be failures, glorious or otherwise. Some are prestigious and safe; others might become the next great thing. With limited funds and more limited prophecy at our disposal, each approved grant is a well-placed bet. With all the analytic abilities that trustees, program officers, and evaluators bring to bear, it is always human judgment that is the final arbiter."