Inspired Philanthropy: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Giving Plan, 2nd Edition (Paperback)

~ (Author), Melissa Kohner (Author) "Within six weeks of terrorists attacking the United States on September 11, 2001, more than $1 billion had been donated to support the bereft families..." (more)
Key Phrases: personal giving plan, donor legacy, inspired philanthropy, United States, United Way, Group Volunteer Hours Funding Cycle Notes (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"True financial freedom can only be achieved when generosity toward others is a part of every breath you take. This book will make sure you continue to breathe financially free for yourself and others for generations to come."
— Suze Orman, author, The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom and The Road to Wealth

"Inspired Philanthropy lets us in on the secret that giving money for social change is the most rewarding form of investment. Whether you have a few hundred or a few million dollars, this workbook will help you give it effectively. Tracy Gary— a pioneer in countering the sex and race bias in the world of philanthropy— shares a lifetime of expertise."
— Gloria Steinem, consulting editor, Ms. Magazine, writer, activist

"Inspired Philanthropy is a good book— don't miss it. It is a most ingenious mixture of philanthropic philosophy, personal accounts of how some individuals have handled their giving, and, most interesting, a rich section of exercises that leads you through the gift-making process. This book makes you want to do philanthropy the way it should be done. It is suitable for all people touched by philanthropy: givers and takers, big and little. The field will owe to these authors."
— David R. Hunter, "The Father" of Progressive Philanthropy

"Reducing militarism and supporting human needs must become major foundations for our values and visions for this world. Inspired Philanthropy may be just the tool we need for the revitalization of a responsive democracy. Buy this book but be sure to sit down with your family and community and use it to guide your check writing and volunteering."
— Ben Cohen, president and founder, Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities and former chairman, Ben & Jerry's

Product Description

If you want to change the world, you'll want to read Inspired Philanthropy. Tracy Gary and Melissa Kohner show you how social change happens. No matter how much or little you have to give, you'll learn how to create a giving plan that will make your charitable giving catalytic. Then, through clear text and substantive exercises, you'll learn how to align your giving with your deepest values— to help bring about the very changes you want.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 2 edition (August 16, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0787964107
• ISBN-13: 978-0787964108
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #478,718 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not very enlightening, June 29, 2007

By	M. Hennecke (Florida) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book could be helpful to people who donate little bits here and there when the doorbell rings, and feel they aren't spending where they mean too. Really, though,it just finds several ways to tell you to stop and think about what you believe in and act accordingly. I recommend thinking about that on your own, and then donating the money you might have reserved for this book to that good cause.

For donors with over $25,000 to give there is only one chapter. The primary advice to large donors is to get an advisor. Then it offers pearls of wisdom like, "If you're thinking of making a substantial gift to an organization you will want to have some detailed knowledge about he group's financial situation. One way to do this is to review their budget and balance sheet." I wonder how many large donors really find such advice enlightening.

One last word of warning - if your politics are not left-leaning you may be offended by some of the assumptions which are put forth in this book as facts - such as that government is not doing as much as it should to help those in need.

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tracy is the Real Deal, July 23, 2003

By A Customer

Tracy's book is probably the most practical material you can get anywhere on engaged philanthropy. Whether you give a lot or a little, whether you give money or time, this book walks you through a process that will make your giving more informed, passionate, strategic, and effective. This book is based on many years of experience in which Tracy has given herself and worked with others who give. Tracy herself is a well-known progressive philanthropic and activist, but the worksheets in this book would work well regardless of a reader's philanthropic causes. Highly recommended.

8 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book to help the engaged philanthropist create a giving plan, October 19, 2006

By	Jeff Lippincott "www.Jlippin.com" (Princeton, NJ USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

After reading "Strategic Giving" by Peter Frumkin (ISBN: 0226266265) last night, this book was a bit of a letdown. I read both books last night at Barnes and Noble. Although this book was well written, easy to follow, short and to the point, and pleasing to the eye, its text fonts were larger and the line spacing was bigger than used in Frumkin's book. The larger fonts and line spacing made the book feel less credible. But that's just me.

I can't fairly knock this book, though. In fact, it is a wonderful book. It will provide much help to an engaged philanthropist when creating his or her giving plan. My recommendation is that if you are interested in being an informed and strategic major donor, then get a copy of both books because they really compliment each other very well. Gary's book provides the framework of a guide to putting a giving plan together, and Frumkin's book gives the necessary background information that will help you better use Gary's "guide."

The first eight chapters of this book are the meat of the guide. They will lead you step by step in creating a sound giving plan. And the last four chapters are an attempt to cover what Frumkin covers in his book.

I would have liked the book better if the diagram of the Giving Plan Model at page 198 included in Appendix A had been included up at the front of the book and fully explained in what should have been the first chapter. Then the author could have proceeded to more fully explain the model in the next eight chapters.

And I'm not sure Appendix B was necessary. To me the book was about "how to plan to give" to charity in a meaningful way. Not "how to give." I would liked to have seen more content in this book like the content included in Frumkin's book. And if that had been done, then Appendix B would have clearly appeared to be out of place.

All in all, this is a 5 star book and one that major donors should definitely read.