Delusional Altruism. Kris Putnam-Walkerly
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The world has a lot of philanthropists. This book is for all of them—but especially for those who aren't quite achieving the impact they seek. They come in many forms: ultra-high-net-worth donors, wealthy families, foundations, Fortune 500 companies, donor-advised funds, celebrity activists, professional athletes, family offices, giving circles—individuals and organizations large and small.
Just like you, they want to change the world.
It might not be the whole world. It might be your small corner: You raise your children to become loving and successful individuals. You volunteer at your kids' school because you want all kids to succeed, not just your own. You donate food and money to your local food pantry because you believe no human being should go hungry. You've identified problems in the world and you want your donations to help solve them, whether you are giving $10, $100, $10,000 or $100,000,000. You hope your contribution, large or small, will help discover a cure for cancer, stop human trafficking, or end genocide.
What's more, you aren't looking for bandage solutions. You want transformational change. Lasting change. You want to tackle the problem at its root, so it no longer exists.
So what is the big secret to this transformational change? It's this: How we give is as important as how much we give or which causes we support.
Let me make it as clear as I can: The key word here is how.
How.
How we give matters. How we give allows us to be transformational.
So when it comes to giving that matters, what stands in our way? The thing between us and that type of transformational giving is something I call Delusional Altruism. Now, by “delusional,” I don't mean we're stupid or crazy. I mean we're hindering our impact unnecessarily, because of a handful of deceptive and illogical thoughts we choose to hold dear. These illogical thoughts are making us get in our own way, and we don't even realize it. When we can't get out of our way, we reduce our speed to impact. When we don't realize it, it's difficult for us to change.
Delusional altruism shows up in our lives in different ways. For some of us, it's a scarcity mentality. For others its fear. Many of us ask the wrong questions, which send us down the wrong paths. Or we let ourselves be fooled by our own efforts.
In Part I of this book, we'll examine the seven most common ways we experience Delusional Altruism. Of course, not everyone suffers from all seven, but suffering from even one can derail a program of giving. The good thing is that no matter how many delusional thoughts you suffer from, none of them need be permanent. You can rid yourself not only of the thought but of the effect that thought has on your giving. In other words, you can turn things around—both in your mind and in the world.
In Part II, we'll look at the top seven strategies for Transformational Giving and how you can use them to defeat any of the delusions you or your organization hold. Together, the philosophy behind these strategies constitute a mind-set that will make you unstoppable. It will alter how you see the world and how you can create change in people's lives.
I hope you're ready to begin. After all, the work you're doing is too important to put off or get wrong. We all need what you bring to the table. The planet is waiting for you to up your game and make your giving as powerful as it can possibly be. The world needs you. Let's go!
Notes
1 1. https://www.privatebank.bankofamerica.com/publish/content/application/pdf/GWMOL/USTp_ARMCGDN7_oct_2017.pdf.
2 2. https://givingusa.org/giving-usa-2019-americans-gave-427-71-billion-to-charity-in-2018-amid-complex-year-for-charitable-giving/.
3 3. Foundation Center (Active US Foundations by Foundation Type, 2017) https://candid.org/.
4 4. https://www.nptrust.org/reports/daf-report/.
5 5. https://efc.issuelab.org/resource/an-overview-of-philanthropy-in-europe.html.
6 6. https://www.swissfoundations.ch/sites/default/files/European_Foundation_Sector_Report_2015_0.pdf .
7 7. https://ernop.eu/giving-in-europe-launched-at-spring-of-philanthropy/.
8 8. https://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/report/philanthropy-in-china/.
9 9. Ibid.
10 10. https://info.cerulli.com/HNW-Transfer-of-Wealth-Cerulli.html?utm_source=CNBC&utm_medium=Press%2520Release&utm_campaign=1811%2520High%2520Net%2520Worth%2520PR and https://www.cnbc.com/2018/11/20/great-wealth-transfer-is-passing-from-baby-boomers-to-gen-x-millennials.html.
11 11. https://www.fortuneindia.com/opinion/giving-more-power-to-the-people/102342.
12 12. https://www.cafonline.org/about-us/publications/2019-publications/caf-world-giving-index-10th-edition.
1 You Save Money on All the Wrong Things
Philanthropists like to save money, but they save it on the wrong things. Let me explain what I mean.
Foundation leaders, donors, professional athletes, corporate executives—all philanthropists—want to be good caretakers of their charitable wealth. They want their assets and profits to grow, so there's more wealth to give. They also want to reduce their charitable costs and save money, so there's more left over to give to the causes they care about.
All of this is well and good.
The trouble is, in their altruistic effort to be frugal, they