This, the golden age for philanthropy, is a time of great change. Strong economies augmented by increased public awareness and the maturation of the third sector have resulted in populations that understand and are proactive in community change. Today, personal giving shapes social, health, environmental, educational, cultural and other programs as never before.

Addressing transformational giving and its effect on giving in our times, the book – High Impact Philanthropy: How Donors, Boards and Nonprofit Organizations Can Transform Communities – is a gem for nonprofit organizations, volunteer and staff leadership, and donor-investors who make change happen.

A well-drawn map to maximizing the process and the impact of philanthropy, High Impact Philanthropy is framed by eight key ideas steeped in solid strategies to shift traditional major gifts programs into the kind of transformational giving that leads to high impact philanthropy:

1. Philanthropy is increasingly issue-based and donor-driven
2. High impact philanthropy occurs when there is a balanced partnership between the community (identifying the needs), the nonprofit (addressing the needs), and the donor-investor (providing the measures to meet the needs)
3. There is a major difference between transactional giving and transformational giving, and it is the latter that leads to high impact philanthropy
4. A major key to attracting transformational gifts is issue-based and values-driven marketing
5. Nonprofits, themselves change agents, needs to change their practices and processes now if they are to attract transformational gifts
6. The “new philanthropists” have varied profiles but many common characteristics that present new opportunities for nonprofits
7. Stewardship of the donor is increasingly donor-designed but must be seen as a philosophical commitment on the part of the organization
8. Deliberate evaluation of results as the basis for measuring and communicating impact has never been more important

Packed with planning tips, and providing a host of red flags re common misperceptions and pitfalls, High Impact Philanthropy provides the answers to pivotal questions such as: Who are the new major donors and what are they looking for? How do I determine and develop the best strategies for my organization? How do I build an organizational culture that will lead to transformational giving?

Providing refreshingly clear analysis and innovative thinking to help all players understand and efficiently respond to the paradigm shift taking place in traditional philanthropy, this book is a “must read”.