Do More Than Give: The Six Practices of Donors Who Change the World

This how-to book examines the modern role of philanthropy, moving from merely "giving away money" to becoming "active participants in the business of solving social and environmental problems." The authors examine six practices donors can undertake to change the world, an admirable goal, but much of their message gets lost in muddy jargon: "it is useful to think of collaboration as a spectrum of activity that ranges from loose coordination and informal information sharing to intense, focused collective impact campaigns" (see Figure 5.1). The message itself, and the book's organization, however, are right on the money. Each chapter concludes with a summary of key principles covered and includes reminders of important points. Some of their real-life examples are especially illustrative, such as the story about a San Diego foundation that asked residents what they hoped for in their community and used funds to create an environment tailored to those desires and needs. Also fascinating is their look at "adaptive leaders" who learn to influence beyond their control, take on a higher profile, and engage with media, a type of leadership the authors endorse but warn is "not for the timid...power hungry." (Mar.) (Publishers Weekly, April 11, 2011)