her latest book, Delusional Altruism, Kris Putnam-Walkerly identifies several key elements to transformational giving alongside the delusions every thoughtful donor should avoid. Readers will gain clear direction on why we all must eliminate the delusions that limit our impact and sharpen our focus to truly transform through our philanthropy.
Wendy H. Steele, Chief Executive, Impact100
Putnam-Walkerly weaves years of successfully guiding leading philanthropists with a straightforward and honest assessment of the field to give us a breath of fresh air in her latest offering, Delusional Altruism: Why Philanthropists Fail to Achieve Change and What They Can Do to Transform Giving. If you're a time-tested pro or thoughtful newcomer, Kris's insights and perspective will help you move from simple charity to high-impact giving!
Jed Emerson, Blended Value
Delusional Altruism is a guide book for anyone who wants to gain a better understanding of how to create the biggest impact with their philanthropic investments. Kris Putnam-Walkerly writes with an insider knowledge of the philanthropy world, analyzing our missteps and offering practical tips for examining our grantmaking practices and making simple changes to further our reach and create positive, systemic changes in our world.
Dolores E. Roybal, Executive Director, Con Alma Health Foundation, New Mexico
We all want to change the world, but sometimes our thinking gets in our way. For philanthropists, clouded thinking can hold you back from helping society in big and important ways. In Delusional Altruism, Kris Putnam-Walkerly shows you how to sidestep faulty thinking, so your resources create the greatest impact possible. I highly recommend this book!
Daniel H. Pink, New York Times bestselling author of WHEN and DRIVE
All philanthropists can support transformational change—but not without some support of their own! Delusional Altruism is a great guidebook to help avoid unnecessary pitfalls on the path to achieve impact. Through her years of experience working with foundations and donors and her passion for making the world a better place, Kris Putnam-Walkerly provides a candid and credible look at why how we give is just as important as what we give.
Kathleen P. Enright, President & CEO, Council on Foundations
Kris Putnam-Walkerly offers insightful observations of the typical misunderstandings that donors and foundations have when they give, as well as useful tools for philanthropists to reflect upon their mind-sets and actions. As a philanthropy practitioner, I can tell the ideas and wisdom shared in her book come from extensive first-hand experiences in the field and continuous reflections. Delusional Altruism is definitely worth reading for those who want to make their giving more impactful!
Yanni Peng, CEO, Narada Foundation and Chair, China Social Enterprise and Impact Investment Forum.
I once thought giving away money was easy. I learned the hard way I was wrong. As Kris Putnam-Walkerly makes abundantly clear, we can easily trip over our own good intentions. In Delusional Altruism, she identifies the ways we often fool ourselves—at times not even recognizing what we are doing—and then goes on to offer practical advice and guidance on how to transform our giving and increase our impact. Whether you are an experienced philanthropist or just getting started, this should be on your reading list.
Henry L. Berman, CEO, Exponent Philanthropy
In Delusional Altruism, Kris Putnam-Walkerly helps us understand that when philanthropists unintentionally restrain ourselves—through fear, a scarcity mentality, or simply asking the wrong questions—we also hold back the change we can make in the world.
Benjamin Bellegy, Executive Director, WINGS—Worldwide Initiatives for Grantmaker Support
A thought-provoking and insightful look at smart giving. Kris scrutinizes the pitfalls that hinder traditional philanthropy, making a compelling case for a more strategic form of 21st-century giving. This is essential reading for anyone who wants to really make an impact.
Emma Turner, Director, Barclays Private Bank Philanthropy Service
It's always a worthwhile endeavor for philanthropists to look at how they can get better with their giving, and Kris Putnam-Walkerly's new book helps them do just that. Her honest assessment of seven Delusional Altruism practices is a must-read for all philanthropists, and her seven strategies for “Transformational Giving” can help all of us get out of our own way and make the greatest impact we can with our gifts.
David Biemesderfer, President & CEO, United Philanthropy Forum
KRIS PUTNAM - WALKERLY, MSW
Delusional Altruism
WHY PHILANTHROPISTS FAIL TO ACHIEVE CHANGE
AND WHAT THEY CAN DO TO TRANSFORM GIVING
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