Many acts of charitable giving fail in their stated goals and some are actually harmful. This work explains why this state of affairs exists. It outlines solutions, ranging from those that equip philanthropists to do good work to those that build a domain of philanthropic knowledge, ethical codes, and best practices.

ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgmentsI. Defining the ProblemIntroduction: Taking Philanthropy Seriously William Damon1. In Search of an Ethic of Giving James Allen Smith2. Philanthropy and Its Uneasy Relation to Equality Rob Reich3. The Politics of Doing Good: Philanthropic Leadership for the Twenty-First Century Leslie Lenkowsky4. Toward Higher-Impact Philanthropy Thomas J. Tierney5. The Lonely Profession Laura Horn and Howard GardnerII. Cases of Good Work in Contemporary PhilanthropyIntroduction Susan Verducci6. The Role of Relationships in the Funding of Teach For America Susan Verducci7. Journeys in Venture Philanthropy and Institution Building Carrie James and Paula Marshall8. Ideational Philanthropy: The Intellectual Impact of Funding Social Ideas Liza Hayes Percer and William Damon9. Funding on Faith: Boston Ten Point Coalition Laura Horn10. Network for Good: Helping the Helpers Tanya Rose and Sarah Miles11. Power and Mission in the Funding of Social Entrepreneurs Lynn BarendsenIII. Further Strategies for a Domain of Responsible Giving12. Philanthropy's Janus-Faced Potential: The Dialectic of Care and Negligence Donors Face Paul G. Schervish13. The Foundation Payout Puzzle Akash Deep and Peter Frumkin14. Old Problems, New Solutions: The Creative Impact of Venture Philanthropy Nick Standlea15. Ethical Standards in Philanthropy Jenni Menon Mariano and Susan VerducciConcluding Thoughts Mihaly CsikszentmihalyiList of ContributorsIndex