Please Be Good at Philanthropy: An Introduction to Grantmaking Strategy and Practice

A foundation president and educator offers a candid guide to the singular nature of foundation strategy, for board members, staff members, and anyone navigating the world of philanthropy.

Jen Ford Reedy has served as President of the Minnesota-based Bush Foundation since 2012. In her perennially popular Philanthropy 101 classes, Reedy tells her students: Everyone is a beginner when they join a foundation. Foundation board and staff members come from a variety of professional backgrounds and bring their talents and skills into the field. But even if you've been successful in other sectors, you must adapt your skills to be effective in the world of philanthropy.

Please Be Good at Philanthropy explains how to do just that. Reedy lays out five truths of philanthropic strategy that will help you shift to a philanthropic mindset. Then she dives into the basic steps of good foundation practice that will truly benefit the people and organizations you serve.

Clear examples and reflective questions help new foundation board and staff members understand their organizations' purposes and thoughtfully manage the risks and tradeoffs in their organizations' approaches. Each chapter includes stories of both successes and failures that show philanthropic practice in action and offer industry newcomers insight into what has worked for other foundations.

Like a trusted mentor who helps you through your first months in a new job, Reedy imparts endlessly useful advice to help you get good at doing good.

Jen Ford Reedy is President of the Bush Foundation. She has worked in philanthropy since 2009, and her leadership in the field includes serving on the boards of Independent Sector and the Council on Foundations. She has taught classes on philanthropy through the Minnesota Council on Foundations and at the University of Minnesota, and is on the faculty for the national Council on Foundations' new executive retreats. Jen speaks on philanthropy to groups large and small, from the Aspen Ideas Festival and the Skoll World Forum to civic clubs and community meetings throughout Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and across the twenty-three Native nations where the Bush Foundation works. Prior to working in foundations, she spent nine years as a consultant with McKinsey and Company. This book combines her love of philanthropy, her love of teaching, and her experience consulting. She lives in the Twin Cities and has two great kids and one great husband.