Giving Compass' Take:

• Patrick Sampson outlines the various types of successful philanthropists that exist across the charitable giving landscape. 

• Which of these archetypes do you relate to? How can recognizing your style inform your efforts to give effectively? 

• Read about the differences between transactional and transformational philanthropists.

Truly understanding the type of funder you are, and matching with similar-minded nonprofit leadership, is one of the most important fundamental building blocks to enabling mission success and satisfaction.

Take a moment and reflect on which type(s) of philanthropist you are:

Communitarian – Doing Good Makes Sense (26%)

  • Believes that doing good in the community makes good business sense.

Devout – Doing Good Is God’s Will (21%)

  • Feels it is God’s will to do good; 96% of their giving is to religious purposes.

Investor – Doing Good Is Good Business (15%)

  • The investor says that doing good is good business. They are very careful about investigating the organizations they give to.

Socialite – Doing Good Is Fun (11%)

  • The Socialite likes having fun in their funding work, and that is the main reason they get involved.

Repayer – Doing Good in Return (10%)

  • They feel that they are doing good because the organization has already given them something special.

Altruist – Doing Good Feels Right (9%)

  • They give because they believe it is the right thing to do. They are genuinely selfless. They almost always focus on social issues.

Dynast – Doing Good Is a Family Tradition (8%)

  • They usually come from affluent families. They grew up in families where there is a tradition of giving.

Be overt about who you are and your funding goals. Not only will you attract more of the type of funding opportunities you are looking for (and reduce the opportunities you are not looking for), but you will also educate nonprofit leadership how to optimize your relationship going forward.

Read the full article about successful philanthropists by Patrick Sampson at Exponent Philanthropy.