Jeff Raikes is helping lead the charge to “redefine philanthropy in the twenty-first century.” He spends his time developing and refreshing strategies for tackling intractable issues like global health and U.S. education – and building an organization focused on “continuously improving [its] capacity for impact.” To successfully lead the Foundation, Raikes takes a humble approach. He listens to critics, seeks constructive feedback from grantees and ensures he, Bill and Melinda are in constant communication about the Foundation’s direction.

“When you’re a philanthropist, you get lots of very positive signals…because people want the money,” Jeff Raikes explains. To get real feedback, be humble and ask grantees “what’s the number one thing we can change to help our work together be better?”

Learn more about feedback at The Bridgespan Group.