Once you've established your focus areas, you can begin to develop your philanthropic strategy for impact giving. At its core, a strategy articulates "who, what, where, why, and how" you plan to focus your work, and also by when you expect to see progress. It is your roadmap and connects the dots from what you hope to change in the world to where you give and what you do. Our top selections to help you develop your strategy include:

  • Defining Success in Philanthropy, by Bridgespan - a short but helpful guide to defining your impact- what success means for you. Can help you get started, or refresh. Quick read (takes less than 20 minutes and you can read it on the go as a downloadable PDF)
  • A Practical Guide to Outcome-Focused Philanthropy, by Hewlett Foundation - A complete and detailed guide to developing and implementing a philanthropic strategy used internally by a major foundation. Targeted to more seasoned philanthropists, this piece is a deeper dive. Long read (takes an hour or longer, so you probably want to set aside time to focus when reading this;  you can read it on the go as a downloadable PDF)