In our first three decades of working with ambitious, thoughtful, and creative donors to increase the impact of their philanthropy, we have learned a great deal. While we know there are no easy answers to the kinds of social issues our clients and others are tackling, we’d like to share 30 lessons as a guide for those who wish to act boldly and give wisely.

Think big. Change requires many incremental steps – and one bold vision. Be a practical idealist. Vision inspires. Aspirational goals guide action. Shortterm successes keep you in the game.

Find your focus. Start with what you care about most. Focus allows you to understand on what, how, and with whom you can make a difference – and gives you the discipline to do it.

Articulate your goals. Settling on a focus area is not enough. Define what you want to accomplish, and how philanthropy can play a role.

Take the long view. Social change is incremental at best.

Don’t be discouraged by limited resources. Small grants, when targeted in highly strategic ways, can have great impact. Funders of all sizes can make a difference.

Read the full article about lessons learned at The Philanthropic Initiative.