Thinking Forward

Our blog, Thinking Forward, provides ideas and practical strategies for becoming a more effective philanthropist and change agent.

Understanding the giving habits of the ultra wealthy — and how to help them achieve more fulfillment (and impact)

A few weeks ago I shared some data about the demographics and…
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piggy bank

To Achieve Greater Impact and Joy, Donors Need to Get Comfortable Talking About Money

One of the biggest barriers to giving, and giving effectively,…
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Getting More out of your Giving: Two Mindset Shifts that Can Lead to Greater Meaning

Recently, a well-respected philanthropist came to me on a mission…
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broken dish

To solve impossible problems, we need to fail more—a LOT more

I started 2022 with an impossible goal—a goal that felt so…
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Why working toward equity takes more than a checklist

In my neighborhood in Philadelphia, the effort to improve a physically…
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Mom on a red heart

Philanthropy’s blind spot for the well-being of mothers

This month, I returned from maternity leave after having my third…
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Football pitch

Goals, New Year’s Resolutions, and Ted Lasso: Things I’m Thinking about as 2021 Comes to an End

As 2021 draws to a close, one of the year’s bright spots for…
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Fire burning

The world doesn’t need more strategic philanthropists, it needs more accelerators

Here’s what that means and why it can be incredibly fulfilling…
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Summer Learning

3 Guidelines for Summer Learning in the COVID Era

Before any reports came out detailing the extent of the academic…
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Stimulus Funding and the Trap of Incremental Thinking: The role that funders can play in supporting transformational change

As school systems around the country manage the challenge of…
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coins in a pile

5 ways to embrace risk in philanthropy for more impact and greater fulfillment

Over the past few years, a variety of leaders in philanthropy…
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Overcoming barriers

Overcoming the barriers to transformative change in philanthropy

So you’ve decided you want your philanthropy to be more transformative.…
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Key in a door lock

Trusted advisors are key to unlocking high-impact philanthropy

One of the biggest barriers to high impact philanthropy is the…
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To white people, from another white person

To white people, from another white person -  I’m white,…
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Tulips in bloom

Defining the problem is the key to long-lasting change

In America, we tend to believe that enough money can fix any…
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clothes line

Building coalitions for social change amid political turmoil

“We just can’t work with them anymore. Their political views…
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little sprout

Removing the Barrier of Fear on the Path to Trust-Based Philanthropy

The last few years have seen an increasingly public critique…
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4 Encouraging Trends From 2020 That We Hope Endure Beyond The Pandemic

The endless, destabilizing uncertainty of 2020 that has put all…
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Train yard

Five Things I Learned in 2020

A few nights ago at dinner, my daughter asked, “What's a train…
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Bringing the “how” of social change back into balance with the “how many”

In the face of so much inequality and suffering in our world,…
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Joyful Impact Blog

Introducing the Joyful Impact Blog and Resource Library

If you feel a deep calling to make the world a better place—as…
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Lasting Change Starts with a Landscape Analysis

Every few months, I get a call from a philanthropist that goes…
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Sweeping change in icebergs

Sweeping Change and Moments of Opportunity

Forward-thinking philanthropists aren’t the kind of people…
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Using scenario planning to move forward during seasons of seismic change

Even in the best of times, making change and advancing equity…
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What philanthropists need to ask themselves right now

Amid the protests that have unfolded in the wake of George Floyd’s…
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Black Lives Matter

George Floyd murdered. Ahmaud Arbery murdered. Breonna Taylor…
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9 Books, Articles, Videos, and Podcasts to Add to Your Holiday List

The holidays are the perfect time to rest, reflect, catch-up…
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Are We Doing Any Good?

Consider the spectrum of philanthropic giving you or others in…
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Staying Focused While Taking the Long View

If you invest $10,000 in the stock market today, you might expect…
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To Drive Systemic Change, Find the Root Cause

Treat the cause, not the symptoms If your phone turns off and…
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Putting the “Social” in Social Change

You may sometimes feel like you’re one of the few - if not…
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An Ecosystem Approach to Social Change

Recently, we’ve seen a growing weariness among those working…
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What is Forward Thinking Philanthropy

What is Forward-Thinking Philanthropy?

We sometimes find it helpful to think about philanthropy as a…
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New Name Bolder Vision Better World

New Name. Bolder Vision. Better World.

Impact for Education is now Building Impact. We work with forward-thinking…
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