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 The World Can't Wait For More Meaningful Giving--Giving That Brings Impact AND Joy

 WHATEVER THE SCALE OF RESOURCES YOU HAVE TO GIVE AWAY, THE PATH TO IMPACT AND JOY THROUGH PHILANTHROPY MAY NOT BE AS OBVIOUS AS YOU THINK

When it comes to gearing up your giving, the knowledge, skills, and mindsets that have served you so well in other areas of your life don’t always produce the results you expect. This is why so many people give up on giving before they really even get started. But what if all you need to do is make subtle yet profound shifts in your thinking and approach? Don’t leave your money on the sidelines in a world awash with compelling needs, where philanthropy still has a vital role. No matter where you are in your journey to translate money into meaning, get ready to learn and grow in pursuit of more joy and more impact in your giving.

In Money with Meaning: How to Create Joy and Impact through Philanthropy, Alex Johnston empowers you to maximize your impact and your joy as a donor.

Through four key concepts--Getting Visionary, Getting Real, Getting Together and Getting Better--Alex offers a guide to “meaningful giving,” where donor satisfaction and social impact meet.

From insights on your personal development as a donor and understanding the true impact of your giving to practical advice on hiring help and designing philanthropic legal structures, Money with Meaning is a necessary guide for any philanthropist who wants to change the world for real.

 

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Praise for Money with Meaning

 

A truly illuminating book! I have read many others about philanthropy and none have captured the true simplicity of a complex subject the way this one does. Regardless of how much you have to give, the lessons and advice are applicable. This is a wonderful resource full of practical advice about how to translate money into meaning and how to help others with dignity and respect!

—Katie Everett,  Executive Director, Lynch Foundation

 
Alex Johnston walks through the door of individual philanthropy and reaches very deep indeed. Money with Meaning describes a model for how to build a life that brings together joy and impact, personal expression, and the disciplined pursuit of excellence. As such, it deserves a wide audience for people who might skip the specialized parts about the ins and outs of LLCs versus Donor-Advised Funds, but who can nevertheless benefit from the book’s exceptionally clear and specific advice about how to connect a personal vision, of any kind, all the way down to the level of what to do upon waking up on a given Tuesday morning.

—Niko Canner, Founder of Incandescent; author of On Human Enterprise

 
This is the book I've been waiting for -- an indispensable guide to creating joy and impact though philanthropy. Powerful, compelling and very readable. It’s packed with invaluable information, useful tools and fascinating examples that speak directly to the work I do running a global philanthropic foundation and advising individual donors in their personal giving.  From the focus on assessing impact to inspiring ideas for going big and making it count, every donor with aspirations to step into their full potential as a change agent will find incredible value in this exceptional book!

—Alice Johnson Cain, Executive Director of the Moriah Fund

 
This book brings deep insights for the field of philanthropy in a hands-on, practical way that can lead donors and advisors to more productive, meaningful and impactful giving. Alex Johnston's expertise shines through in each chapter. His practical advice is immediately applicable and leads to great results. A must read for all those pursuing positive impact through giving.

—Jen Holleran,  Founder Holleran Impact Advisors, Former Executive Director of Education at Chan Zuckerberg Initiative

 

Money with Meaning is the book I [was] waiting 20 years to read as a strategic grant maker and donor advisor. It has more insight and wisdom than most of the conferences and talks on philanthropy I've ever heard, [all in one easy-to-read book]. Alex Johnston brings nuance to the topic, including an understanding of how donors, advisors and grant makers can often get in their own way. In philanthropy it is natural to be highly focused on impact and leverage.  This book offers the practical tools to help us bring our best selves and our joy to the work—as donors, advisors and grant makers—a vital combination for helping philanthropy realize its transformative potential.
 —Lukas Haynes, Founder Leveraged Philanthropy; Former CEO, The David Rockefeller Fund 

About the Author, Alex Johnston

Alex Johnston is the Founding Partner of Building Impact Partners, a philanthropy advising practice that has helped its clients give away over $1 billion since its founding in 2012.

He is also a Certified High Performance Coach and has worked with dozens of donors, philanthropy advisors, and social entrepreneurs seeking impact and more joy across their lives. Alex is a member of the Entrepreneurs Organization and serves on a number of nonprofit boards including FaithACTs for Education and the Trust for Learning.

He lives in New York City, New York, and New Haven, Connecticut, with his wife, Caroline, and their three sons.