Acclaimed book about great giving

‘Whether you’re giving your own money, or raising money, and whether you’re giving a lot or a little, this delightful guide is essential.’  – Sir Ranulph Fiennes, explorer, the UK’s top celebrity fundraiser

‘Many have eloquently described the peculiar challenges of nonprofit assessment, perhaps none so eloquently as Caroline Fiennes in an excellent chapter of her excellent book’ – Phil Buchanan, Director, US Center for Effective Philanthropy

‘Increasingly people see parallels between charity and business, so it’s refreshing and valuable that Caroline brings perspectives from elsewhere, including medicine, the military, politics, physics, history, genetics and psychology. A great read: any donor should read it and heed it.’ – Isabel Kelly, Int’l Director, Salesforce.com Foundation

More reviews here.

What’s in this book? Table of contents.

It Ain’t What You Give, It’s The Way That You Give It is a guide to charitable giving – explaining how charities work, and giving advice about how best you can work with them to improve the world. It’s “exclusively for everyone” – relevant to you, your children, your hedge-fund-manager friend, big foundations, and corporate giving.

It includes advice on common situations:  how to choose a charity to put in your Will; whether to give anonymously, what is an intelligent response to a ‘chugger’ in the street, to being asked for sponsorship, to a request from your school or university.

It’s worth the effort: some charities achieve 25 times more with your money than others, and some ways of giving achieve 7 or 11 or 20 times as much with your donations. Using masses of examples and quirky stories, the book explains:

What you need to know about charities. For example: why are there so many of them, what they do in relation to government, the various ways that they improve the world, and how to understand their impact.

What you need to do. How to:

–          Find a good charity

–          Help it

–          Avoid hindering it

What to do if you’re giving a lot / as a family / in your company / as a foundation. For example, how to choose a focus area, how to get organised, the team you need, how to find a partner, how to track whether you’re being successful over time, and how to involve your colleagues.

The calculations in the book are detailed here.

This is the Application form given in the book, which can be used by any donor.

For orders in Europe (excl. UK):

For orders outside Europe:

Endorsements:

Body Shop International: “Caroline’s insight into a very complex topic provides a clear understanding to not only the complexities of charitable giving, but also a guide as to the impact of the donation. Donations are made to make a difference, they are a personal choice and often very generous,  but there is not always an understanding of the impact or lack of impact they may have. This book provides a very clear guide for any donor, from the novice to major corporate institutions. It’s unique to find this level of information in one place, and will create pause for thought for many people.” 

*Why the quirky price? It’s a nod to the Charitable Uses Act of 1601, which forms the basis of much charitable law in the UK and around the world.

*The Economist’s statement: “Whether billionaire or volunteer, this donor handbook is a brilliant crammer for anyone new to the world of charitable giving. Fiennes’ physics background has led her to an approach to giving that takes nothing for granted, demanding hard evidence and proof. It has been dubbed the ‘Freakonomics of charitable giving’ and Fiennes’ data-devoted view certainly gives a new perspective on how best to give effectively”, from a private document for HNWI donors.

Which bank is running one of the worst giving programmes we’ve ever seen? –>