Peter Grant - The Business of Giving. The Theory and Practice of Philanthropy, Grantmaking and Social Investment [2012][A]

Book Description
Publication Date: December 15, 2011
Philanthropy today is big business; a worldwide phenomenon that seeks to bring about effective social change through the investment of philanthropic assets. While there are many books that suggest philanthropy can change the world, few provide a hands-on guide to the actual process of funding – how to select a method for supporting social projects and what business methods to adopt in doing so. How do you really ensure that your assets will achieve maximum impact and efficiency?
The Business of Giving tells you how. It explains, in practical terms, the systems and processes philanthropists need to adopt in order to achieve their goals. It provides a 'toolkit' for philanthropic investment, taking you through each stage of your decision making. The techniques given are equally applicable whatever investment vehicle is being utilized; from traditional grants to new products such as social bonds and impact investing.
As well as proposing an innovative model for implementing philanthropic giving as an integrated system, the author also provides a comprehensive review of the state of philanthropy today; outlining current thinking on its effectiveness and presenting a critique of different philanthropic styles.
In contrast to other books on the subject, the tools and processes described here have been successfully tried and tested in real life across hundreds of different programmes and in making thousands of investment decisions. They have been utilized by the author during 20 years of investing more than £5 billion in social causes.
The Business of Giving will prove a valuable guide for all those engaged in or with an interest in philanthropy or civil society in general.

Reviews
'Peter's analysis of the funding environment is one of the most comprehensive, and thoughtful, I have ever seen. He brings the expertise of the practitioner together with the thoughtfulness of an academic, to a subject that is too often unexamined. In doing so he provides us all with insights and understanding about the delicate, and vitally important, ecology of our funding environment.' - Julia Unwin CBE, Chief Executive, Joseph Rowntree Foundation

'With erudition, good humour and elegant prose Peter Grant has produced an indispensable handbook on effective philanthropy and social investment. His clarion call is that how we fund is at least as important as what we fund. This comprehensive volume provides a unique history and professional guide to the subject. It also serves as a practical step-by-step manual for all who seek to ensure that the process of giving becomes an informed, rigorous and impactful activity.' - Sam Daws, Senior Advisor, United Nations Foundation.

'Peter Grant has given us a wonderful gift: a thought-provoking, comprehensive and readable guide on philanthropy and social investment which distils some of the best practices of this field, and which deserves to become an instant classic. I wish I had had The Business of Giving to hand when I started out as a grant-maker.' - Clare Brooks, Director of Philanthropy at Community Foundation Network

About the Author
PETER GRANT is Senior fellow in Philanthropy, Grantmaking and Social Investment at the Sir John Cass Business School, City University London, UK.