The Art of Giving: Where the Soul Meets a Business Plan »

Charles Bronfman, of the Seagram's corporate family, is the founder of the Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies. He was cochairman of Seagram's, the founding owner of the Montreal Expos, and former chairman of Koor Industries Ltd., as well as chairman of the Montreal Jewish Federation and the first chairman of the United Jewish Communities. Among his many philanthropic duties, Bronfman sits on the boards of Mount Sinai Medical Center and Brandeis University.

Jeffrey Solomon is president of the Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies. He has taught the subject of philanthropy at New York University and has served on numerous nonprofit boards, including the Council on Foundations, where he chaired the Committeeon Ethics and Practice. Solomon has been chief operating officer of the United Jewish Appeal Federation in New York, and he is a founding trustee of the World Faiths Development Dialogue.

The Art of Giving

Where the Soul Meets a Business Plan

Charles Bronfman & Jeffrey Solomon

Foreword by James Wolfensohn, former president, World Bank

Praise for The Art of Giving

"Anyone interested in philanthropy and not-for-profit must read The Art of Giving. It's a key playbook on how to set your goals and be sure your money is spent wisely on all sides."

—Leonard A. Lauder, chairman, The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.

"In The Art of Giving, Charles Bronfman and Jeffrey Solomon offer the reader a rare gift: honesty, practicality, experience, savvy, self-awareness. Together, the donor and the professional guide us through the vineyards of philanthropy better than the solo practitioner or the cloistered academic."

—Reynold Levy, president, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts

"Drawing with insight, experience, and humor on their separate paths through philanthropy, Charles Bronfman and Jeffrey Solomon have created a crisp, insightful guide for donors pursuing the true test of success: changing the world for the better."

—Diana Aviv, president and CEO, Independent Sector

"The Art of Giving provides a rare glimpse into the minds and experiences of a generous philanthropist and an experienced nonprofit administrator, effectively building upon the importance of self-reflection, intentionality, aspiration, and accountability for philanthropic investments. An important contribution to our growing literature on philanthropy."

—Michael J. Austin, director, Mack Center on Nonprofit Management, and professor, University of California, Berkeley

"The Art of Giving takes the reader on a journey through the wonderful world of philanthropy and pulls no punches in describing the lessons to be learned in combining effective giving with personal satisfaction. It has value for the entire family of the nonprofit world—donors, organizational leaders, foundations—providing easy-to-read material for those new to philanthropy as well as veterans of the field."

—Steve Gunderson, president and CEO, Council on Foundations

"Charles Bronfman has devoted his life to philanthropy, and he writes therefore with comprehensive knowledge, providing us with new and thoughtful ideas for all of us who would like to follow in his footsteps. His book should be read by all those whose lives are touched by philanthropy."

—Jacob Rothschild, honorary president, Institute for Jewish Policy Research

Library Journal

Bronfman and Solomon (founder and president, respectively, Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies) set out to create an approach to philanthropy for everyone. They do not recommend which organizations to donate to but instead present strategies to help philanthropists pinpoint what types of organizations are most meaningful to them, determine what level of involvement they want, and help them plan their giving better. The authors begin by differentiating philanthropy, which they see as a new way of giving, from charity, which they see as the old way of giving. They then present three sections, "The Donor," "The Partners," and "The Gift," providing relevant examples on the topic, mostly from their own experiences. The fourth part of the book is an extensive list of resources on nonprofits that includes descriptions of organizations and their web sites. VERDICT The authors' straightforward explanations, particularly of types of gifts, help make their complicated topic simpler to understand. The book will provide some food for thought for anyone considering making charitable donations.—Elizabeth Nelson, UOP Lib., Des Plaines, IL

Foreword James Wolfensohn Wolfensohn, James

Introduction Who We Are 1

Pt. 1 The Donor

1 Getting Started 11

2 The Joy of Giving 19

3 The New Philanthropy 23

4 Donors Come in All Types 29

5 The Soul of the New Philanthropist 39

6 Accelerants 57

7 Finding Your Niche 65

Pt. 2 The Partners

8 Do I Do It - or Do I Buy It? 81

9 Working with a Nonprofit 97

10 Running the Show 113

11 The Family 127

12 The Face in the Mirror 143

13 Philanthropy in Hard Times 153

Pt. 3 The Gift

14 A Glossary of Gifts 161

15 The Pudding Is in the Proof 175

16 A Little Financial Advice 189

17 On Innovations 203

18 Twenty Questions - Investing in Changing the World 213

Epilogue: Why We Are Here 217

Pt. 4 Resources

Resource A: Index of Nonprofit Resources 223

Resource B: Further Sources of Information 259

Index 267