We’re thrilled to welcome Kris Putnam-Walkerly, President of Putnam Consulting Group, to this episode of In The Suite. Kris is a philanthropy advisor, speaker, and award-winning author with over 20 years of experience helping people make the most out of their charitable giving. In this episode, you’ll discover the magic of giving and how you can ignite the flame of change for the issues that matter the most to you.
As President of Putnam Consulting Group for more than 20 years, Kris’s advice is well-saught after for those looking to deepen their philanthropic commitments. Wealthy families, ultra-high net worth donors, foundations, Fortune 500 companies, and celebrity activists work with Kris to transform their giving and catapult their impact for maximum change. She’s helped over 100 philanthropists strategically allocate over half a billion dollars in grants and gifts.
Kris’s clients include the J.M. Smucker Company, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation, Annie E. Casey Foundation, National Center for Family Philanthropy, Blue Shield of California, and the Cleveland Foundation.
And yet, giving isn’t only about money. While some might equate philanthropy with tremendous wealth, you don’t have to be a millionaire to have valuable something to offer.
“How you give is just as important as how much you give,” says Kris.
You can give money, and that’s very important, but you can also give your time, your talents. You can give the connections that you have, and the doors you can open for nonprofit leaders in your community,” says Kris. She shares the importance of investing in ourselves and how that can manifest into the change we aim to make the world.
Kris defines a philanthropist as anyone who actively promotes human welfare in her book, Delusional Altruism: Why Philanthropists Fail To Achieve Change and What They Can Do To Transform Giving. That means a lot of us are philanthropists without even realizing it! Delusional Altruism is an inspiring read for anyone looking to maximize their impact in 2021, whether it be with your time, network, experience, resources, knowledge, or whatever talents you’ve been blessed with.
Kris has been named one of America’s Top 25 Philanthropy Speakers for the past three years running and before Delusional Altruism, Kris Putnam-Walkerly authored her first book, Confident Giving: Sage Advice for Funders from One of Philanthropy’s Top Advisors. She a Forbes.com contributor on philanthropy.
We discuss the implications of having a scarcity mindset, which not only holds us back from altruism and growth but keeps us cemented where we are today. Sometimes giving starts with those small actions filled with promise. There’s no age requirement to learn about philanthropy.
You may be thinking to yourself…how do I know if I have a scarcity mindset? On page 17, you will find Kris’s eight-question Scarcity Mind-Set Quiz to see if a scarcity mentality might just be holding you and your organization back. For example, you frequently ask, “What is the cheapest way we can do this?” regardless of the impact on quality, speed, or your discomfort.
Don’t miss Kris’ spectacular insight on philanthropy throughout the episode and her book. In a post-Covid-19 world, Kris shares real-world advice and practical guidance for avoiding hidden pitfalls in giving and becoming more effective at delivering social change…
The time for you to lead is now and you’re In the Suite. It would mean a lot if you left us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or where you listen to this heartening episode with Kris. Listen to Kris’s episode and utilize these three concepts to help you give more and do more in 2021.
- Invest in yourself. My biggest takeaway from Kris’s book is how investing in yourself is the most important way to transform your giving. When we invest in ourselves, it creates an abundant mindset that reaps massive awards, among them an increase in agile leadership, innovative ideas, top talent, useful technology, and a culture of learning. “The more you put into your operations—and yourself—the greater the return.”
- Have a support network. “It’s important to have a support network around us and people that we can reach out to for help,” Kris says in the episode. Being overwhelmed holds us back, whether you’re too frozen to make a decision or you feel so lost you don’t know where to begin. That’s where your coveted close circle of trusted people comes in to help guide you.
- Start with the issues that you care about. If you’re sitting here wondering where to start and how to give, it all begins with this question: what issues do I care about? In order to pick one that’s meaningful to you, take a step back to ponder about what issues you care about. What’s the purpose of your philanthropy? What kind of difference do you want to make in the world? Begin there and you’ll discover momentum.
Show Notes
Today In The Suite welcomes Kris Putnam-Walkerly, President of Putnam Consulting Group, to the podcast. Kris is a philanthropy advisor, speaker, and award-winning author. Kris’s advice is well-saught after for those looking to deepen their philanthropic commitments.
Her clients have included the J.M. Smucker Company, Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation, Blue Shield of California, and the Cleveland Foundation. As President of Putnam Consulting Group for more than 20 years, Kris has helped over 100 philanthropists strategically allocate over half a billion dollars in grants and gifts.
In this episode, you’ll discover how to give to charity when you’re not sure where to start, finding joy in philanthropy and getting clear on your own boundaries, as well as thinking outside of the box for philanthropy.
“You can give money, and that’s very important, but you can also give your time, your talents. You can give the connections that you have, and the doors you can open for nonprofit leaders in your community,” says Kris.
There’s a certain magic to giving. Ignite the flame of change for the issues that matter the most to you.
Join the conversation to hear about:
- Philanthropy and what it means to be a philanthropist (05:30)
- How does the US compare to other countries for philanthropy? (09:30)
- Connecting with ultra-high net worth individuals (12:35)
- Scarcity mindset and investing in yourself (16:20)
- What is delusional altruism and how does it affect giving? (19:45)
- Kris’s favorite compliment about her book from her husband (25:35)
- Investing in non-profit organizations so that they can thrive (27:20)
- How Covid and working from home has changed work culture (31:45)
- Benefits of coordinated giving in a community (35:20)
- How to give to charity when you’re not sure where to start (39:10)
- Joy in philanthropy and getting clear on your own boundaries (44:00)
- Delving into why how you give matters (47:25)
- Thinking outside of the box for philanthropy (52:45)
- What is Kris’s superpower? (58:45)
Referenced Materials
- Kris Putnam-Walkerly – Twitter
- Kris Putnam-Walkerly – LinkedIn
- Delusional Altruism: Why Philanthropists Fail To Achieve Change and What They Can Do To Transform Giving on Amazon
- Confident Giving: Sage Advice for Funders from One of Philanthropy’s Top Advisors
- Kris Putnam-Walkerly: Putnam Consulting Group – Website
- Million Dollar Consulting Book: Alan Weiss
- Welcome to Win this Fight! – Win this Fight, Inc.
- 8 Things Every Philanthropist Can Do To Change The World
