By way of contribution to a collection of blog essays on favorite philanthropy books, here are the ones I most often recommend to friends and clients.
- Tracy Gary, Inspired Philanthropy
- Charles Collier, Wealth in Families
- Jay Jughes, Family Wealth
- Amy Kass, The Perfect Gift
- Peter Frumkin, Strategic Philanthropy
My top secret all time favorite, though, is by Jean Starobinski, a philosopher from Geneva noted for his work on Rousseau. Largesse is the title.
Tracy Gary shows step by step how to create a giving plan. Charles Collier puts planning for wealth in the context of family vision, family dynamics, values and human capital. In so doing he draws on Jay Hughes, whose book is the touchstone for anyone concerned with multi-generational family dynasties which stand for something more than just money. Amy Kass is a professor of the humanities at University of Chicago. She has put together a fine book of readings on giving drawn from religious, philosophical and literary traditions. The pieces are short and readable even by busy people. Frumkin is a visionary academic with a comprehensive model for making foundation grants, or large gifts, satisfying for the donor and effective in the world. Now, as for Starobinki, all I will say is that Eve is on the cover proffering an apple to Adam, or maybe to the viewer.
