LGT Guide to Strategic Philanthropy

Perhaps you want to get started in your philanthropy or maybe ensure that you are maximizing the impact you're having on your giving. Or perhaps you want to partner with other philanthropists or engage the next generation of your family. We want to help you achieve all of that. The LGT Guide to Strategic Philanthropy, which we co-authored with Philanthropy Insight, was written for philanthropists and is designed to support you on your philanthropic journey. It is based on our combined experience of working with philanthropic leaders and families, non-profit organizations, social enterprises, communities, multilateral agencies and governments across 70 countries.

Thirty leading philanthropists featured

Collaborating with and learning from peer-philanthropists is key to strategic systems change philanthropy. Our Guide therefore features 30 leading philanthropists from around the world, giving you an opportunity to learn more about their personal experiences and what has worked well for them in achieving social or environmental impact.

Chapter 1 - Motivations and your philanthropy 
Focuses on what you can bring into your philanthropy, your motivations and values, as well as your philanthropic focus and aspirations. It also highlights some of the different ways you can structure and manage your giving. 

Chapter 2 - A framework for strategic philanthropy 
Explores how social and environmental change occurs through the lens of a strategic philanthropy framework; the importance of understanding root causes and the system within which the problem you seek to address happens; and the many different approaches you can use to achieve change. It also touches on ways to measure and evaluate your impact and looks at learning and supporting systems change.

Chapter 3 - Framing, scale and leverage 
Considers some philanthropic frames and approaches that can help you make your interventions sustainable and scalable, and explores some of the different ways you can bring leverage to increase the positive impact on the issues you care about.

Chapter 4 - Philanthropic leadership and influence
Considers more advanced ways in which you can grow and bring your leadership and influence to involve your family, and align your business and your investments with your philanthropic aspirations.

"Notwithstanding its centuries old existence and wealth of good intentions, philanthropy has a bad habit of re-inventing the wheel. Due to a lack of networks and institutional infrastructure, the sector sometimes struggles to leverage existing interventions, identify partnership opportunities, and understand what peers are working on. Toolkits are an invaluable way of sharing critical learnings, building best practice, and ensuring that new philanthropists avoid the mistakes of their predecessors. This work by LGT is a case in point. The detailed, sensible, and evidence-based advice is built on years of experience and structured to be applicable, easy to understand and a tangible means of improving impact. Highly recommended for those seeking real system change."

Clare Woodcraft, Executive Director of the Centre for Strategic Philanthropy at University of Cambridge

Peer philanthropists share their lessons, experiences and philanthropic journey.