Money Well Spent: A Strategic Plan for Smart Philanthropy, Second Edition

by Paul Brest (Author), Hal Harvey (Author)

Philanthropy is a booming business, with hundreds of billions of dollars committed to the social sector each year. Money Well Spent, an award-winning guide on how to structure philanthropy so that it really makes a difference, offers a comprehensive and crucial resource for individual donors, foundations, non-profits, and scholars who focus on and teach others about this realm.

Behind every successful grant is a smart strategy. Paul Brest and Hal Harvey draw on the experiences of hundreds of foundations and non-profits to explain how to deliver on every dollar. They present the essential tools to help readers create and test effective plans for achieving demonstrable results. Brest and Harvey tackle thorny issues, such as how to choose among different forms of funding, how to measure progress, and when to abandon a project that isn't working.

The second edition accounts for a decade of progress: a rise in impact investing, the advent of pay-for-success programs, the maturation of impact evaluation, and the emergence of a new generation of mega-donors. Today, the notion of results-driven philanthropy is more important than ever. With this book, the social sector has the techniques it needs to deliver on that idea with impact.

Review
"Philanthropy is a complicated trade, and anyone who wants to understand how to be truly effective must read Brest and Harvey's indispensable book. It offers a comprehensive and comprehensible overview of the process, supplemented by a rich trove of examples and insights from two masters of the craft." (Larry Kramer, President Hewlett Foundation)

"Paul Brest and Hal Harvey have written passionately and precisely about the power and promise of strategic philanthropy. Covering everything from grassroots work to global grant-making, they offer an eminently readable blueprint for today's philanthropists. This is a must-read guide and a powerful tool to help drive meaningful change and make every dollar count." (Darren Walker, President the Ford Foundation)

"Money Well Spent is a great resource for anyone interested in strategic philanthropy. Its thoughtful frameworks and copious real-world examples will help donors looking to give with their heads as well as their hearts." (Cari Tuna, President, Good Ventures, and President Open Philanthropy Project)

"An insightful discussion of the multiple challenges of effective philanthropy. The authors provide helpful guidance on creating, articulating, and implementing clear strategies to guide your work. This is a terrific resource for philanthropists at any stage of their journey." (Laura and John Arnold, Co-Chairs Laura and John Arnold Foundation)

About the Author
Paul Brest is former Dean and Professor Emeritus at Stanford Law School, a Lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, Co-Director of the Stanford Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society, and Co-Director of the Stanford Law and Policy Lab. He was President of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation from 2000-2012. Hal Harvey is the CEO of Energy Innovation, a San Francisco-based energy and environmental policy firm. Previously, he was founder and CEO of ClimateWorks Foundation, a network of foundations that promote polices to reduce the threat of climate change; Environment Program Director at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation; and founder and President of the Energy Foundation, a philanthropy supporting policy solutions that advance renewable energy and energy efficiency. He has also set up foundations in China, Europe, and India