Successful philanthropies operate very much like a business enterprise with an organizational structure, core values and mission, and short-term and long-term goals. Business executives with experience running and operating a business can use their skills and knowledge to help these organizations flourish. Consider these five key reasons why you should approach philanthropy like a business executive.

1. JEFF GREENSTEIN
PHILANTHROPY
BUSINESS EXEC
WHY YOU SHOULD APPROACH
LIKE A

2. Many successful philanthropies
operate very much like a business
enterprise with an organizational
structure, core values and mission, and
short-term and long-term goals.

3. Here are
key reasons why you should approach
philanthropy like a business executive
5

4. CREATE SCALABLE SYSTEMS
01

5. Retaining the option to expand
is a common practice for
business executives.

6. Retaining the option to expand
is a common practice for
business executives.
Starting small and testing different
initiatives is prudent in the short-term
but there should be a constant focus on
how the operations can scale to achieve
greater impact once the model is proven.

7. WORK WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE
02

8. The success of a business is
directly linked to the quality
and talent of their team and the
culture they operate within.
Attrac
the r
o
Encou
menta
and em
solid f

9. Attracting, engaging and retaining
the right people is critical in any
organization, business or
philanthropic.
Encouraging a collaborative team
mentality between board member
and employees can help to create a
solid foundation for the charitable
organization to grow.
ess is
uality
and the
within.

10. DEMAND ORGANIZATIONAL EFFICIENCY
03

11. Philanthropic organizations should be treated
like a business in that the basics of efficient
operations are critical to long term stability
and future growth.

12. Consider how the organization is managing its
money so you aren’t donating to a cause that
may not end up using the money wisely.
Examine how much of the actual capital donated
ultimately makes it to the underlying beneficiaries

13. FOCUS ON CREATING SOLUTIONS
04

14. Throwing money at a
problem is a short-term
solution

15. You’ll need an
entrepreneurial spirit to
identify the root causes of
the targeted problems the
philanthropy is addressing
in order to come up with
effective long-term
solutions.
Throwing money at a
problem is a short-term
solution

16. BUILD AND EXECUTE A PLAN
05

17. Every successful business
executive appreciates the
value in developing a strategic
and tactical plan and then
relentlessly focusing on it.

18. Approaching philanthropy like a business
executive can help you make choices that
will have the most impact in the
community, and possibly beyond.

19. GREENSTEINFAMILYFOUNDATION.ORG
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