Excellence in Giving's thought leadership is our way of capturing what we've discovered in our work and sharing it with clients and partners. Below are links to the articles and white papers from the past year that have been written by our staff and advisors. We hope they offer you some valuable insights.

10 Simple Giving Ideas by Paul Penley Do you feel the pain of those less fortunate and wonder what you have to give? Often the average person who wants to help has trouble figuring out a feasible action plan. The following 10 ideas should provide anyone with plenty of simple paths towards giving within your means.	Download as PDF
Solving Problems That Concern You: Diversified Giving Portfolios by Paul Penley Do you give for the good feeling you get or for specific results you want to achieve? To be honest, most of us land somewhere in-between. We see a need and want to help. But, what if we see a big problem and actually want to solve it? Diversified giving portfolios make that possible.	Download as PDF
Are You a Smarter Giver Than George Soros? by Paul Penley George Soros figured out how to get the federal government to match his latest donation 4:1. So he turned his $35 million gift into $175 million worth of help for New York State families struggling to cover Back-to-School expenses. Would you like to know how you could do the same before time runs out?	Download as PDF
What Choice Did Warren Buffett Have? by Al Mueller The global applause about Warren Buffett’s decision to give the bulk of his fortune to his close friends Bill and Melinda Gates was almost deafening but it was really the only logical choice for someone inexperienced and uninterested in philanthropy.	Download as PDF
After the Tsunami: Rebuilding Asia by John Paasonen With many of the initial donations earmarked for relief, the larger, more expensive task of redeveloping the affected region lacks funding. This white paper explores the areas that will require funding the next few years and organizations with long-standing experience in the region.	Download as PDF
Tsunami Giving: Waiting For the Second Wave by John Paasonen In the wake of a staggering natural disaster, it is essential to proceed with wisdom and with compassion. We recommend that donors earmark major gifts for future giving to the SE Asian disaster. Find out why.	Download as PDF
Giving Confidence by Al Mueller What does it take to give with confidence? How do we get past the skepticism that the money we give will not have the impact or produce the results we desire?	Download as PDF
Super-Sized Gift by Al Mueller Lessons to learn from the largest gift ever made to a faith-based organization.	Download as PDF
Pause Button by Al Mueller When you are being asked for a major gift by the senior leader of an organization, consider hitting a “pause button” before answering.	Download as PDF
Current vs. Deferred Giving by Gary Latainer Should Christian foundations distribute assets based on secular norms, that is, giving the legal minimum of 5% or should they do so at a far more aggressive pace?	Download as PDF
Discernment in Giving by Gary Latainer Should tangible results be the most important criteria in selecting which Christian organizations to support or do the Scriptures suggest a different emphasis?	Download as PDF

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