Today’s philanthropists expect to be involved.

Question: What information do philanthropists need?

Katherina Rosqueta: The top issue is, right now, a sense of frustration that they're not sure whether or not they're making a difference. And so, what was top on the minds of the folks that we were talking to when we started discussing philanthropy was, how can I have more confidence that I'm actually making a change. And if I'm going to continue doing this, I need to know better that my dollars are actually improving someone's life. And that's not only findings from our study but other studies where people have asked the question, what will make you give more? And it was better information on cost and better information on impact. I don't even think in the top five or ten it was more of a tax benefit.

Question: How involved should philanthropists be?

Katherina Rosqueta: What we do know is that there's a lot of talk surrounding a kind of generational shift in philanthropy, a set of philanthropists who want and expect more involvement in whatever philanthropic activity they are engaged in. The idea is that if that's where they're starting, if there is this desire to be more than just writing the checks, then, I think, what the sector needs to do is figure out how can you leverage those good intentions and, frankly, a lot of talent that could be servicing the mission of the organization. And make sure that that talent, that energy doesn't go to distracting folks from the mission of the organization or that organizations don't, somehow, get beholden to the whims of a philanthropist that thinks that this is their pet project.

Recorded on: April 23, 2009.