Tactical Philanthropy Advisors in San Francisco Examiner

The San Francisco Examiner ran a very generous story about Tactical Philanthropy Advisors yesterday. We’re thrilled of course to be called “disruptive”, but I must say that it is a bit premature to compare us to a phoenix rising from the recession’s ashes. That being said, I do think that major donors may very well be undergoing a rebirth of sorts. The recession has caused many people to rethink how they give and which organizations they support. Since wealthy donors control 50% of annual charitable giving, if they move towards more focused, outcome driven giving it will have a huge impact on the sector.

From the San Francisco Examiner:

Helping major donors give more strategically

While philanthropists continue to nurse battered endowments, the nonprofit sector is hoping to see a new, bold giving emerge from the great recession’s ashes. Enter Sean Stannard-Stockton’s Tactical Philanthropy Advisors, which launched in August. If Stannard-Stockton’s firm isn’t exactly charity’s phoenix, it’s close. And in true Silicon Valley style (the group is headquartered in Burlingame), TPA is unafraid of shaking things up and even might be called “disruptive.”

TPA aims to help donors with assets between $1 million and $50 million to create results-oriented planning for their charitable giving. “Major donors already seek out professional advisors to help them with their financial accounts, their tax planning, their business planning and legal issues,” said Stannard-Stockton. “We offer a similar advisory role for donors who do not want to ‘outsource’ their giving.” TPA helps donors maximize their impact by providing them an expert guide in the field of philanthropy.

The firm analyzes donor’s current giving, bringing it more in line with the values and concerns of the donor. Together with the client, TPA then creates a plan for what kind of impact the donor wants their money to have on their priority issues, improving their overall approach to charity.

Stannard-Stockton points out that, with boomers starting to retire, there is a large increase in giving as this generation turns from the life stage of wealth-accumulation to spending. "Individual donors give $250 billion a year to charity, making up 82% of all charitable giving. A growing number of these donors want to be sure that their philanthropy is actually making a difference."

2 Comments

  1. Aaron Stiner says:

    Congrats on the great article Sean!