In Episode 9, we explore the scarcity mind-set inside organized philanthropy itself as a major source of the deficit of investment in the nonprofit workforce. We sit down with Kris Putnam-Walkerly, a long-standing consultant to the funding community (and a past consultant to Fund the People), Kris’s new book, Delusional Altruism, forcefully articulates a litany of self-defeating funder behaviors and attitudes. Our conversation with Kris focuses on a major premise of the book: that funders try to “save money on all the wrong things,” including supporting their own staff, and the staff of grantee organizations. As Kris writes in the book, directly addressing funders: “As you know, your grantees are comprised of people. Don’t you want the most talented people doing their best work to help you fulfill your mission? Of course you do. Yet time and gain, funders withhold investment in grantee talent and infrastructure. You have a scarcity mindset, and it’s undermining your effectiveness.”

Listen in to the episode to hear more: 

Kris shares about her journey in philanthropy and the nonprofit sector
Why Kris wrote her book “Delusional Altruism” and an overview of the main themes
The biggest self-created challenge facing philanthropists
Funders not investing in their own learning and development, undermining their own staff
8 things every philanthropist can do to change the world in uncertain times