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Philanthropic Journey Guide

The world of philanthropy can be like embarking on a journey. Knowing how and where to give to maximize impact requires experience and expertise that many individuals don’t have, especially when first getting started. Even donors who have gained considerable knowledge about philanthropy may not have the time to evaluate their giving to ensure they are still on the right path. 

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We want to provide you with the best experience, so your feedback is very valuable to us. We may also share your feedback with the organizations whose content is featured. Please use the feedback links throughout the guide to let us know what you think.

Our resources

We have curated resources from our own experts and organizations producing philanthropic guidance. We have only highlighted some of what they have to offer based on interests we have heard from our donors.

Stanford PACS logo

The Stanford Effective Philanthropy Learning Initiative (EPLI) is an interdisciplinary team within Stanford’s Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society (Stanford PACS). Through teaching, writing and conducting applied research at the intersection of strategic philanthropy, the behavioral sciences and design thinking, Stanford EPLI aims to help donors make more informed, outcome-focused decisions and thereby increase their philanthropic impact.

Giving Compass logo

Giving Compass has the mission to help impact-driven donors transform their generosity into meaningful change for communities and society. They provide a platform for individual donors to learn about issues, get involved and give with impact. 

Candid logo

Every year, millions of nonprofits spend trillions of dollars around the world. Candid finds out where that money comes from, where it goes and why it matters. Through research, collaboration and training, Candid connects people who want to change the world to the resources they need to do it. Candid’s data tools on nonprofits, foundations and grants are the most comprehensive in the world. Foundation Center and GuideStar joined forces to become Candid, a 501c3 nonprofit organization.