Accidental Philanthropist: A Journey towards Intentional Generosity

Philanthropy has grown into an industry unto itself, with both fashionable and aspirational aspects.

Most philanthropists start out with good intentions. They have a deep desire to benefit society by supporting worthwhile organizations and ministries. But good intentions, no matter how honorable, can unintentionally cause great harm. Unless granting is done with great care and focus, the money disbursed can cause serious damage to the community, the organization or ministry, the final beneficiary and even the donor.

Accidental Philanthropist details the hard lessons learned during Sacred Harvest Foundation’s (SHF) fifteen-year history of striving to effectively steward its resources. The book tries to answer the question, “How can philanthropists enhance the impact of their grants, minimizing mistakes and maximize joy to the organization or ministry, its clients, and the donor?”

Unlike many works on the subject, Accidental Philanthropist is not designed to be a “do as we do” book. Instead, it describes SHF’s journey in hopes that it might stimulate the thinking of philanthropists of all sorts and inspire them to become more intentional in how, why and where they give.