Responses
Christine Letts
Rita E. Hauser Senior Lecturer in the Practice of Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership
Harvard Kennedy School
Traditional strategic philanthropy doesn't always work for what the authors call "simple" or "complicated" problems.
Christine Letts
Rita E. Hauser Senior Lecturer in the Practice of Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership
Harvard Kennedy School
Foundation history is littered with examples of refashioning grant strategies when unexpected events occur.
Christine Letts
Rita E. Hauser Senior Lecturer in the Practice of Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership
Harvard Kennedy School
Strategic philanthropy too often minimizes or ignores complexity because it is difficult to understand and predict.
Christine Letts
Rita E. Hauser Senior Lecturer in the Practice of Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership
Harvard Kennedy School
Philanthropy that doesn't provide for the uncertainties of human conduct is usually doomed to fail.
Christine Letts
Rita E. Hauser Senior Lecturer in the Practice of Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership
Harvard Kennedy School
A strategy for a complex problem should be seen as a framework for action, learning, and continual improvement.
Christine Letts
Rita E. Hauser Senior Lecturer in the Practice of Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership
Harvard Kennedy School
Strategic philanthropy is smart but not wise, which is why so many leaders have voiced doubts about it.
Christine Letts
Rita E. Hauser Senior Lecturer in the Practice of Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership
Harvard Kennedy School
Whether the problem is simple, complicated, or complex, the challenge is where to set the boundaries.
Christine Letts
Rita E. Hauser Senior Lecturer in the Practice of Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership
Harvard Kennedy School
It's best to think of simple and complex problems as lying on a continuum, not on two sides of a divide.
Christine Letts
Rita E. Hauser Senior Lecturer in the Practice of Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership
Harvard Kennedy School
I am concerned that the odds against getting philanthropy to change course are almost too great to overcome in any reasonable time frame.
Christine Letts
Rita E. Hauser Senior Lecturer in the Practice of Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership
Harvard Kennedy School
The new tools that the authors say philanthropists should use do not stand up under close scrutiny.
Christine Letts
Rita E. Hauser Senior Lecturer in the Practice of Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership
Harvard Kennedy School
Last Word: John Kania, Mark Kramer, and Patty Russell respond to the eight people who responded to their article.
Read more stories by Patty Russell, John Kania & Mark Kramer.
