Kris Putnam-Walkerly

Kris Putnam-Walkerly

President, Putnam Consulting

Kris Putnam-Walkerly is a global philanthropy expert and advisor. For over 20 years, ultra-high net worth donors, family foundations, Fortune 500 companies, wealth advisors and family offices have sought Kris’s advice to increase the clarity, impact, and joy in their giving. As president of Putnam Consulting Group, Inc. she’s helped over 100 philanthropists strategically allocate over half a billion dollars in grants and gifts, including the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation, Heising-Simons Foundation, Walton Family Foundation, Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, Zilber Family Foundation, J.M. Smucker Company, Community Foundation Sonoma County, Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust, and dozens of others. Kris’s services for family funders include trusted advising, coaching for new foundation leaders, VIP Strategy and Coaching Days, rapid strategy development, strategy implementation, and board training. She also offers bespoke philanthropic services for wealth advisors and family offices. Kris is an award-winning author, and recently published her second book, Delusional Altruism: Why Philanthropists Fail To Achieve Change And What They Can Do To Transform Giving (Wiley 2020). Learn more at https://putnam-consulting.com/

Contributions

Voices from the Field

Focus and Reenergize with Four Powerful Questions

Posted on September 2, 2020 by Kris Putnam-Walkerly

white question mark on an abstract background
Feeling uncomfortable? You’re not alone. We’re all being asked to stretch and grow these days as we navigate a new world. Along with COVID-19, we’re facing divisive political rhetoric, and the growing needs of a struggling civic society. Add to that the challenges of a recession and a deafening cry for action to condemn racism and increase social justice. While… Read More
Voices from the Field

Four Questions to Get Maximum Impact During This Crisis

Posted on May 20, 2020 by Kris Putnam-Walkerly

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published by Putnam Consulting Group and is re-posted here with permission. You’re just the philanthropic leader we need. If you are like most funders or philanthropy-serving organizations, in the past couple of months you’ve done one of two things: You jumped into action, heroically extending or eliminating grant deadlines, providing additional funding without applications,… Read More

NCFP Nonfamily Staff Peer Network Discussion Group: Achieving Equity…How Exactly? (Call 3)

Posted on September 19, 2017 by Kelly Chopus, Kris Putnam-Walkerly, Patrick Troska

The idea of incorporating equity in philanthropy is gaining traction in the field. The reasons why may be obvious – from longstanding commitments to helping those most marginalized to recent electoral outcomes. But the how of embracing equity can prove elusive – especially when family foundations turn that equity lens inward. What does equity “look like” inside a foundation? Where… Read More

NCFP Nonfamily Staff Peer Network Discussion Group: Achieving Equity…How Exactly? (Call 2)

Posted on June 13, 2017 by Kelly Chopus, Kris Putnam-Walkerly, Patrick Troska

The idea of incorporating equity in philanthropy is gaining traction in the field. The reasons why may be obvious – from longstanding commitments to helping those most marginalized to recent electoral outcomes. But the how of embracing equity can prove elusive – especially when family foundations turn that equity lens inward. What does equity “look like” inside a foundation? Where… Read More

NCFP Nonfamily Staff Peer Network Discussion Group: Achieving Equity…How Exactly? (Call 1)

Posted on April 25, 2017 by Kelly Chopus, Kris Putnam-Walkerly, Patrick Troska

The idea of incorporating equity in philanthropy is gaining traction in the field. The reasons why may be obvious – from longstanding commitments to helping those most marginalized to recent electoral outcomes. But the how of embracing equity can prove elusive – especially when family foundations turn that equity lens inward. What does equity “look like” inside a foundation? Where… Read More

December 2016 NCFP Non-Family Staff Peer Network Call

Posted on December 13, 2016 by Christine Koehn, Kelly Chopus, Kris Putnam-Walkerly

This session will feature a conversation on the strategies and challenges of connecting with community and building an equity lens into your grantmaking and internal operations. It’s a great chance to talk in a private space about this timely and complex topic with your peers around the country! About the NCFP Non-family Staff Peer Network The NCFP Non-family Staff Peer… Read More
Voices from the Field

Strategic, Responsive, or Both?

Posted on October 14, 2016 by Kris Putnam-Walkerly

Responsive grantmaking is being open to receiving proposals and ideas from any nonprofit, and allowing the nonprofits to drive the agenda. Requests are initiated by the nonprofit, rather than by a funder seeking them out. This doesn’t mean that a foundation doesn’t have core areas of focus, but that within those areas is wishes to be responsive to the needs nonprofits feel most keenly… Read More

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