Delusional Altruism

8You Start with the Right Questions

Questions are surprisingly powerful. The right questions spur learning, fuel innovation, create clarity, build trust, mitigate risk, and save money. To have a transformational impact as a philanthropist, you need to start with the right questions.

In fact, research shows that starting with the right question is the genesis of innovation and value creation. According to David Stuart, author of the New York Times best-selling book Great Work: How to Make a Difference People Love, “The effect of asking the right questions is statistically profound. In our research we saw that asking the right question increased the odds of someone's work having a positive effect on others by 4.1 times. It made the outcome 3.1 times more likely to be deemed important, 2.8 times more likely to create passion in the doer, and…2.7 times more likely to make a positive impact on the organization's bottom line.”¹

This chapter examines the 12 most important questions high-performing philanthropists should ask regularly. Don't be fooled into thinking that any one or two of them are more important than the others. At times, you'll want to ask them all. Asking (and answering) them will transform your giving and accelerate your speed to impact.

Question 1: Why?

Ask “why?” to understand your purpose. Ask “why?” to question assumptions. Both answers are critical to transform your giving. If you ask “why?” with these two reasons in mind, you will attain clarity, inspire others ...