- “Traditional philanthropy entails giving money to a nonprofit. It is the nonprofit’s obligation to then get social results in line with donor intentions. A new view of philanthropy, termed “catalytic” by Mark Kramer, a former venture capitalist, now head of FSG Social Impact Advisors, holds that what matters are results and that the donor—if the donor has the vision, creativity, and wealth—is responsible for getting the social result. To get those results, the donor, social investor, or activist citizen may or may not give money to a nonprofit. Tax benefits are secondary to total social impact achieved measured against total resources expended. An example of a catalytic philanthropist is Thomas Siebel, founder of Siebel Software Systems, Inc. He owned a home in Montana and was concerned about rampant methamphetamine (“meth”) addiction. His research showed that potential users were ignorant of the consequences. Rather than writing a check to a nonprofit, Seibel simply did what needed doing himself. He hired an advertising firm and saturated television and radio with ads dramatizing the brutal effects of meth addiction. His Meth project, from 2005 to 2007, led to a 45 percent reduction in meth addiction among teens and 72 percent reduction among adults. Meth-related crime fell 62 percent.” A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR PLANNING WITH PHILANTHROPIC TOOLS.Phil Cubeta, CLU, ChFC, MSFS, CAP, The Sallie B. and William B. Wallace Chair in Philanthropy at The American College