It is easy for major donors to lapse into “paratroop philanthropy”—dropping in with simple solutions for complex, deep-seated problems. That is why I constantly try to remind myself of one of the cardinal imperatives of philanthropy–to look beneath the surface before making major gifts. This is especially true when giving to areas or causes outside of our own experience, for example suburbanites wanting to help with urban issues or Americans wanting to address health crises in Africa or support church growth in China.

It may seem effiicient to analyze a problem from a distance, but the on-the-ground realities are often more complicated. I am reminded of a grant I considered once in another country, to support introduction of a leadership development curriculum for businessmen and women. The donor liked supporting leadership development programs and had made similar grants in other regions with great success. We were all set to go with the grant. But, when talking with local contacts, a big problem became apparent: for various historical and cultural reasons, the very concept of “leadership” always had negative connotations in that country! That meant that the program’s language and the “hook” for attracting participants had to be completely reworked. That was certainly an unexpected and unwelcome hurdle, but we were glad to figure it out in advance rather than going forward with a doomed program.

Effective donors need to be like geologists, who look at the vegetation growing on a landscape and deduce the kind of soil which lies beneath it, the way the soil was formed and by what kind of rocks, and can explain their formation in geological history. Successful grants are much more likely when the project has been well-researched and vetted by local experts and the approach has been affirmed by those who will be implementing it. Granting in this way takes more time up front, but should produce much more enjoyment and success on the back end.