It will take quite a while to walk through everything I have to say about Tactical Philanthropy. Examples and case studies will certainly be explored.

* “What are you talking about? Portfolio management for CRTs and Foundations?”

I’m trying to establish the fundamental underpinnings of my approach. Money in our society is often understood to represent personal capital as I’ve defined it. My point is that social and personal capital come from the same source and the tactics that you engage in when practicing philanthropy affect both your personal and social capital. There is not a separate personal capital pocket and social capital pocket. Portfolio management for charitable vehicles is one part of managing social capital.

* “Are you presenting yourself as a money manager with expertise in the management of funds inside charitable vehicles?”

As my bio states, I am a principal at Ensemble Capital Management. Ensemble “provides families both traditional investment management and a unique, specialized approach to advancing their philanthropic interests.” So yes I am a money manager. But I define “money” as both personal and social capital.

* “Do you do estate and financial planning?”

No. Ensemble provides investment management services and philanthropic planning. We often work with estate planners. Financial planning is part of the investment management process, but I am a CFA and CAP, not a CFP.

* “Do you provide grantmaking advice?”

No. Grant making advice is part of the strategic side of philanthropy. I believe that strategic and tactical advice should be unbundled. We work in conjunction with strategic consultants.

* “What are you paid to do? How?”

Like most investment management firms Ensemble charges our clients a fee based on a percentage of their assets under management. Much like financial planners who provide planning advice for free and charge for the investment management, we provide philanthropic planning for free and charge for the investment management.

All of that being said, this is my personal blog, not Ensemble’s corporate blog. I’ve made my professional affiliation clear so that everyone understands any bias I may have. But this blog is a place for me to discuss the broad philanthropic landscape, the practice of an emerging discipline I call Tactical Philanthropy, and the cultural phenomenon I have labeled The Second Great Wave of Philanthropy.