2025 High Impact Giving Toolkit

How to practice high impact giving year-round

The Center for High Impact Philanthropy’s annual giving toolkit provides donors and funders with actionable guidance for high impact giving year-round.

We include a practical guide on what high impact philanthropy really means and four high-level strategies to help you practice it, no matter what cause or geographic community you care about. To illustrate how high impact philanthropy can be practiced across issue areas, we profile nine exemplars with potential to achieve high impact and share lessons learned that can be applied in your own community.

How to Practice High Impact Philanthropy

This year, our High Impact Giving Toolkit focuses on strategies for practicing high impact philanthropy. Whether you have $5 or $5 billion, we hope this toolkit and our team’s efforts help you translate your generosity and good intentions into greater social impact.

An illustration of a dove
What is High Impact Philanthropy?

No one wants to practice “low-impact” philanthropy. But what does “high impact philanthropy” actually mean?

We define high impact philanthropy as the practice of using private philanthropic resources for the public good. In other words, it’s philanthropy for social impact.

Four Philanthropic Plays

Philanthropic support takes many forms. It can fund nonprofit programs that provide services directly to those in need; increase the capacity of systems so that multiple programs and organizations are more effective and efficient; support policy & advocacy initiatives that change the environment in which nonprofits work; and fund research & innovation with the potential for game-changing progress.

Using Nonprofit Exemplars: Lessons Learned

In the 2024 High Impact Giving Toolkit, we profile nine exemplars with potential to achieve high impact. These nonprofit organizations were vetted by our staff and organizational partners for evidence of positive impact and/or fidelity with evidence-proven interventions. They work in the U.S. and internationally to improve childhood health, educational outcomes, youth career preparation, housing stability, and family livelihoods.

Nonprofits Making an Impact

Here we profile nine nonprofits, each vetted by our team, and provide real-world examples of how you can help.

Platinum Sponsor:

Fidelity Charitable is an independent public charity that has helped donors support more than 382,000 nonprofit organizations with $73 billion in grants. Established in 1991, Fidelity Charitable launched the first national donor-advised fund program. The mission of the organization is to grow the American tradition of philanthropy by providing programs that make charitable giving accessible, simple, and effective.

Additional Sponsors:

Glenmede
Anonymous Donors

Organizational Partners:

GreenLight Fund

Lever for Change

Lipman Family Prize