About the book

After the tragic death of his son, giving to others helped author Gideon Bernstein regain his footing, find his purpose, and ultimately rediscover a path back to happiness. Bernstein shares his passion for giving in this essential handbook that will help anyone with a desire to create positive change in the world to explore the role of giving in their own life and create a personal strategy for lifelong philanthropy.

Complete with inspiring stories, scientific research, and workbook-style exercises, this much-needed guide will help you think deeply about your approach to giving, put your ideas into action, and rediscover the simple joys of giving your time, talent, and treasure to help the people and causes that need it most.

In Giving, you’ll discover:

How anyone—including YOU—can become a 21st century philanthropist
The scientific research that reveals how and why the human brain produces a ‘helper’s high’ that motivates giving
A step-by-step guide to create your own strategic giving plan to support the causes you care about most
Common barriers that can hold you back from giving
Why some people choose to give anonymously—and if anonymous giving is the right choice for you
How to overcome ‘analysis paralysis’ when choosing when, where, and how to give
A detailed menu of the tools available to support your strategic giving plan—and guidance on how to choose based on your goals, timeline, and resources
When, where, and how to give to create the greatest impact where it matters most to you
How to inspire others—including future generations—to give generously
The secret to happiness!

All net proceeds from the sale of Giving will be donated to charity.

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“A brilliant and heartfelt read, Gideon Bernstein’s Giving is a long-overdue primer on charitable giving, including step-by-step worksheets for creating a plan that aligns strategic giving with your personal values and goals. The book has already transformed our family’s philanthropy roadmap!”

— Cynthia Tusan, CEO and Chairman

Strategic Global Advisors, LLC

"This book was recommended to me by a donor I work with in my role as a philanthropy advisor, and will be one I share with others grappling with ways to bring life to their giving. 'Giving' is an invaluable primer for anyone just getting started with their giving, but also can offer a strong refresher to more seasoned givers.”

— Peter Lipsett

VP, DonorsTrust

Founder, The Novus Society

"Gideon has a way of simplifying philanthropy, dispelling the myth that it is a complex and confusing topic that is reserved for the ultra-wealthy. His book is an easy read, explaining concepts in a straightforward manner and providing real-life examples that will make any reader realize that they too can be a “philanthropist” and make a difference in their community, regardless of the extent of their financial resources.”

— Chris Simonsen, CEO

Orangewood Foundation

"When I started reading Giving, I knew I would love the book by the way it started with my favorite quote by Dr. Maya Angelou: 'People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.' This book is about making people feel good by giving to others and letting people know that anyone can give in so many different ways. It is a guidebook that makes philanthropy easy and understandable. It gives you exercises to help one figure out what is important to you. I enjoyed the personal stories that make it real and relatable. I also liked the simple but meaningful artwork in each chapter. This book spoke to me and I think everyone should read it and learn about the joys of giving."

— Nancy Chase

Community Activist and Philanthropist

"As someone who works with donors on a daily basis, I have read many books on philanthropy. Giving: a Handbook to Happiness for the Modern Philanthropist is an outstanding guide for anyone of any age and at any financial stage looking to add meaning and joy to their own life by helping others. Gideon Bernstein not only provides inspiring and heart-felt personal stories, but he also details well-researched advise on practical strategies for giving along with engaging exercises to create a custom experience for each reader. This is the rare handbook on philanthropy that gets you excited to immediately get out into the world to do acts of kindness as a key to personal fulfillment and human connection.”

— Wendy Arenson, Executive Director

Jewish Community Foundation of Orange County

Download the workbook

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