Grote, Jim
Jim Grote, Director, Father Maloney's Boys Haven
Venture philanthropy has been the rage in recent years in the charitable giving world. But the pendulum may have swung as far as it can in the direction of statistics and outcomes. Accountability is crucial, but cannot account for the fact of why people give. What explains the emotional impulse to give? Stories. One good story is worth at least 10,000 measurable outcomes. The new fields of narrative theology and narrative therapy as well as recent studies in brain research all show that people are hard-wired for stories. Our brain remembers stories more readily than it stores information. Narrative philanthropy describes the many uses of stories in fund raising and planned giving.
Jim Grote is the director of development for Father Maloney's Boys' Haven, a residential treatment center for abused and neglected youth in Louisville, Kentucky. A Certified Financial Planner, Jim has published over 100 articles in the areas of charitable giving and financial planning for several magazines and Internet services, including The Family Business Review, Financial Planning, Fund Raising Management, Horsesmouth.com, Journal of Financial Planning, MorningstarAdvisor.com, and Planned Giving Today. In 2003 and 2004 he received Articles Awards from the Certified Financial Planner Board for articles in the Professional/Trade Category. He served for seven years on the Editorial Advisory Board of Planned Giving Today. He can be reached at jimgrote@hotmail.com.
