Every end is a new beginning. Having said goodbye to 2007, now is the time to look forward to 2008 and decide what kind of philanthropist you want to be. Are you satisfied being part of the majority of Americans who rush to fulfil their philanthropic obligations in a flurry of year-end giving? Or will this be the year that you get organised and maximise the impact of your philanthropic capital?

Recently, the Financial Times reported on the growing ranks of “hard-nosed philanthropists”. These donors are “part of a new breed of wealthy charitable donors: strategic philanthropists, passionate about their causes, who want to ensure their philanthropic dollars have the greatest return – and impact – possible”.