Mario Morino as a Model for Other Wealthy Donors

You've just completed a major liquidity event,  gone through a major life change or met with your wealth advisor who encouraged you to consider the role that philanthropy will play in your financial planning.  While you may not have the bankroll of Bill Gates, you still want to craft a thoughtful manner of giving that reflects your values, your vision, and your priorities.  Who are your models?

One could be Mario Morino, a wealthy tech entreprenuer who helped pioneer the concept of venture philanthropy in the 90's.  He founded the Morino Institute in 1994 and today it works to: advance more effective philanthropy, stimulate new economy entreprenuership, close social divides and understand the Internet and society.  One reason he is a good model is because he spends a great deal of time articuating the vision(s) that drive his work in ways that can serve as a helpful guide to others. 

He also serves as chairman of Venture Philanthropy Partners which he helped found to benefit the lives of low-income children by strengthening high-quality nonprofits that serve them.  The organization does this by providing major funding, management expertise and other non-monetary resources totalling $30 million to date.   

If you need immediate gratification for your philanthropy, this may not be the way to go but if you bring expertise from the business world, this sort of approach especially engaging.  The Edna McConnel Clark Foundation is also using it to take high-performing, national youth-serving nonprofits to new levels of impact .

For a nice summary of Marino's approach, and a list of related links, check out a briefing paper by Derrick Frazier who is a graduate student at Indiana University's Center on Philanthropy.

Susan Herr