Guide shows how strategic giving creates real community impact

By John Studzinski
c.2025, Bloomsbury
$26, 206 pages

So much has been given to you.

You have a place to sleep, food to eat, and clean water to drink. You have friends and family, people who look out for you and folks who know your face. You have received much in life, and as you’ll see in the new book “A Talent for Giving” by John Studzinski, you have much to give.

Think of all the things you offer to others every day: you hand out smiles or hugs, let someone go first through a door, raise their spirits through a compliment or present them with a gift. But Studzinski says that there’s more: you have something to give the world that “focuses on ways to develop your inherent generosity and empathy.”

He calls it “entrepreneurial giving,” which he defines as “giving your time and your skills, lending your knowledge and resources, or providing emotional support, encouragement and … inspiration.” It’s not “about money at all.” It is about giving as only you can.

To get started, he says, take a selfie and look inward at your strengths and weaknesses. This will help you know what talents you have to share with the world in a way that’s unique to you. Think of it as charity more than philanthropy; the former implies short-term immediacy, while the latter is long-term. Charity is giving. Philanthropy is, too, but it’s “heavy.”

Next, take your talents where they’re most beneficial — to a place that needs them, a cause you’re passionate about or an organization that closely mirrors your interests. Know “The Ts of Entrepreneurial Giving,” the main ones of which are talent, time and treasure. Go it alone if you spot a problem that needs fixing, but know that two heads are indeed better than one. Be willing to mentor. Learn to network and to innovate. Know how to build trust by listening to others. Learn to channel anger into action.

And always remember that “The person who can start to change the world is you.”

Every charity in the world is knocking on your door this time of year. You’re overwhelmed by envelopes, emails and phone calls. So how do you make your generosity mean something? You grab “A Talent for Giving” and get started.

Giving, says author John Studzinski, doesn’t mean writing a check, which is the anchor you’ll find here. That should come as a great relief to business owners who are staring at a red line in a difficult year: you can still help the organizations you are close to. That may be a revolutionary way of thinking about giving, and it’s not just for CEOs; anyone of any age or position can use this book to do good. Bonus: It may lead a young reader to find their best job through action and volunteering to make a difference.

Just know, though Studzinski stresses that readers needn’t have a religious mindset, there’s a lot of religion-as-touchstone here. Still, this is a great season to read “A Talent for Giving,” so give it a look.

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