PRESS RELEASE

May 19, 2016                                                  Contact: Kris Putnam-Walkerly

For Immediate Release                             510-388-5231

                                                                        kris@putnam-consulting.com

Kris Putnam-Walkerly Named "Top 25 Philanthropy Speaker"

CLEVELAND, May 19, 2016 — Kris Putnam-Walkerly, president of Putnam Consulting Group, Inc., was named as one of America's Top 25 Philanthropy Speakers for 2016 by Philanthropy Media and The Michael Chatman Giving Show. The Top 25 list was created from more than 25,000 survey responses from philanthropy experts, who submitted more than 1,000 nominees.

The criteria include thought leadership, excellence in communication, and significant contributions to the profession. Among her leading-edge approaches in the field is her concept of "Delusional Altruism"—misguided giving and lack of impact.

"This is a huge honor for me, and also resonates personally because I truly enjoy speaking about my passion —effective philanthropy," said Putnam-Walkerly. "The fact that the list was formulated by others who share this passion makes it all the more humbling and inspiring."

Putnam-Walkerly's colleagues accorded the honor include U2 front man Bono, Ford Foundation President Darren Walker, W.K. Kellogg Foundation President LaJune Montgomery Tabron, PolicyLink President Angela Glover-Blackwell, Goodman Center founder Andy Goodman, and Good to Great author Jim Collins. "Kris is rightfully recognized with these peers as a huge contributor in her field," says Alan Weiss, PhD, author of over 60 books on management excellence and himself in the National Speakers Association Hall of Fame®.

"Kris's spot among the Top 25 is well earned," said LaTida Smith, President and CEO of Moses Taylor Foundation, Scranton, PA. "Her recent presentations to our board and our area grantmakers association were engaging, informative and inspiring, and have set us all on a clearer path toward effectiveness. Kris is great at making the complex easy to understand, and helps grantmakers shift their thinking to embrace new possibilities and opportunities. We'll derive value from her presentations for years, without a doubt." 

About Kris Putnam-Walkerly

Kris Putnam-Walkerly, MSW, is a global philanthropy advisor and president of Putnam Consulting Group, Inc. For over 16 years, top philanthropies have requested Kris's help to transform their giving and catapult their impact, including designing strategies that achieve results, streamline operations, assess impact, and allocate funds. Her clients include the Robert Wood Johnson, David and Lucile Packard, Winthrop Rockefeller, Annie E. Casey, Charles and Helen Schwab, and California HealthCare foundations, among dozens of others. She's helped over 50 foundations and philanthropists strategically allocate and assess over $300 million in grants and gifts.

A thought leader in transformative philanthropy, Kris is the author of the forthcoming books Confident Giving and Delusional Altruism, and is a frequent contributor in the publications of leading philanthropy associations including the National Center for Family Philanthropy, Foundation Center, Southeastern Council on Foundations, Exponent Philanthropy, and AsianNGO Magazine. She provides expert commentary about philanthropy in the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Seattle Times, Washington Examiner, Entepreneur.com, BusinessWeek.com, and others.

Prior to forming Putnam Consulting Group, she was a grantmaker at the David and Lucile Packard Foundation and an evaluator at the highly esteemed Stanford University School of Medicine.

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