Kris Putnam-Walkerly

President, Putnam Consulting

Kris Putnam-Walkerly is a recognized expert and leader in philanthropic program design, implementation, evaluation, and communication. Her firm, Putnam Consulting Group (formerly Putnam Community Investment Consulting), is employed by high-profile national foundations, corporate philanthropies, and nonprofits from coast to coast, as well as by smaller regional or local foundations that want to achieve big impact. Her clients include The Annie E. Casey Foundation, David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation, the Heising-Simons Foundation, the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund, and many more.

Contributions

In the Field

Four Questions to Get Maximum Impact During This Crisis

Posted on May 20, 2020 by Kris Putnam-Walkerly

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published by Putnam Consulting Group and is re-posted here with permission. You’re just the philanthropic leader we need. If you are like most funders or philanthropy-serving organizations, in the past couple of months you’ve done one of two things: You jumped into action, heroically extending or eliminating grant deadlines, providing additional funding without applications,… Read More

Voices from the Field

Beyond The Basics: 4 Smart Practices Of Savvy Grantmakers

Posted on August 2, 2019 by Kris Putnam-Walkerly

Maybe you’ve been practicing philanthropy for a while and you’ve mastered the basics—the essentials you need to create a solid grantmaking strategy and process. How do you take your work and your effectiveness to the next level? … Read More

Voices from the Field

Transact or Transform: What Kind of Giver Are You?

Posted on September 5, 2018 by Kris Putnam-Walkerly

Transactional philanthropy is important and necessary to help those in immediate crises meet very pressing needs. For many donors, that’s enough. But what happens when we think more strategically about the needs in question?… Read More

Voices from the Field

6 Ways to Advocate for Policy Change

Posted on August 6, 2018 by Kris Putnam-Walkerly

The policies that guide our country did not grow overnight, and neither will the changes we wish to see in them… Read More

NCFP Nonfamily Staff Peer Network Discussion Group: Achieving Equity…How Exactly? (Call 3)

Posted on September 19, 2017 by Kelly Chopus, Kris Putnam-Walkerly, Patrick Troska

The idea of incorporating equity in philanthropy is gaining traction in the field. The reasons why may be obvious – from longstanding commitments to helping those most marginalized to recent electoral outcomes. But the how of embracing equity can prove elusive – especially when family foundations turn that equity lens inward. What does equity “look like” inside a foundation? Where… Read More

Voices from the Field

Three Things That Local Organizations Know but Foundations Often Miss

Posted on August 15, 2017 by Kris Putnam-Walkerly

These aren’t aspects of success that you can measure with metrics or data, and they are things that many funders often either take for granted or completely overlook. Yet, when they are present, they make a night-and-day difference in effectiveness… Read More

NCFP Nonfamily Staff Peer Network Discussion Group: Achieving Equity…How Exactly? (Call 2)

Posted on June 13, 2017 by Kelly Chopus, Kris Putnam-Walkerly, Patrick Troska

NCFP Nonfamily Staff Peer Network Discussion Group: Achieving Equity…How Exactly? (Call 1)

Posted on April 25, 2017 by Kelly Chopus, Kris Putnam-Walkerly, Patrick Troska

Creating a Culture of Respect in Philanthropy

Posted on February 1, 2017 by Kris Putnam-Walkerly

There is a lot of talk in philanthropy about organizational culture in foundations. Some foundations fall into the trap of promoting a culture of disrespect when it comes to the way they deal with grantees, consultant partners, and even themselves. Fortunately, for every example of disrespect in philanthropy, there are many examples of what respectful philanthropy can look like… Read More

December 2016 NCFP Non-Family Staff Peer Network Call

Posted on December 13, 2016 by Christine Koehn, Kelly Chopus, Kris Putnam-Walkerly

This session will feature a conversation on the strategies and challenges of connecting with community and building an equity lens into your grantmaking and internal operations. It’s a great chance to talk in a private space about this timely and complex topic with your peers around the country! About the NCFP Non-family Staff Peer Network The NCFP Non-family Staff Peer… Read More

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