Effective Philanthropy: Organizational Success Through Deep Diversity and Gender Equality employs gender as a metaphor for the ways in which the perspectives of foundation staff can limit or advance organizational success. By analyzing grantmakers' preconceived notions along with general societal views of gender, Mary Ellen Capek, principal of Capek & Associates, a philanthropic research and consulting group in New Mexico, and Molly Mead, professor of service at the University College of Citizenship and Public Service at Tufts University, present changes they feel are necessary to the modern practice of grantmaking, with an emphasis on expanding diversity within the field's leadership ranks.

The book revolves around the concept of "deep diversity" — the idea that inherent differences in perspective brought about by gender, race, class, sexual orientation, geography, age, religion and physical abilities provide a richer and more effective basis for programming and funder-grantee interactions. The book endeavors to create models for building effective organizations based on the concept and examines gender theory and stereotypes so that the readers can challenge their own unconscious prejudices and preconceived notions.

While there has been a great deal of research done on programming and philanthropy with women in mind, there have been few studies that explore the topic of gender and diversity in the way Capek and Mead do. The need to provide grants to programs that target women has been self-evident for the past few decades, but the theories presented here take a different tack, suggesting that universal and "gender-blind" programming is actually detrimental to women and a poor use of philanthropic dollars. The authors' main argument is that philanthropy designed to serve women and girls should not be viewed as "special interest" philanthropy, but rather as a necessary service for half the world's population, and that "universal" programs fail to adequately consider differences between men and women that cause them to respond differently to philanthropic efforts.

Mead and Capek provide a compelling argument for the validity of gender-based programming through case studies of organizations that already employ "deep diversity" in their grantmaking, including the California Wellness Foundation, the Otto Bremer Foundation, the Collaborative Fund for Women's Economic Development (an initiative of the Ms. Foundation for Women), and programs specifically intended for women and girls funded by the United Way of Massachusetts Bay.

One such example of the effectiveness of the "deep diversity" approach is the United Way Gender Sensitivity Initiative, which analyzed the organization's coed programs with an eye toward better serving girls. In the course of examining its programs, however, it became clear to the organization that girls' attendance was lower than that of boys, often as a result of "gender-blind" programs that focused more on the needs and interests of boys. The analysis also revealed instances of unconscious sexism on the part of male coaches that discouraged girls from participating in certain activities and events. Once gender-sensitive programming was implemented, those activities received substantially greater participation and better feedback from girls and contributed to improved programming options for both boys and girls. The results, as the authors point out, support their argument that "both/and" programming is infinitely superior to "gender-blind" programming.

Clearly, the intended audience for this book is people who are familiar with the field of gender studies and are involved in shaping the priorities and decision-making processes of grantmaking organizations. But because the arguments and evidence are presented in a clear, accessible fashion, the book is just as suitable for non-academics and those who are new to the field.

In short, Effective Philanthropy: Organizational Success Through Deep Diversity and Gender Equality is an excellent study of the trend toward and increasing emphasis on diversity in philanthropy and should be read by anyone who is interested in the practices and dynamics of successful organizations and/or the long-running experiment we call American democracy.