--- title: "Shirley's approach to strategic giving" description: "A set of choices she refined over the first years of The Shirley Foundation." canonical: https://tomsharman.com/bookshelf/let-it-go/shirleys-approach-to-strategic-giving/ updated: 2026-11-03 --- # Shirley's approach to strategic giving > A set of choices she refined over the first years of The Shirley Foundation. Stephanie Shirley's framework, from Let It Go, pp. 230 to 238. Framework 7 of 7 from [Let It Go](https://tomsharman.com/bookshelf/let-it-go/index.md) by Stephanie Shirley. Category: Money and finance. ## The steps 1. **Pick recipients that multiply the gift.** Combine the money with expertise and intelligent systems. 2. **Fund infrastructure.** Choose big, empowering gifts over small, piecemeal hand-outs. 3. **Focus on one cause.** Narrow the Foundation to autism projects that are innovative and strategic. 4. **Add generalist skill.** Commission the missing literature review and a macro study of what a breakthrough would need. 5. **Inject at the strategic point.** Back vehicles such as Autistica that raise as well as spend money. ## Where it comes from From chapter: 23. Fighting Back, pp. 230–238 FI Group's wealth grows rapidly, putting Shirley at 11th on the 2000 Sunday Times Rich List at £140m. She becomes a full time philanthropist, supporting 73 causes between 1998 and 2001 and £10m for the Oxford Internet Institute. In 2002 the Foundation narrows to autism only, with strategic aims to determine causes by 2014 and halve the global cost by 2020. She commissions a literature review and a macro study, and helps found Autistica. ## The animation 24 seconds, 4:5, no sound. - MP4: https://tomsharman-downloads-006143767029.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/downloads/bookshelf/let-it-go/shirleys-approach-to-strategic-giving.mp4 - MP4, dark: https://tomsharman-downloads-006143767029.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/downloads/bookshelf/let-it-go/shirleys-approach-to-strategic-giving-dark.mp4 - Still: https://tomsharman-downloads-006143767029.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/downloads/bookshelf/let-it-go/shirleys-approach-to-strategic-giving.png - Still, dark: https://tomsharman-downloads-006143767029.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/downloads/bookshelf/let-it-go/shirleys-approach-to-strategic-giving-dark.png