In this piece from Forbes.com, Ryan Blitstein, the director of the foundation the Susan Crown Exchange (SCE) argues that one of the most important skills behind smart grantmaking (or any giving, for that matter) is empathy. But how do you become an empathetic giver? Blitstein's advice boils down to four helpful tips:

(1) Offer More than Money 

(2) Put Yourself in Their Shoes–Become a Fundraiser 

(3) Ask, Don’t Tell 

(4) Learn from History 

(5) Brace Yourself for Playing Soup Nazi.

Check out the full piece here. 

Thumbnail image courtesy of flickr user 401(K) 2012.