RE: Philanthropy

By Paul Penley
1/5/12

How do foundations make giving decisions? Hope Consulting and Guidestar have released the much-anticipated Money for Good II study (MFG II) to answer these questions. Here is what they found about foundations-a category dominated by family foundations. Foundations research nine out of 10 grants to nonprofits for an average of four hours. Small family foundations with less than $1 million in assets do basically the same, researching eight out of 10 grants issued.
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Why Millennials are the The Year in Giving: 2011: A Black Philanthropy Kwanzaa Retrospective

The Huffington Post

By Jackie Copeland-Carson
1/5/12

Giving is more than generosity. It’s a unifying part of our African roots, binding the history and future of black peoples worldwide. This was a remarkable year of firsts in the Pan-African community’s history of giving. KwanzaaUjima, Swahili for collective work and responsibility, reminds us of the power of our self-help and giving.
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Who The Heck Are You Talking To? Donor Relations

The Nonprofit Quarterly

By Ruth McCambridge
1/5/12

The other night I was sitting with a friend who is one of the more politically aware people I know as regards international politics and he started talking to me about a letter he had received from a well-known human rights organization of which he is a long time member. He was flummoxed by its tone and…yes, offended. Here is how the letter started…
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Will the For-Profit Model be Accepted in the Social Sector?

Money Control

By N.S. Ramnath
1/5/12

Governments have proven to be too inefficient, the non-profits too small and the corporates too greedy to provide basic services. What about for-profit social enterprises? In an ideal world, the government would tax the rich and efficiently offer free basic services to citizens. There would then be no need for philanthropy or for the private sector to provide these services.
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New Year, New Look for Philanthropy in the News

Philanthropy in the News

1/6/12

The new year comes with many changes, including a revamped look for the Council’s Philanthropy in the News (PIN) e-mail. In an effort to provide subscribers with the latest—and most relevant—daily news stories, you will see a new and improved PIN starting next week. Be on the lookout for it in your inbox.

RE: Philanthropy

By Liz Braden
1/4/12

In my humble opinion, Millennials bring together all of the aspects of a perfect donor. At Building Tomorrow and in general in my watching of the fundraising world, I have seen Millennials do some amazing things by giving their time, talents, and resources to others and to causes they believe in. Below are the three reasons that Millennials are the perfect donor.
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Why Funders Need To Embrace Failure

The Jewish Week

By Gary Rosenblatt
1/3/12

Before there was Birthright Israel, the most successful Jewish communal effort to increase Jewish identity among young people, there was The Israel Experience, a like-minded effort — and acknowledged failure. It should not come as a surprise that failure is a key component of future success. For centuries it has been the basic premise of scientific experimentation, and applies to a wide range of fields, from education to business. Recent examples abound.
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What Happens Now the Money Has Run Out – the Challenge for Trusts and Foundations in the New Economy

Alliance Magazine

By John Copps
1/4/12

It has almost become a cliche to say that we are living in ‘interesting’ times – even though when I hear this said about the charity world it usually means something else. But where it is a fitting description is when speaking about trusts and foundations. It can rarely, if ever, be a more interesting time to be giving grants.
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How the Wealthy Give Away Their Cash

Money Web

By Sasha Planting
By 1/4/12

Nine out of ten wealthy South Africans regularly donate money to worthy causes, and will continue to do so into the future. This is according to research carried out by BoE into the philanthropic habits of high-net-worth (HNW) individuals.
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New Year, New Look for Philanthropy in the News

Philanthropy in the News

1/5/12

The new year comes with many changes, including a revamped look for the Council’s Philanthropy in the News (PIN) e-mail. In an effort to provide subscribers with the latest—and most relevant—daily news stories, you will see a new and improved PIN starting next week. Be on the lookout for it in your inbox.

RE: Philanthropy

By Stuart Comstock-Gay
1/3/12

I’ve long been wary about in-house videos. Because, let’s face it, videos can be tough to pull off. So it was with some trepidation that we decided not just to make our first set of short videos this year, but to feature them at our 25th anniversary annual meeting-indeed, to make them the centerpiece of the program for the afternoon.
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Giving Circle Aims to Help Local Women and Girls

Petoskey News

By Rachel Brougham
1/3/12

In just six years, a group of local women have managed to award more than $160,000 to help area women and girls throughout Charlevoix and Emmet counties. And because of the growing need in the region, the circle hopes to expand and thus serve even more. The Hestia Giving Circle, formed in 2005, is a donor-advised fund through the Charlevoix County Community Foundation. The circle — which strives to promote the economic self-sufficiency and well-being of women and girls in the two counties — provides an opportunity for women to work together to make a significant impact on those in the area, while also educating themselves about issues facing women and girls in the community.
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Pick.Click.Give. Boosts Marketing for 2012 Dividend Charity

Anchorage Daily News

By Mike Dunham
12/29/11

Alaska’s Pick.Click.Give program will have an aggressive new focus in 2012, the result of surveys done over the past year. Research completed in October revealed a discrepancy between the kinds of charities people said they wanted to give money to and what they actually supported when giving through the Pick.Click.Give program.
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Grants Boost S.D. Job-Training, Policy Efforts

Argus Leader

By Beth Wischmeyer
12/21/11

Two South Dakota organizations will receive funding from a Minnesota-based foundation for job training, public policy education and promotion of asset-building among low-income families. The Rural Learning Center of Howard and South Dakota Voices for Children will get a total of $300,000 for programs that will meet the goals of the Northwest Area Foundation, which handed out $2.25 million in grants for 2012
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10 Donors to Watch in 2012

Chronicle of Philanthropy

By Caroline Preston
1/4/12

Donors call the shots in the nonprofit world, for better or for worse. Their money can have a huge impact on a charity’s work; sometimes they can influence an entire field or cause. The Chronicle took a look at philanthropists and grant makers whose giving could make a significant difference in 2012 and beyond. The list includes not just donors who are poised to give big but also those that are changing direction or taking a new tack.
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RE: Philanthropy

By Elizabeth Douglass
12/19/11

July was an incredibly busy month for me this year. Not only did I marry my best friend, I also started working as a volunteer teacher for Computer Community Outreach and Education (Computer CORE), a nonprofit based in Alexandria, Va. Computer CORE is a place where low-income, (often-times) first-generation immigrant adults can learn career development skills and earn basic computing school credits through a six-month class accredited by Northern Virginia Community College.
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Community Foundation of Northwest Connecticut Receives $30 Million Endowment from The Draper Foundation

The Register Citizen

12/19/11

As legacy gifts go, The Draper Foundation Fund is in a class by itself. One of the largest single gifts on record to a community foundation in the state of Connecticut, it will forever immortalize Jim and Shirley Draper as two of the area’s foremost benefactors.
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Making a Plan to Make a Difference

The Star Tribune

By Kara McGuire
12/19/20

This will be the last year, I swear. Starting in 2012, I will not cram most of my charitable giving into December, donations haphazardly made based on the solicitations I get in the mail, charities my friends mention on Facebook, or giving patterns of the past. I vow to craft a thoughtful 2012 giving plan.
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How Film and Philanthropy Work Together

The Huffington Post

By Marcia G. Yerman
12/19/11

The DOC NYC Festival featured a panel examining the intersection between documentary filmmaking and philanthropy. Participating were Naomi Levine from New York University, Dan Cogan of Impact Partners, Sandi DuBowski, Director, and moderator Mary Domowicz, Academic Director at NYU-SCPS.
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The Common Good Enterprise – A New Term for an Emerging Sector

Triple Pundit

By Jim Epstein and Alicia Epstein Korten
12/19/11

As an investment advisor, I (Jim) am often asked to sit on nonprofit boards. I have grown uncomfortable with the term not-for-profit to describe these organizations, which often embrace business principles in their operations. For example, DC Greenworks generates income from government contracts and fees for green roof installations. In 2002, I (Alicia) had difficulty finding graduate courses that blended business and social values. At a 2009 Net Impact conference, I was overwhelmed by the presence of over 2,000 MBA students interested in the common good.
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RE: Philanthropy

By Daniela Fainberg
12/16/11

The Council’s Family Philanthropy Conference is an opportunity for international philanthropists to meet and exchange experiences with peers from the U.S. and other countries. It is a place to learn with other participants representing other foundations and specialists in the field of philanthropy and family dynamics. It is a chance to get familiar with what’s new in family philanthropy and other vehicles of social investment. It is also a great opportunity to be with your family, experiment together, and have meaningful conversations that can add value to your social practice.
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Mississippi Gulf Coast Nonprofit Agencies to Receive More Than $1 Million in Grant Funds

Gulf Live

By Susan Ruddiman
12/18/11

Gulf Coast Community Foundation will award $1,139,684 from the third round of grants to 14 Mississippi Gulf Coast nonprofit agencies.
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Why to Give Generously Before December 31

Forbes

By Ashlea Ebeling
12/17/11

Are you charitably-minded but not sure what charity you want to benefit from your largesse? Then consider putting money into a donor-advised fund by December 31. You get a charitable deduction upfront to offset your 2011 income (you’ll see the benefit on the tax return you file April 2012), and you get to dole out the money you stashed in the fund to operating charities of your choice later.
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Could Silicon Valley Rethink Philanthropy?

The New York Times

By Claire Cain Miller
12/18/11

Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen is on a mission.
As I wrote in Sunday’s New York Times, Ms. Arrillaga-Andreessen — the daughter of a Silicon Valley real estate tycoon and the wife of Marc Andreessen — thinks tech titans should be more philanthropic. And she is encouraging the youngest billionaires to give away their money now, not wait until after they retire or die.
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How to Be a Strategic Philanthropist

The Denver Post

By Bruce DeBoskey
12/18/11

This is the season when many people make charitable donations. This generosity is acutely needed and greatly appreciated. Next year, however, consider approaching your charitable giving as a strategic philanthropist, rather than as a donor. The difference between a donor and a philanthropist does not depend on how much time or money one gives to charity, but, rather, on one’s approach to giving.
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It’s Time to Write Off the Charitable-Giving Tax Deduction

The Los Angeles Times

By Jack Shakely
12/18/11

Psst: Want to know a way to reduce our national debt by a quarter of a trillion dollars over the next decade, and remove an often abused and possibly unconstitutional section of the tax code? Are you sure you do? You may want to sit down. Get rid of the federal charitable-giving tax deduction.
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RE: Philanthropy

By Nelli Garton
12/15/11

I know I am not alone in feeling overwhelmed by the state of the world and the incredible needs that philanthropy is trying to address. We can’t fulfill these on our own, so where do we start? Are we just providing short-term solutions when the whole system is breaking down? Grant requests are up, the needs in society are more acute, and governmental contributions at all levels are plummeting. There is intense frustration with the status quo from Occupy Wall Street to the Tea Party.
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Boston Foundation to Merge with The Philanthropic Initiative

Boston Business Journal

By Mary Moore
12/15/11

The Boston Foundation and The Philanthropic Initiative have announced the two nonprofits would merge effective in January. What The Philanthropic Initiative, or TPI as it is known, brings to The Boston Foundation is a deeper way of developing philanthropic strategy with donors, said Paul Grogan, The Boston Foundation’s president.
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Philanthropic Network: ‘A Giving Circle on Steroids’

The Wall Street Journal

By Mike Vilensky
12/15/11

Boaz Weinstein, the founder of the hedge fund Saba Capital, was inspired to get involved with the Natan Fund after attending a “salon” the organization was throwing. “I was very impressed with the speakers,” Mr. Weinstein explained. Several years later, Mr. Weinstein is an active board member at Natan, a philanthropic network that supports startups and other entrepreneurial organizations “demonstrating an innovative approach to addressing the challenges facing the Jewish people,” said Felicia Herman, executive director of Natan. “It’s like a giving circle on steroids,” she added.
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Seven Predictions for Philanthropy in 2012

The Nonprofit Quarterly

By Rick Cohen
12/15/11

Neils Bohr and Casey Stengel both uttered the Yogi Berra-ish statement that predictions are especially difficult concerning the future. They were only addressing quantum mechanics and the prospects of the Mets’ pennant chances, not philanthropy, amidst a persistent economic free-fall. But the quote is apropos here given the possible twists and turns for philanthropy writ large in 2012, drawing from big themes in play during 2011.
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Cornelius Mom Leads Children to Philanthropy

The Weekly Herald

By Mark Zenow
12/15/11

Brooke Hondros sets her mind to something and jumps all in. That’s easy to see after spending time with her and understanding the difference she’s making in the lives of so many children. On a recent Sunday afternoon she buzzed around her home in The Peninsula neighborhood, amidst the sounds of children talking and laughing as they made holiday stockings that would eventually end up in the hands of less fortunate children. Her two children and the 10 others milling about the kitchen and dining room, are the first members of a new organization called Lake Norman Kids 4 Kids – a project designed to turn the today’s youngsters into the philanthropists of tomorrow.
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Where For-Profit and Nonprofit Are One

Portfolio

By Michael del Castillo
12/14/11

Just because a company is for-profit doesn’t mean it can’t be involved in a business that is rooted in doing good things. In fact, a number of new models of for-profit businesses are being created to engage in traditionally nonprofit sectors.
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RE: Philanthropy

By Robyn Schein
12/14/11

In February, the Council on Foundations will bring together families from all over the country (and world!) to learn about and discuss the current issues affecting families who give. The 2012 Family Philanthropy Conference is not just for family foundations-it’s for all families committed to philanthropy.
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Family Philanthropy Provides Many Rewards

Hudson Hub Times

By Phil Tobin
12/14/11

Why family philanthropy? In a national survey, individuals were asked why they engaged in family philanthropy. Responses were strikingly similar. Five of the most cited reason are listed here.
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Google Celebrates the Season by Promoting Its Charitable Grants

The New York Times

By Claire Cain Miller
12/14/11

Google.org, the search giant’s philanthropic arm, has struggled, but Google continues to give away money. In 2011, it gave $115 million, the company announced Wednesday. Of that, $40 million came in charitable grants to four causes: science, technology, engineering and math education; education for girls in developing countries; using technology to increase economic output and solve problems; and fighting slavery and sex trafficking.
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The New Measures for Improving Nonprofit Performance

Working Knowledge

By Julia Hanna
12/14/11

In today’s climate of scarce economic resources, the pressure for nonprofits to show quantifiable results is greater than ever; as a result, an organization without a strong sense of strategic direction and the internal data to understand its own strengths and weaknesses can be overly influenced by outside demands for metrics that may not always be relevant to its ultimate success.
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Top 12 Predictions for Corporate Responsibility in 2012

Triple Pundit

By Susan McPherson
12/12/11

We’re now at that that time of the year when we all stare into our crystal balls to determine what the future holds. Since my crystal ball is as good as the next, I wanted to share some of my thoughts for the coming months. Here are my top 12 predictions for the next year.
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RE: Philanthropy

Katherine Lorenz
12/13/11

I am seven months into one of the most exciting opportunities of my life, which is also one of the greatest challenges of my life. Earlier this year, I became president of my family’s foundation, the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation. My 92-year-old grandfather is still very much in charge, and I have the unique challenge of working with him and the rest of our (very large!) family to create a lasting legacy.
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Living with the Gates Foundation: The Debate Continues

Alliance Magazine

By Tim Ogden
12/13/11

Describing the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as the world’s largest foundation is accurate but a substantial understatement. Its annual giving is more than six times larger than its closest ‘peer’. There are fewer than 100 US foundations that give more than $50 million annually. The Gates Foundation gives $50 million per week.
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The Voice from Outside: Stakeholder Resistance in Nonprofit Organizations

Nonprofit Quarterly

By Sean Buchanan and Patricia Bradshaw
12/13/11

A board-approved merger between two nonprofits is quashed due to pressure from donors. Two Girl Scouts mobilize opposition to the use of palm oil in Girl Scout cookies and get the nonprofit to change the recipe. A recreation center on the verge of closure is prevented from doing so by the work of community members. A labor dispute between musicians and management in the Detroit Symphony Orchestra leads to the creation of an advocacy group that becomes a powerful voice in the negotiation process. These examples highlight an emerging phenomenon that is gaining momentum worldwide—that of what we are calling “stakeholder resistance,” but what some executive directors may experience as “stakeholder rebellion.”
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Jeff Gordon’s Philanthropy Reaches New Heights

Scene Daily

By Kris Johnson
12/13/11

In 2011, the ever-expanding scope of Jeff Gordon’s philanthropic endeavors reached over international borders and other boundaries of age and race. Whether it was his work in Africa with the Clinton Global Initiative, representing AARP’s Drive to End Hunger among senior citizens in the U.S., or continuing to lead the fight against pediatric cancer through his eponymous children’s foundation, Gordon has become the model for NASCAR philanthropy and an example for others to follow.
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Why Philanthropy Feels Good and Makes Business Sense

The Royal Gazette

By Lois Wilson
12/13/11

We give from the heart and we give because it makes us feel good. In fact medical tests have shown that giving gives us the same gratification as food or sex, which is particularly good news for those of us constantly dieting! A philanthropist is anyone who gives time, money, experience or skills to create a better world. The word itself derives from the Greek philanthropus: which translates as “love of humankind”. Billions of dollars are spent on philanthropy and the way they are being spent is changing rapidly, says Katherine Fulton, president of the Monitor Group, who works with today’s most imaginative entrepreneurial businesses. “The new future of philanthropy is one where collaboration and innovation allow regular people to do big things, even when money is scarce,” she believes. The great news is we don’t have to be Bill Gates or Warren Buffett, we are all philanthropists and without us, they wouldn’t be able to do what they do.
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RE: Philanthropy

By Jillian C. Vukusich
12/12/11

I love the theme of the Family Philanthropy Conference (kudos to whoever came up with it). As we all know, philanthropy changes its mantra every so often. We’ve heard collaboration and partnership and community building. “Fusion” would be a great next trend.
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#PhilChat Recap: Philanthropy’s Role in Advancing Global Well-Being

RE: Philanthropy

12/12/11

Participants in the Twitter chat, convened by the Council on Foundations and The Chronicle of Philanthropy, joined Jim Thompson from the U.S. State Department, Rob Garris of the Rockefeller Foundation, Najat Rochdi of the United Nations Development Programme, and other global philanthropy leaders to discuss philanthropy’s role in advancing global well-being.
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NY Life Announces $360K Grant for College Advisers

New York Nonprofit Press

12/09/11

The New York Life Foundation has announced a three-year, $360,000 grant to the National College Advising Corps. The grant will help the Advising Corps increase the number of at-risk students applying to college through the use of college advisers in underserved high schools.
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William T. Grant Foundation Awards $2.5 Million for Youth Health, Social Research

Philanthropy News Digest

12/12/11

The New York City-based William T. Grant Foundation has announced six grants totaling more than $2.5 million to support researchers and organizations working to understand and improve the environments in which at-risk youth spend time.
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Controlling Trillions, Women Drive Charitable Giving

Winnipeg Sun

By Kathleen Kingsbury
12/13/11

Women are driving charitable giving. In fact, three out of four individuals in households with incomes of $200,000 or more report women are either the sole decision maker or equal partner in directing their family’s philanthropy, according to a new Bank of America Merrill Lynch survey released today.
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RE: Philanthropy

By Sophia Guevara
12/9/11

As a librarian, some of the clients I deal with come to me because they know what they want but just can’t find it. Then there are those who never truly understood their information need in the first place. A while back, I was forwarded a question from someone interested in making their company an employer of choice when it came to diversity/inclusion. They wanted to be aware of other engineering companies that were already leaders in this area.
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Join the #PhilChat to Discuss Philanthropy’s Role in Advancing Global Well-Being

#PhilChat

12/12/11

Last month, the Rockefeller Foundation, in partnership with Resource Alliance and the Institute for Development Studies, convened a major summit in Bellagio, Italy, on the future of philanthropy and development in the pursuit of well-being. The summit—the culmination of a process involving regional consultations around the globe, the commissioning of papers on relevant topics, and more—generated key messages for institutions and individuals working in, and with, the development and philanthropy sectors.

Now, these individuals and others in the field of global grantmaking have a chance to weigh in and respond to those messages by joining the Council on Foundations, the Rockefeller Foundation, and The Chronicle of Philanthropy during a special Twitter Chat, December 12, 1–2 p.m. ET, using the hashtag #PhilChat.
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State mental-health system still underfunded and fragmented, but slowly getting better

Denver Post

By Karen Auge
12/7/11

Colorado’s notoriously underfunded and fragmented mental-health-care system still has far to go, but it has improved substantially over the past decade, according to a year-long assessment. “The Status of Behavioral Health Care in Colorado” commissioned by the Colorado Health Foundation, Caring for Colorado Foundation, The Colorado Trust and The Denver Foundation, was presented this morning before a crowd at the Denver Art Museum.
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We Can Be the Change We Seek

Toronto Star

By Rahul K. Bhardwaj
11/27/11

The air is heavy these days with an ill-defined but inescapable dissatisfaction. Something is not right. Perhaps many things are not right. But it’s self-defeating to give in to frustration and sink into ennui, pessimism or cynicism. Gandhi’s admonition to “be the change” we seek rings truer today than ever, and in Toronto at least it’s as possible as ever.
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Grandchildren of Prominent West Michigan Donors are Shaping the Future of Local Philanthropy

The Grand Rapids Press

By Shandra Martinez
12/11/11

In his lifetime, Fred Meijer invested hundreds of millions in the West Michigan community, funding everything from hospitals to hiking trails to his renowned namesake gardens. But his most lasting legacy may be what his children and grandchildren give.
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The Power of Small

Wall Street Journal

By Ruthie Ackerman
12/12/11

When it comes to philanthropy, bigger isn’t always better. Just ask Kayrita Anderson, who through her small family foundation in Atlanta helped launch a campaign to end the sexual exploitation of children in Georgia. The urge to do something came after she and her husband, Harold, read an article about the arrest of child prostitutes in their home state. Outraged, they immediately donated to a fund for victims services—first $10,000, then $20,000 and then $100,000 over a period of about eight years.
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