August 2008

"Think of giving not as a duty but as a privilege."
- John D. Rockefeller, Jr. (1874-1960)

Saving Lives One Check at a Time
Meeting modest needs through small gifts

FORBES - Keith Taylor turned his hobby of check-writing to odd causes into an online charity targeting the working poor. By 2007, Modest Needs funded $884,990 and is on pace to exceed that amount this year. He has watched his donor rolls snowball since starting Modest Needs in 2002. read more...

Enjoy the Reunion, Skip the Check.
Why do asset-rich universities still ask for money?

NEW YORK TIMES - College students have headed home for the summer, leaving campuses to the alumni for a few days of remember-when revelry. Welcome to the annual ritual that has university development officers across the country sharpening their utensils. May I pour you another cocktail, sir? read more...

Non-Profits Should Collaborate Through Mergers
Network for Good leads the way with ePhilanthropy acquisition

WASHINGTON POST - Nonprofits typically lag behind the for-profit sector when it comes to business strategies. There are 120 new nonprofits created every day, and there are very few mergers. Yet mergers represent an excellent opportunity combine and collaborate rather than compete. read more...

Not Many Criticize the Gates Foundation
Some question the level of oversight of large foundations

SEATTLE TIMES - Few question the Gates Foundation's sincerity, commitment and smarts. But philanthropy experts and even some foundation leaders are uneasy with all the adulation. Yet few are willing to risk wrath by speaking out about flaws in the foundation's approach. read more...

The Cost of Giving
What it will take for Africa to feed itself again

TIME MAGAZINE - Aid to the developing world is one of those things whose motives have been mixed and muddled. Many efforts have pandered to efforts that aroused public sentiment. That is good charity, but bad development theory. Food aid was never meant to be more than a temporary stopgap before the implementation of slower, lasting solutions. read more...

The Difference Between Ownership and Control
From a biblical perspective, we own nothing

KARDIA PLANNING - The idea of distinguishing between ownership and control is a new concept for many wealthy families. From a Biblical perspective, we should at least acknowledge that we own nothing. But the fact is the name on the deed to our house and the titles on our vehicles still have our name on it. So, even though from a spiritual perspective, we could say we only have relative ownership, from a material perspective most people still see ownership and control as the same. In other words, “I control what I own, and I own what I control.” read more...

Chinese Philanthropists Challenge Stereotype
Successful US immigrants are sharing wealth

SYDNEY MORNING HERALD - Chinese immigrants who have found fame and fortune in America are giving back to their adopted homeland in a new gold rush of philanthropy that is bringing hundreds of millions of dollars to American universities, think tanks and other non-profit groups. read more...

Gross National Happiness
Why Happiness Matters to America

Who are the happiest Americans? Surveys show that religious people think they are happier than secularists, and secularists think they are happier than religious people. Liberals believe they are happier than conservatives, and conservatives disagree. In fact, almost every group thinks it is happier than everyone else. In this provocative new book, Arthur C. Brooks explodes the myths about happiness in America. Replete with the unconventional wisdom for which Brooks has come to be known, Gross National Happiness offers surprising and illuminating conclusions about how our government can best facilitate Americans in their pursuit of happiness. buy at Amazon.com...

Struggling with Greed
Generous Giving

Jess and Angela Correll wrestle with the idea empire-building and its affect on their personal lives. Where should the wealthy draw the line, if at all, in expansive aspirations?

Watch the video...