January 2010
"The habit of giving
only enhances the desire to give."
- Walt Whitman.

Sweet Taste of Success
Michael Holthouse encourages
entrepreneurs
PHILANTHROPY
ROUNDTABLE - Entrepreneur Michael Holthouse has
lofty amibitions for his philanthropy. His latest
is Lemonade Day -- an innovative program to
encourage entrepreneurship among kids and
revitalize America in the process. He aims to
scale it nationally within five years. read more...
Outrun the Recession
Seven healthy habits of surviving
nonprofits
SOCIAL
INNOVATION REVIEW - Recessions
are not sprints; they are endurance events. In a
survey of 100 nonprofit executives across the
U.S., some 80 percent had experienced funding
cuts, and a full 93 percent said that they were
feeling the effects of the downturn. Yet many
respondents are adopting healthy habits that not
only will help them survive the present
recession, but also may help them thrive when
better times return. read more...
The Greatest Gift You Have to Give
The most joy will come from giving
of yourself
KARDIA PLANNING -
Have you ever wondered why a tiny, poor,
old woman living in the slums of Calcutta, who
has devoted her life to the mundane task of
caring for unwanted, starving children was
internationally known and revered and even
awarded the distinguished Nobel Peace Prize for
her work? What did she do to deserve such
impressive notoriety? Who was this woman? You and
the rest of the world knew her. She was Mother
Teresa. read more...
How Governments Can Spur High Charity Performance
Public monies should flow to
high-performing nonprofits
CHRONICLE OF
PHILANTHROPY - The economic
downturn has thrown a spotlight on the flows of
money, ideas, and influence between government
and nonprofit groups. As they collaborate more
closely, government must examine how to channel
dollars to high-performance organizations and
finance nonprofits in ways that preserve and
enhance their effectiveness. read more...
Microfinance in the U.S.?
Muhammad Yunus believes that Grameen America will
succeed
TIME - Thirty
years ago Muhammad Yunus, the founder of Grameen,
started lending small sums to poor entrepreneurs
in Bangladesh to help them grow from a
subsistence living to a livelihood. His great
discovery was that even with few assets, these
entrepreneurs repaid on time. Yunus and Grameen
have a Nobel Peace Prize to show for their work.
Now the microfinancier is looking to the U.S. But
is there a role for a Third World lender in the
world's largest economy? read more...
Charities Fare Poorly in End-of-Year Giving
Spirit of generousity has yet to
reach many charities
CHRONICLE OF
PHILANTHROPY - Americans bought
more holiday gifts this season than last, but
that same spirit of generosity did not appear to
reach most charities. In fact, a Chronicle poll
of 395 charities conducted in mid-December found
that over one-third of charities expected
donations to decline. Charities of all sizes seem
to be affected by the downturn. read more...
The 25 Best Givers
Top philanthropists insist on more
bang for the buck
BARRON'S -
THE NAME OF THE GAME IN PHILANTHROPY
this year is to make your dollars go far -- very
far. With the recession squeezing donors and
charities alike, it's more important than ever to
make sure your giving really makes a difference.
That's high-impact giving, and some
philanthropists are raising it to a high form of
art. Barron's developed a listing of "the
best" in collaboration with Global
Philanthropy Group. read more...
How to Save the World Through Words
Should charities embrace the arts of marketing
spin?
OUTSIDE - What
would happen if aid organizations and other
philanthropists embraced the dark arts of
marketing spin and psychological persuasion used
on Madison Avenue? According to New York Times
columnist Nicholas Kristof, we would save
millions more lives. read more...
Waking Up the Board
Warning signs of a dysfunctional organization
ON PHILANTHROPY
- Many dysfunctional organizations can be traced
back to a dysfunctional board. The board must
take note of warning signs, which are often
evident right from the beginning. Here is a
checklist that board members might refer to as a
reminder of symptoms which indicate some degree
of hidden organizational dysfunction. read more...
Huge Wave in Charitable Giving Still Coming
The largest transfer of wealth in history
continues
FORBES - With
the trillions in real estate and stock market
wealth that has been lost over the last two
years, it is easy to lose sight of a trend that
is continuing below the surface of the turmoil:
the largest intergenerational transfer of wealth
in our nation's history. read more...
The Second Half: Tripp Johnston
An inspiring story of real adventure and real
significance
HALFTIME -
Tripps idea is so simple. Roll a soccer
ball out onto a dusty field in a poor country and
you change everything. On that simple idea you
can build a charity that dramatically changes
kids lives. Often the most effective
charities are built on very simple ideas. He has
moved his whole family off to Asia of all places
(Thailand) to launch Sports Friends there. read more...

Half the Sky
Turning Oppression Into Opportunity
For Women Worldwide
New York
Times columnist Nicholas Kristof and his
wife, WuDunn, a former Times reporter,
make a brilliantly argued case for investing in
the health and autonomy of women worldwide. More
girls have been killed in the last fifty years,
precisely because they were girls, than men were
killed in all the wars of the twentieth century,
they write, detailing the rampant gendercide in
the developing world, particularly in India and
Pakistan. Far from merely making moral appeals,
the authors posit that it is impossible for
countries to climb out of poverty if only a
fraction of women (9% in Pakistan, for example)
participate in the labor force. The authors
reveal local women to be the most effective
change agents: The best role for Americans...
isn't holding the microphone at the front of the
rally but writing the checks, an assertion they
contradict in their unnecessary profiles of
American volunteers finding compensations for the
lack of shopping malls and Netflix movies in
making a difference abroad. buy at Amazon.com...
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