July 2008

"Terrorists don't win when they kill us, they win when they kill our desire to share God's love with them."
- Christian leader in the Middle East

Overturning the Money Tables
Rusty Leonard wants to change how you give

CHRISTIANITY TODAY - Financial manager Rusty Leonard wants to change how donors give and invest. He founded Ministry Watch to to rate the financial efficiency of Christian nonprofits. In a similar vein, his money management firm, Stewardship Partners, avoids investing in companies that profit from tobacco, gambling, alcohol and abortion. read more...

The Rich World and the Food Crisis
Economic famine is erasing progress to reduce poverty

WALL STREET JOURNAL - Distorted global agricultural markets are are moving hundreds of millions of people from subsistence to starvation. Markets are full of food that developing-nation consumers cannot afford -- prices of rice, corn, wheat have all doubled in 12 months. A decade of progress to eradicate poverty is being erased. read more...

China's New Wealthy Learn to Give
Earthquake in China is driving unprecedented donations

FINANCIAL TIMES - The Sichuan earthquake has had a profound effect on Chinese society. Tens of thousands of volunteers have flocked to the area to help with the relief effort. The local media have given an unusually frank portrayal of the destruction. Yet one striking development has been the massive donations from China’s new class of wealthy. read more...

India: In Restaurant Row, Drive-Through Charity
Hunger cafes in Mumbai are charitable for-profit businesses

NEW YORK TIMES - They are not soup kitchens and they are not restaurants. Instead, hunger cafes sell plates of food for 25-cents. Busy citizens of Mumbai drive-by and drop money out the window to feed rows of the city's malnourished. The restaurant owners describe their mission as charity, but their establishments are profit making. Only in India, perhaps, would a group of restaurateurs rely for their livelihoods on the starving. read more...

Who Sets the Limit on Your Giving?
The IRS is conditioning donors to give only 50% of their AGI

KARDIA FAMILY WEALTH COUNSELING - Affluent families have become so conditioned by the IRS "matching gift program" that many have unconsciously allowed the IRS to set the ceiling on their giving -– namely 50% of their AGI. The IRS agrees that for every one dollar you give to support nonprofits, it will "match" 40% of that gift (assuming a maximum tax bracket). But is that the right way to think about your giving? read more...

Charitable Giving's Efficiency Problems
Gala fund-raising events often cost more than they bring in

BUSINESS WEEK - Many charities know how to throw a party, but they don't always know how to pay for these showy fund-raisers. According to a 2007 survey of charitable events by New Jersey watchdog group Charity Navigator, the average fund-raiser in 2005 lost 33¢ for every dollar raised. read more...

Economy Slows, Wealthy Giving Grows
Affluent givers have no plans to cut back their giving

FORBES - America's wealthiest are upping their contributions to charity, even with the country on the brink of recession. A new survey by Prince & Associates found that six in 10 Americans with net worths over $30 million intend to give more this year than they did last. Instead of deterring the wealthy's generosity, the economic malaise is actually encouraging it. read more...

Charities Crushed Under Soaring Demand
Nonprofits serve more needy people while donations dry up

US NEWS & WORLD REPORT - The ailing economy is exacting a toll not only on the needy but on those who help them. After a series of strong years, charities are faced with donors tightening their belts and a growing number of needy. A new survey by the Center on Philanthropy finds that 83.2 percent of fundraising professionals say the economy is now actively harming donations. And a recent poll of Christian adults found that 46 percent had reduced their giving. read more...

Creating A World Without Poverty
by Muhammad Yunnus

In the last two decades, free markets have swept the globe. But traditional capitalism has been unable to solve problems like inequality and poverty. In Muhammad Yunus’ groundbreaking sequel to Banker to the Poor, he outlines the concept of social business -- business where the creative vision of the entrepreneur is applied to today’s most serious problems: feeding the poor, housing the homeless, healing the sick, and protecting the planet. Creating a World Without Poverty reveals the next phase in a hopeful economic and social revolution that is already underway. buy at Amazon.com...

Why Water?
An inside look at a charity to provide access to clean water

More than 1.1 billion people on the planet don’t have clean water. Founded by a former New York City party promoter, Scott Harrison, charity:water aims to raise money to dig wells in some of Africa's neediest countries. After traveling with Mercy Ships, Mr. Harrison was inspired to create a nonprofit that sells bottled water for $20 and then provides all of the revenue to deliver clean water to Africa. The sale of one bottle can buy someone 15 years' worth of clean drinking water. Click the link below to learn more.

Watch the video...