March 2008

"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap,
but by the seeds you plant." - Anonymous

Secret Donor Man
Adventure billionaire Chuck Feeney on giving

PHILANTHROPY MAGAZINE - Chuck Feeney is the man behind the multibillion-dollar success of Duty Free Shoppers. His philanthropy is likewise marked by an entrepreneurial spirit and his tale of giving adventure offers many lessons for donors, such as engaging thoughtfully with grantees. Above all, Feeney has followed Carnegie in resolving to give away his wealth before he dies--mostly because he believes that "giving while living" maximizes both the quality of philanthropy and its satisfactions. read more...

Easy Come, Easy Go for Idealistic Heirs
New breed of heirs balance trust funds with a social conscience

NEW YORK TIMES - A new movement is emerging of relatively young heirs who practice what they call social justice philanthropy, an outgrowth of ’60s activism that emphasizes giving to small, local groups. While most of these philanthropists do not give away their entire fortune, they do give away enough to violate a cardinal rule of wealth management: don’t touch the principal. read more...

The Side Effects of Doing Good
The size of a gift can have unintended consequences

THE ECONOMIST - Is it possible—even in theory—for an organisation to work too hard for the benefit of humanity, or to devote too much money to the eradication of a deadly disease? To judge by some of the recent bickering between leading players in the field of global health, there are serious people who in answer to those questions would say, “paradoxically enough, yes.” read more...

Bottom-Line Philanthropy
Why can’t a charity be more like a business?

NEW YORK TIMES - On a trip to Vietnam with Operation Smile, a board member discovers that the charity world is often made up of countless well-meaning individuals who, collectively, turn into a hive of competing interests and misaligned incentives, where financing dollars and even information were hoarded. So he decided to do something about it. read more...

Private Sector Leads Aid to Africa
New paradigm of aid emerges for struggling nations

WASHINGTON TIMES - As the world tries to grapple with decades of failed attempts to alleviate disease, poverty and war in Africa, a new paradigm for aid is emerging that in many ways is spontaneous and unplanned. The U.S. private sector is now giving far more aid to Africa than the government is, in a complete reversal of past trends. read more...

The Case for MBAs in the Non-Profit Sector
What's behind the buzz of all the MBAs joining non-profits?

GUIDESTAR - There is a lot of buzz out there about MBAs joining the ranks of the nonprofit sector. Guidestar wanted to find out what is behind all the buzz. Are nonprofits really hiring MBAs? Are MBAs interested in working in the social sector? What are some of the challenges that nonprofits face when considering hiring candidates with MBAs? read more...

Charities Brace for Leaner Economy
Non-profits tighten their belts as economic downturn looms

NATIONAL CATHOLIC REPORTER - As the specter of recession looms over the U.S. economy and Americans begin to tighten their belts, managers of major charities are preparing for the possibility of smaller donations at a time of increased need for the services they provide. Survey data released in December by the Center on Philanthropy, which tracks donations nationwide, suggested that nonprofits were bracing for leaner times. read more...

Come On People!
On the Path from Victims to Victors
by Bill Cosby and Alvin Poussaint

Bill Cosby and Alvin F. Poussaint have a powerful message for families and communities as they lay out their visions for strengthening America, or for that matter the world. They address the crises of people who are stuck because of feelings of low self-esteem, abandonment, anger, fearfulness, sadness, and feelings of being used, undefended and unprotected. These feelings often impede their ability to move forward. The authors aim to help empower people make the daunting transition from victims to victors. Come On, People! is always engaging, and loaded with heart-piercing stories of the problems facing many communities. buy at Amazon.com...

Ron Blue is a member of the board of advisors of Excellence in Giving. He is also the president of Kingdom Advisors and the founder of a financial planning firm which grew to managing over $2 billion in assets. In a series of videos we will be featuring over the next several months, Ron unpacks key issues related to wealth, wealth transfer and estate planning:

Q: What are the six steps of estate planning and wealth transfer?

A: Watch the video...