May 2009
"The excellence of a
gift lies in its appropriateness rather than in
its value." - Charles
Dudley Warner (American author)

White House's
Head of Social Innovation
From Google to government
CHRONICLE OF
PHILANTHROPY - Its now official: Sonal
Shah, former head of global development at
Google.org, the search-engine companys
philanthropic arm, is head of the new White House
Office of Social Innovation. The office of Social
Innovation will promote government efforts to
help innovative nonprofit groups and social
entrepreneurs expand successful approaches to
tackling pressing social problems. read article...
Family Foundations Shift Assets to Donor Funds
Givers gain cost and tax benefits but sacrifice
some control
WALL ST. JOURNAL
- Philanthropists are increasingly unwinding
their private foundations into donor-advised
funds. Some have been spurred by tough economic
times, a factor that has taken on increased
significance as foundation assets have plunged.
Donor-advised funds have other advantages: They
don't impose annual distribution requirements and
tax deductions for donor-advised funds are
bigger. read more...
Are You an Informed or Uninformed Tax Payer?
Use wise tax strategies to maximize your giving
KARDIA PLANNING
- A US Appeals Court Justice once said, "In
America, there are two tax systems: one for the
informed and one for the uninformed. Both systems
are legal." So which one are you on? read more...
VIDEO: What Nonprofit Employers Look For Today
How a nonprofit approaches the
hiring process
BRIDGESTAR -
To help job seekers better walk in the
moccasins of nonprofit hiring organizations, we
talked with Karen DeMay, a senior director on the
Bridgespan Group's executive search team. Karen,
who has worked closely with dozens of nonprofits
as they navigate the hiring process, explained
how their approach to hiring has changed in
recent months and what they are now looking for
in job candidates. watch the video...
Give and Count the Cost
Rich donors hit by the credit
crunch. Bad news for the poor.
THE ECONOMIST -
No sooner had philanthropy become
fashionable than the credit crunch shrivelled
fortunes. In 2007, American charitable assets sat
at $682 billion. But by the end of last year they
had shrunk by just over a fifth. The Obama
administration is hoping to put development aid
on a par with defence and diplomacy. Hillary
Clinton highlighted the new reliance on
charities, telling donors last month that the
State Departments doors were wide
openwe just need you to walk through.
read more...
Battles Between Charities and Dead Donors Worsen
Keep your donations flexible to avoid future
conflict
NEW YORK TIMES -
When the donor is alive, redirecting funds is
simple: a charity asks and the donor agrees or
disagrees. The battles ensue when the donor is
dead and the meaning of the legacy is up for
debate. Still, most people who give with strings
attached do so because they have a vision that
they want carried out. For those of you
considering donations, here are some of the pros
and cons when imposing restrictions on your gift.
read more...
Report Says World Bank AIDS Efforts are Failing
Progress has been poor despite
increased spending
THE GUARDIAN -
The World Bank has made little progress
in improving the health of poor people in spite
of a $10bn increase in spending, its in-house
monitoring body said. The watchdog said the
performance in Africa was "particularly
weak", with only 27% of projects considered
satisfactory. read more...
Re-thinking Charity
It's time to give charities the freedoms we give
to business
HARVARD BUSINESS
- Charity has come to business. But the sad
reality is that, with a few minor exceptions,
business has not yet come to charity. The
nonprofit sector remains tightly constrained by a
set of irrational economic rules handed down to
us from the Puritans that discourage profit,
self-interest, serious marketing, and risk-taking
and long-term investment for revenue development.
It's time for change. read more...
Charity-Government Relations Are Shifting
Philanthropy is adapting to the new Obama era
THE AMERICAN
PROSPECT - Historically, the relationship between
philanthropy and government has been one of
innovator and adaptor. While not all programs
that are replicated are ultimately successful,
foundations' greatest achievements have usually
occurred when government has stepped in. The new
administration has signaled a shift towards
partnership with nonprofits. Philanthropic
organizations are certainly ready to step
forward. But how they will actually work with the
Obama administration remains to be seen. read more...
Giving When It Hurts
How to help during these tough times
FORBES - Donors
committed to making a difference have an
opportunity to be more strategic in this economic
environment. The first steps include reviewing
your philanthropic portfolio, re-evaluating
giving priorities in light of diminished
resources, unknown tax policy changes and
possible lifestyle modifications and gathering
sufficient and accurate information to inform
decisions about which organizations to invest in.
read more...

The Gift of Passionaries
Changing Our World
If youve
ever asked yourself, How can one person
really make a difference? The Gift of
Passionaries Changing Our World will answer that
question and demonstrate how any one person can
change our world. In this extraordinary book,
youll learn how YOU can turn compassion
into action as you read these true stories of
everyday heroes, American social entrepreneurs,
who provide leadership and inspiration to
millions of volunteers. Discover the riveting
passionary stories behind the genesis and growth
of nonprofits like Americas Second Harvest
and Food Banks, Samaritans Purse, Prison
Fellowship, and Gifts in Kind International as
well as corporate philanthropists and service
groups exemplified by Kiwanis International and
Rotary. This book captures an unsung movement
unique to American cultureto create a
legacy, make a mark, leave the world better.
Modern-day heroes show each of us how we can make
a difference. buy at Amazon.com...
|