May 2008
"The measure of a
life is not its duration, but its donation."
- Peter Marshall,
former U.S. Senate chaplain

Giving
Update: Provide Aid to Myanmar Victims
Contact Excellence in Giving for unique
funding opportunities
EXCELLENCE IN
GIVING - Relief aid being distributed in Myanmar
is a fraction of what is needed for the 1.5
million people facing starvation and disease. The
government and military of the country are making
it challenging for resources to reach refugees.
If you are interested in supporting effective
agencies on the ground in Myanmar, please contact Excellence in
Giving
today for more information.
Shaping Lives
Arizona developer offers housing to
the poor
FORBES -
Gill Gillenwater, a Scottsdale real
estate developer, raised $1 million to provide
housing, education and medical care to a
community across the border from Tucson. His aim
is to stem the flow of immigrants into the U.S.
and at the same time halt the cycle of poverty.
It's also an experiment in social reengineering.
Gillwater has set down conditions for residents
of the community, from education to jobs to
courses in birth control. "Working down here
has liberated me from my own ego," he says. read more...
IRS Steps Up to Ensure Effective Charities
Federal agency does not want
charities to waste or hoard
CHRONICLE OF
PHILANTHROPY - The Internal
Revenue Service is stepping up efforts to ensure
that the nations charities are not hoarding
or wasting money. The commissioner of the
IRSs tax-exempt division, said the tax
agency will be more aggressive in
monitoring the efficiency and
effectiveness of charitable organizations,
even though such monitoring is not expressly
within the agencys jurisdiction. read more...
Nonprofit Watchdog Loses Credibility
GiveWell tried to improve charity's
credibility and lost its own
FAST COMPANY -
GiveWell was founded last year to gather
and disseminate exhaustive data on the
effectiveness of charities. The founders stormed
the corridors of giant foundations, grilled big
charities about their operations, and blogged
about crashing philanthropy's "old boys'
club." Unfortunately, they didn't know when
to stop. read more...
The Genesis of Generosity
Living in response to wealth and generousity
LEADERSHIP
NETWORK - A growing number of
church leaders today are taking bold steps to
help their people become truly generous. Gripped
with a sense of accountability before God for the
enormous wealth we enjoy in our culture, these
leaders teach, preach, celebrate and model the
perspective that giving is much more than
financial stewardship and tithing. read more...
When a Donor Goes Bad
How charities handle donors who
don't follow through
CHICAGO TRIBUNE -
It happens more than you think. An
awkward situation that many charities and
colleges have found themselves in: How to handle
a donor who doesn't pay, and what to do when a
donor's good namealready etched onto a wall
or buildinggoes bad. read more...
Tech Firms Pursue Social Missions
Vibrant, revenue-generating
businesses with a social purpose
INTL HERALD
TRIBUNE - A new style of hybrid
technology organization is emerging that is
defining a path between the nonprofit world and
traditional for-profit ventures. Unlike most
nonprofit groups, these organizations generate a
sustainable source of revenue and do not rely on
philanthropy. Earnings are retained and
reinvested rather than being distributed to
shareholders. read more...
A
Dangerous Faith
by James Lund and Peb Jackson
Where did we get
this idea that life is meant to be complacent?
What if we were called to forfeit our comfortable
lifestyles? Meet the called: mountain climbers,
deep-sea divers, fighter pilots, and jungle
missionaries who follow God into the adventure of
a lifetime. A Dangerous Faith tells their dramatic
true stories, revealing incredible truths only
risk can inspire. Their stories will thrill and
amaze you. What they discover just might
revolutionize your lifebecause Hes
calling you, too, into a life of risk. Adventure.
Passion. Freedom. Truth. Are you prepared for a
Dangerous Faith? buy at
Amazon.com...

PBS
Nightly Business News Report
A Guide to Giving - Part 2
Philanthropy is a
mission, and it is also an industry. In 2005
alone, charitable contributions to nonprofits
topped $250 billion. The three part series
"A Guide to Giving" explores trends in
personal and corporate philanthropy and also
examines nonprofit accountability.
In the second
part of this series about trends in the
charitable giving industry, NBR correspondent
Stephanie Dhue looks at the movement to increase
accountability in the nonprofit sector.
Watch the
video...
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