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 nation’s charities are not hoarding or wasting money. The commissioner of the IRS’s 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 agency’s 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 name—already etched onto a wall or building—goes 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 life–because He’s 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...