September 2009

"I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare. If our charities do not at hamper us, they are too small. There ought to be things we should like to do and cannot do because our charitable expenditures excludes them."
- C.S. Lewis, British theologian & author

Leaps of Ambition, Faith and Love
Richard Stearns sets out to end global poverty

SEATTLE TIMES - It's a story filled with leaps of ambition, faith and love; of a boy who rose from a lower-middle-class childhood into the Ivy Leagues; a young man who leapt from agnosticism to faith and on to lead major corporations. About 10 years ago, Stearns jumped again. Taking a huge pay cut and moving his family across the country, he landed in Federal Way to lead the U.S. branch of World Vision, the largest Christian relief and development organization in the world. read more...

Who Sets The Limit On Your Giving?
For many, the IRS sets the ceiling on their annual giving

KARDIA PLANNING - The IRS agrees that for every one dollar you give to charity, it will reimburse you 40% of that gift (assuming a maximum tax bracket). So, for each dollar your family gives, you are giving 60 cents and the IRS is giving 40 cents! But this IRS "matching gift program" only applies to gifts made up to 50% of your adjusted gross income. If you want to give beyond that 50% AGI limitation, you lose the benefit of the IRS matching gift program. read more...

The Nonprofit Starvation Cycle
Most nonprofits are hungry for decent infrastructure

SOCIAL INNOVATION REVIEW - A vicious cycle is leaving nonprofits so hungry for decent infrastructure that they can barely function as organizations—let alone serve their beneficiaries. The cycle starts with funders’ unrealistic expectations about how much running a nonprofit costs, and results in nonprofits’ misrepresenting their costs while skimping on vital systems—acts that feed funders' skewed beliefs. To break the nonprofit starvation cycle, funders must take the lead. read more...

Regranting: Smart Humility?
Many donors choose others to make their giving decisions

ALLIANCE MAGAZINE - In 2008, unsolicited gifts to the Gates Foundation totaled $10.4 million. Many of these givers decided that they could either spend months researching the organization best qualified to accomplish their charitable objectives. Or, they could simply write a check to a foundation that is widely celebrated for delivering results. This is the essence of regranting. It is not a new phenomenon, but it is garnering more attention. read more...

Mutual Funds: Charitable Families
Management fees that go to charity: good or bad?

FORBES - Several mutual fund families direct a share of their fees toward good causes. But then, an investor may ask--if 50% of the profits are going to charitable causes, why not forgo the charitable giving and cut fees instead? read more...

The Exclusive Subset of Billion-Dollar Donors
Of the world's 793 billionaires, only 11 made the list

FORBES - The most exclusive subset of the world's wealthy may be this one: those living philanthropists who have already given away $1 billion or more. For the first time ever, Forbes has put together a list of the world's billion-dollar donors. Scholars of philanthropy have noticed some interesting patterns about these super-philanthropists. For example, Inherited wealth more often stays horded, while entrepreneurs give more generously. read more...

Feeling Good About Giving
The benefits (and costs) of charitable behavior

HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL - Many lay intuitions and pop psychology suggest that helping others does lead to higher levels of happiness. However, the existing evidence only weakly supports this causal claim. Researchers from Harvard Business School recently set out to understand whether giving does indeed causes greater happiness, and if it does, what is the effect of acknowledging such a claim. read more...

The Second Half: Finding Life's Pizzaz
An inspiring story of real adventure and real significance

HALFTIME - Linda Hood rose to the top of Wells Fargo and then decided to pursue a different career in her second half. Now, she is the executive director of Mercy Ministries, a fast-growing international nonprofit that serves young women dealing with addictions, eating disorders and abuse. She has given up so many perks of the executive life, one can only question what had captured her heart about giving her second half to serving these women. read more...

The $9 Trillion Question: Were Yunus and de Soto Wrong?
The real-world impact of microfinance is questioned

FOREIGN POLICY - In the development world, Muhammad Yunus and Hernando de Soto are considered saints. Both have either won or been shortlisted for Nobel Peace Prizes for their work in microfinance and poverty economics. In August, President Barack Obama awarded Yunus the Presidential Medal of Freedom. But the brilliant ideas advanced by Yunus and de Soto have had limited real-world impact. Nevertheless, by looking critically at de Soto and Yunus, a way to combine the best of their ideas and solve a multitrillion-dollar poverty problem suggests itself. read more...

Volunteering Wanes in Recession
72% of Americans are devouting less time to civic activities

NEW YORK TIMES - As the recession took hold, Americans cut back on volunteer work. That research finding undercuts anecdotal reports of volunteers’ flooding nonprofit groups as unemployment has increased and suggests the challenges faced by the Obama administration, Congress and foundations working to encourage greater civic participation. To many, the results came as a surprise because in previous downturns, the survey had shown an increase in civic engagement. read more...

Passionaries
Turning Compassion Into Action

Have you ever asked yourself, "How can one person really make a difference?" Passionaries answers that question with vivid, true stories of extraordinary social entrepreneurs turning their passions into action--and surprisingly shows how one person can change our world. This book captures an unsung movement unique to American culture--to create a legacy, make a mark, leave the world better. These modern-day heroes show each of us how we can do it too. buy at Amazon.com...