Giving

Darkening Clouds... Silver Lining?

Arianna Huffington | Posted 04.05.2009 | Politics


Arianna Huffington

While we are trying to move the economy to full capacity, we also need to make sure that our communities are operating at full capacity. Our full capacity of giving. Our full capacity of service. Our full capacity of compassion. As America's Misery Index soars, so must our Empathy Index.

Guest Post by Jacob Harold -- The Nonprofit Marketplace: Getting Social Impact Bang For Our Philanthropic Bucks

Paul Brest | Posted 03.16.2009 | Business


Paul Brest

The nonprofit marketplace doesn't exhibit the single most essential characteristic of a well-functioning market: open exchange of high-quality information that helps people make good decisions.

To Get Ahead, Give a Lot

Brad Ludden | Posted 03.05.2009 | Living


Brad Ludden

Give to people who need it a hell of a lot more than they do. The wealth that is gained by giving far surpasses any amount of dollar signs and replenishes your "soul" account.

Administrative Costs and Overhead

Paul Brest | Posted 03.02.2009 | Business


Paul Brest

Don't yawn and click on another link -- administrative costs and overhead sound really boring, but they're critically important for nonprofit organizations and also for donors.

The Search For Meaning In Government Service

Alex Pattakos | Posted 02.28.2009 | Living


Alex Pattakos

Question: Why doesn't the civil servant look out her window in the morning? Answer: So she'll have something to do in the afternoon. Doing the public...

Is Corporate Philanthropy to Philanthropy What Military Music is to Music?

Paul Brest | Posted 02.27.2009 | Business


Paul Brest

Most real-world decisions involve tradeoffs, and much corporate philanthropy lies somewhere between pure philanthropy and marketing.

Selfless Service: It's Time For Some Karma Yoga

Ed and Deb Shapiro | Posted 02.22.2009 | Living


Ed and Deb Shapiro

President Barack Obama is a natural karma yogi, as was Martin Luther King Jr. When your activity is for the benefit of others, and your intention and ...

Be Realistic, Expect Miracles: US Airways Flight 1549 And The Spirit of Service

Alex Pattakos | Posted 02.21.2009 | Living


Alex Pattakos

It is being called the "Miracle on the Hudson." On Thursday, January 15, 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 crashed into the Hudson River minutes after tak...

From a National Day of Service to the Promise of Citizen Power

Frances Moore Lappe | Posted 02.19.2009 | Living


Frances Moore Lappe

My problem with the service frame is simple: If I serve, someone else is being served. If I serve, I act, but the other -- the beneficiary -- does not. "Service" seems to create two classes: the givers and the receivers.

Why Evidence is Essential in Defining the Missions of Non-Profits

Paul Brest | Posted 02.09.2009 | Business


Paul Brest

I believe that a great nonprofit organization is ultimately only as good as its theory of change. There is considerable knowledge about what works and what doesn't work in particular contexts.

Guest Post: Sean Stannard-Stockton

Paul Brest | Posted 02.09.2009 | Business


Paul Brest

The theory of change concept makes sense in a static landscape. But it fails in a dynamic landscape, where what you learned on your last trip might not apply this time.

The 2/3 : 1/3 Rule

Dennis Whittle | Posted 02.06.2009 | World


Dennis Whittle

As Bill Easterly has pointed out, we have spent more than $2 trillion in aid over the past fifty years with not enough to show for it.

Beginning Anew: How To Find A New Direction

Dr. Cara Barker | Posted 02.06.2009 | Living


Dr. Cara Barker

With the approach of the new year, we may feel, like winter's trees, that we've been stripped bare from what's sustained us in the past.

Michael Edwards' Case Against Philanthrocapitalism

Paul Brest | Posted 02.02.2009 | Business


Paul Brest

In "Just Another Emperor?" Michael Edwards challenges philanthrocapitalists to transform the economic system that made them rich, not just address its symptoms.

Mexico: Sharing the Holiday Light

Jeannie Ralston | Posted 01.28.2009 | World


Jeannie Ralston

In Mexico, Posadas take place every night from December 16th until the 24th. Nine nights to commemorate the nine-day walk Joseph and Mary took from Nazareth to Bethlehem.

How Do You Want To Be Remembered?

Alex Pattakos | Posted 01.24.2009 | Living


Alex Pattakos

It's that time of year again! You know, when we not only should be in the "holiday spirit" but also should be preparing for the New Year. There is n...

Reinventing Christmas in America

Karen Talavera | Posted 01.23.2009 | Living


Karen Talavera

To say things are different in America is perhaps the greatest understatement of the year. Things are different all right, good-different and bad-diff...

Donate Life This Holiday Season

Irene Rubaum-Keller | Posted 01.23.2009 | Living


Irene Rubaum-Keller

Although it isn't fun to think about your own mortality, the idea that, after you're gone, you could help someone else keep living is appealing. One person can save up to 8 people's lives with organ donation.

Creative Giving in Tough Times

Mary Lou Song | Posted 01.19.2009 | Living


Mary Lou Song

People are still going to give. But we can revolutionize the way we think about giving. What about the giving that comes from ourselves?

Philanthrocapitalism

Paul Brest | Posted 01.19.2009 | Business


Paul Brest

Matthew Bishop and Michael Green describe how super-rich "philanthrocapitalists" like Bill Gates are shaking up the world of giving with their businesslike methods.

Charity's red kettles can yield odd treasures

AP | MITCH STACY | Posted 01.18.2009 | Living


TAMPA, Fla. — The volunteer emptying Salvation Army kettles in southwest Florida recently came across something that stood out from the piles of...

A Great Year for Heavy Donations

Karen Dalton-Beninato | Posted 01.15.2009 | Living


Karen Dalton-Beninato

Even as the economy slows down, the New Orleans Musicians Relief Fund seems to be a magnet for donations that weigh a great deal.

The GiveList: A Holiday Resource for Tough Times

Allison Fine | Posted 01.15.2009 | Living


Allison Fine

Given the tight economy, we thought it would be helpful to aggregate ideas of ways that people can give to causes this holiday season that don't require a donation.

Does Your Donation Actually Make a Difference?

Paul Brest | Posted 01.12.2009 | Politics


Paul Brest

A diverse group of nonprofit leaders have joined a Working Group for Effective Social Investing to develop a rating tool that allows donors to compare the effectiveness of various charities.

Activist Sabotages British Power Station, Reducing Country's Carbon Output By 2%

The Guardian | John Vidal, Environment Editor | Posted 01.10.2009 | Green


The 12-million-British-pound defences of the most heavily guarded power station in Britain have been breached by a single person who, under the eyes o...