It's difficult, if not impossible, to fully understand something without experiencing it firsthand. This is true in business, life and love. Last week, I had a humbling experience on a trip to Haiti that reminded me of the importance of experience.

We can't just read a book and then adamantly defend the author's words as truth without having ever even stepped foot in the place they are speaking about or having much understanding of the context for their work.

Philanthropy can cause harm in myriad ways. We need to get it right. For those considering support for or work with international development and health projects, here are a few ideas on how to assure that money and effort leads to real impact in a way that "does no harm"

When Runa Khan first began work, most partners told her that the idea of floating hospitals was too innovative, if not outlandish.

Has the role of implementer and beneficiary shifted, or even flipped? I think by considering the following three trends, we can begin to forecast of how future humanitarian work will change in the next 30 years.

Jaded. Skeptical. A hypocrite. A hater. You get called all sorts of things when you say critical things about the international aid sector. People say...

The international aid community responds to familiar challenges, as they have for the past 20 years, with the same programs combining trainings and grants. One reason these programs have not yielded the intended results is that they have overlooked the importance of education.

NGO accountability is far from a dull subject, and the sector can learn about accountability from smaller, younger NGOs. Soliciting feedback from clients and maintaining openness, which doesn't necessarily have to be a function of size, are musts.

Despite billions in aid that were supposed to go to the Haitian people, hundreds of thousands are still homeless, living in shanty tent camps as the effects from the earthquake of Jan. 12, 2010, remain.

Sharemeister is running an experiment to see if they can get people to give passively to non-profits within the context of "competitive giving events." By downloading Sharemeister's browser application for Firefox, people can generate donations in the form of "Shares."

One of the most basic skills an entrepreneur needs to master right out of the gate is the ability to persuade others.