What form does philanthropy take outside of the U.S.? In upcoming “Country Profile” posts, I seek to illuminate a country's history, current trends, and future questions surrounding international philanthropy. History: Like many countries, philanthropy in China has roots in the values espoused by native and imported religions. From the Confusion and Buddhist traditions, charity in China has emphasized mutual help […]
The Clintons are in the headlines again – and for two of my absolute favorite topics: transparency and public diplomacy. I’m giddy with excitement at all the ways you can slice the conversation – marriage, careers, national security, politics, philanthropy, international development, republicans/democrats, and can she do it? I won't drag you through the internal conversations I’ve been […]
The convergence of business and the non profit sectors in recent years has sparked an interesting conversation around the use of business lingo and methods in the social sector. Regardless of your preferred term – venture philanthropy, philanthrocapitalism, social entrepreneurship – the involvement of business in the social sector has prompted good debate on 1) how to quantify the […]
It's ultimately a chicken vs. egg debate – do you set up democracy first, then build a hospital; or do you build a hospital and hope it helps democracy to grow? U.S. foreign policy loves spreading democracy and freedom. How this is done* varies by current political climate, prevailing economic theories, and a country's friendliness factor. U.S. public opinion […]
There is an electric feeling in the air and a sense of optimism that feels so fresh – as though we’ve finally sloughed off the woolly, fear-laden misery of the last eight years. I would say it feels like spring, but there is snow on the ground. Last night's victory by Barak Obama was historic […]
Philanthropy has its share of very well-known women – trustees, CEOs, celebrities – all promoting various aspects of the sector. Alliance magazine's asks whether Jane Wales, Vice President, Aspen Institute may be the most powerful of them all. Whether you agree, the interview in this month's magazine is worth a read as it touches on […]
This WSJ post regarding a December meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative in Hong Kong caught my attention. While I’m keen on the idea of promoting philanthropic actions around the world, I’m also sensitive to the fact that these actions may not be one-size fits all. A main goal of the Asia-based meeting is to raise awareness among […]
I’ll be away for a while – collecting my thoughts in the Pacific – but wanted to leave the blog on a happier note than the economy and financial markets. Social Edge (a program of the Skoll Foundation – and one of my favorite emails to receive) has added four brief case studies from Tactics […]
A couple of weeks ago, I thought I was writing on the worst the economy had to offer. Fast forward to now – the world is involved and my local newspaper is reporting on the expected dip in non-profit donations. The economy, coupled with the newly released Matthew Bishop/Michael Green book on Philanthrocapitalism, has me wondering […]
While my mind has been swirling around Wall Street these past few days, a few philanthropy bits have caught my attention. Going to the Dogs– If you recall that a few of Leona Helmsley's millions were left to the care and welfare of dogs, you might appreciate the Hudson Institute's panel discussion (September 5) discussing […]
Last week, a sports-fan friend introduced me to an on-line forum where he publicly posts his weekly football picks. Coupled with the team he believes will prevail is a brief rationale of why he is making this choice and placing his bet on a particular team. For him, its a way to keep both a historical record […]
With Gustav, Hanna, and Ike just behind us and many more letters of the alphabet still to go, the GAO's report Voluntary Organizations: FEMA Should More Fully Assess Organizations’ Mass Care Capabilities and Update the Red Cross Role in Catastrophic Events asks what the federal government's role should be in coordinating between disaster management providers (i.e. voluntary […]
…fundraising, grantseeking, proposal writing, corporate giving? Check out the Foundation Center's free webinars on these topics. A good introduction to philanthropy and an even better example of accessible learning via the web. (I’ve taking a proposal writing course from the FC – but otherwise, have no affiliation.)
Yesterday's Give and Take blog brought up questions similar to those of my post on Frannie and Freddie Mac. (There are some interesting responses coming in from the public today.) With the Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch shake-up, the instability of AIG, the falling prices of oil, and the huge shocks to the market – what does […]
This week's government take over/bail out/acquisition of Fannie and Freddie Mac has prompted some very interesting conversations on all sides of government, business, and the non-profit sector – including how to balance the drive for profit with the desire to promote the social good. In addition to the questions of how Fannie and Freddie's charitable giving […]