Seven years ago, I began working closely with families, businesses and foundations to help them achieve greater impact for themselves and their communities through philanthropy. Over that time, much has changed and I’ve gained practical experience and learned valuable lessons within this very special niche. The field of strategic philanthropy is more sophisticated and complex…
Category: Businesses
Changes to federal policies could drastically affect philanthropists, nonprofits
Ever since the United States was founded, charitable support of nonprofit organizations has been a fundamental part of its social fabric. Every day, nonprofits touch millions of Americans’ lives. They provide for essential human services, advocate for core democratic values and support people, animals, arts and the environment. Plus, nonprofits account for 11.4 million jobs…
Focused mission statements help donors decide where to direct their money
When setting up a giving plan, most individuals, families and businesses begin with two basic questions: “Where do we start?” and “To which organizations should we give?” The answers to these two questions are essential to any strategic giving program — providing the framework for every subsequent decision a donor will make. Donors of all…
Risk, philanthropy go hand-in-hand
Risk is the likelihood of an undesirable outcome. Every action includes an element of risk. Philanthropy is no exception to this rule. In fact, charitable donations — because they seek to solve seemingly intractable problems — are often referred to as society’s ultimate “risk capital.” Risk and return analyses are important considerations when making any…
Tax Form 990: A treasure trove of information for strategic philanthropy
To achieve their goals, philanthropic families and businesses seek to partner with nonprofits that can demonstrate operational sustainability and effectiveness over the long term. For those making this decision, IRS tax form 990 contains a treasure trove of available information. Many otherwise-savvy donors fail to take advantage of this useful tool. Each year, tax-exempt organizations…
Seven trends in philanthropy to expect in 2017
2016 was a great year for philanthropy. It included record levels of giving and impact investing and more strategic approaches to charitable efforts. 2017 will likely launch its own unique trends. I’ll be watching for these highlights: Reduced tax incentives for giving Many knowledgeable observers predict that Congress will reduce income tax rates for the…
New research shows many donors are impact investors engaging rising generation
Important information about trends in individual and family philanthropy is revealed by two recent studies. These findings help us understand the nature of philanthropy in the U.S. They are pertinent to philanthropists and nonprofit organizations alike. The 2016 U.S. Trust Study of High Net Worth Philanthropy is a survey of 1,435 U.S. households with a…
The giving pledge for the rest of us
Since its creation in 2010, the Giving Pledge has been signed by 154 billionaires — ages 30 to 100, from 16 different countries, with combined wealth of nearly $800 billion — a sum greater than the GDP of most countries. These individuals have generously promised to donate at least $400 billion of their money to…
Rethinking and revising the “Donor Bill of Rights”
In 1993, four respected organizations worked closely together to publish a list of 10 “rights” intended to establish a stronger relationship between philanthropists and their nonprofit beneficiaries. However, 23 years ago the world was vastly different – as was the world of philanthropy. Because of far-reaching changes that have taken place since then, the Donor…
In disheartening and divisive times, philanthropy can spark hope
Many Americans are disheartened by recent events and trends. Issues like terrorism, mass murders, global warming, police/citizen violence and death, drug addiction, infectious diseases, economic and social inequality — and more – are generating a tremendous sense of hopelessness. In addition, the strident partisanship and dysfunction of the current election cycle result in less civility…