Over the past five years, I have written 60 monthly “On Philanthropy” columns for Sunday’s Denver Post. These columns covered a broad range of topics related to individuals, families, businesses and foundations — and how they can approach their philanthropic initiatives with strategy, thoughtfulness and effectiveness. In my role as a philanthropic strategist, I’ve gained…
Last week, the Clinton Foundation held its second CGI America conference in Denver. Led by former President Bill Clinton, the foundation is one of the most prominent in the world — and among the most controversial. In a wide array of direct initiatives, the Clinton Foundation brings together businesses, governments, nongovernmental organizations, or NGOs, and…
Increasingly, charitable donors are interested in “impact investing” with their philanthropically committed capital. They seek more creative ways to align their investments with their missions. Earlier this year, in “All investing is impact investing,” I discussed the growing recognition that grants and investments can generate both financial returns and social impact. In this column, I…
Last year, U.S. corporations donated more than $18 billion to nonprofits — and billions more if you include the value of employee volunteerism. Successful companies now recognize that philanthropy is a key component of corporate citizenship and overall business strategy. Too often, corporate philanthropy is random and uncoordinated. To be truly effective, it must be…
In the United States, nearly $1 trillion is committed to philanthropy — sitting in foundations, donor-advised funds and elsewhere. Donors have transferred ownership of these funds to separate entities and received their tax deductions. Yet only a small percentage of those funds is expended on charitable donations for the public good. The great majority of…
During the holiday season, our mailboxes are overflowing with catalogs, holiday cards — and requests for donations. Our voice message boxes are not much farther behind. At this time of year, when people are feeling particularly generous, nonprofits work hard to raise needed funds for the upcoming year. Although critically important to nonprofit budgets, most…
In 2013, contributions to U.S. nonprofits grew to more than $335 billion — approximately 2 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product. Of that sum, only 5 percent came from corporations. There are solid business reasons why this number should be larger. New studies demonstrate that corporate social responsibility helps not only the world, but…
The first community foundation was created 100 years ago in Cleveland. Within five years, additional community foundations sprung up in Boston, Chicago, Buffalo, Milwaukee and Minneapolis. Today, there are more than 700 community foundations in urban and rural communities across the United States. With more than $50 billion in combined assets, they distribute an estimated…
In international microfinance, small loans are made to help people in developing countries lift themselves out of poverty. This concept also works domestically. In the U.S., nonprofit microfinance organizations help low-income people start businesses, create jobs, alleviate poverty and improve their opportunities. Traditional financial institutions were created to help people who already have money or…
In the philanthropic universe, there are many ways to give. The challenge becomes selecting the tool that best helps donors meet their unique philanthropic goals. The fastest-growing tool in this arena is the widely acclaimed donor-advised fund. More than 200,000 DAFs have been created, with an estimated $50 billion now under management. DAFs are 501(c)(3)…