As Thanksgiving approaches, most Americans plan to gather with family and friends. For many of us, the upcoming holidays are a wonderful and highly anticipated time to connect with loved ones, express our gratitude for the abundance in our lives and indulge in excess — both in what we eat and drink, and in what…
Category: Family & Individuals
100 years of community foundations: Accomplishments and challenges
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…
Domestic microfinance helps people start businesses, alleviate poverty, and create jobs
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…
Hunger where we live — the philanthropic response
For more than 30 years, I’ve lived in the same neighborhood in Denver. It’s nice – with neat lawns, friendly people and a great sense of community. Just a few blocks from my home, there’s a public elementary school. Recently, I received a flier that asked for food donations to help fill the Friday-afternoon backpacks…
Reap benefits of donor-advised funds while giving to causes you care about
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)…
The 7 Deadly Excuses for Avoiding Philanthropy
Millions of generous Americans donate to charities as individuals or as part of a family or business. At the same time, many other people buy into myths about giving — myths that undermine their willingness to give (or give more) to worthy causes. Some of the common excuses I’ve encountered over the years: I don’t…
Religious values fuel charitable giving
The world’s major religions actively promote philanthropy by encouraging charitable actions that address such pressing issues as income inequality, hunger, homelessness, climate change, discrimination and injustice. America’s religions do the same. In 1835, political thinker Alexis de Tocqueville observed, “Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits aflame with righteousness…
Put the “Giving” back into Turkey-Day – A Tale of Two Umbrellas
It had been raining hard for days. Reports of 100-year floods were coming out of Boulder and Lyons to the north. A colleague and I were walking a few blocks to a nearby restaurant for a breakfast meeting. As we walked, a man who appeared to be homeless stepped out from the side of a…
Crowdfunding Fuels Philanthropy
Crowdfunding is a rapidly expanding Internet tool designed to allow large numbers of people to invest or contribute money in support of new businesses, people in need, interesting ideas or important causes. Its recent growth is impressive. In 2012, crowdfunding supported more than 1 million global campaigns. The amount raised was $2.7 billion, an increase…
Meaningful Philanthropy Can Be the Legacy You Leave
How many people can you name who lived 100 years ago? Including politicians, scientists, artists, inventors, historical figures and our own ancestors, many of us struggle to name even three dozen. How many of the 314 million Americans or 7 billion planetarians will be remembered 100 years from now? Very few of us will be…