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)…
Category: Foundations
Employee engagement builds better companies, stronger communities
Being fully “engaged” at work profoundly influences an employee’s willingness to learn and perform, and has real impact on a company’s bottom line. Engagement is defined as an employee’s positive or negative emotional attachment to a job, to colleagues and to an organization. Unfortunately, 71 percent of employees in the United States are either “not…
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…
Corporate-citizenship enhances triple bottom line
Companies of all sizes, from the local restaurant to the regional law firm to the national or international corporation, are recognizing that an active corporate social-responsibility program plays an essential role in ultimate business success. No matter the size of the company, the community or the contribution, these entities realize that having a reputation as…
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…
Corporate citizenship efforts pay off for U.S. businesses
When asked “Does business act responsibly?” 70 percent of Americans answered “yes” in 1968. By 2011, the percentage had dropped to 10 percent, according to a Yankelovich and CNN/USA Today Gallup Poll. Given recent revelations about outsourced fire-hazard sweatshops and megabank billion-dollar fraud settlements, it is doubtful that percentage has risen since then. In light…
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…
Impact Investing: putting your money where your values are
More than ever, investors are pondering, “Am I destroying with my left hand what my right hand is trying to save?” Trillions of dollars are invested by millions of Americans in stocks and mutual funds, banks, and retirement funds like IRAs and 401(k)s, seeking to generate significant financial returns. Most of these investors are philanthropic,…