The philanthropic community continues to debate whether donor-advised funds or private foundations are better giving vehicles for major donors. After all, more than 175,000 DAFs hold more than $40 billion, and more than 80,000 private foundations hold more than $500 billion. There is no simple answer. Each tool offers its own advantages and disadvantages. The… Read more »
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Bruce DeBoskey is an award winning, nationally-syndicated author of columns and articles in newspapers and magazines such as The Denver Post, The Miami Herald, the Chicago Tribune, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, the Albuquerque Journal, the Sacramento Bee, the Kansas City Star, the Lexington Herald-Leader, the Charlotte Observer, the Fort-Worth Star-Telegram, 5280 Magazine, the Costco Connection, Boston College's Corporate Citizen Magazine, The Denver Foundation's Give Magazine, the Boulder Jewish News, Investments & Wealth Monitor, Company Week and many more. Bruce's columns are distributed by the Chicago Tribune News Service to over 600 newspapers and other news outlets across the U.S. and abroad.
Philanthropy benefits the giver, too, with “helper’s high” and “giver’s glow”
Any discussion of philanthropy usually focuses on how a giver can help others — other people, other organizations or entities, or even the world. But a growing body of scientific evidence demonstrates that acts of philanthropy strongly benefit the giver as well. Researchers call these benefits the “helper’s high” and “giver’s glow.” “Every great moral… Read more »
Startups are including philanthropy in their DNA
Many entrepreneurs think of philanthropy as something to consider way off in the future when their businesses are mature and profitable. There is a better approach. Philanthropy works best when it is included in a company’s business plan from the very start — when it is part of a company’s actual DNA, growing and prospering… Read more »
Pain of tragedy universal, so what triggers our charitable response?
In April, we witnessed three horrible human tragedies, each man-made and each resulting in death, injury and destruction. The philanthropic response to these events varied widely, raising intriguing questions about what motivates people to respond with charity in the face of tragedy. The first event was the Boston Marathon bombing. This act of terrorism killed… Read more »
Should Foundations be “All-In” on their Charitable Missions?
What would our world be like if charitable law required foundations to invest all of their assets in ways consistent with their charitable missions? This important question was recently posed by Mark Finser, chairman of RSF Social Finance. Most likely, our world would be a much better place. Charitable foundations exist for one overarching purpose:… Read more »
Five Questions Every Nonprofit Donor Should Ask
Donors wishing to contribute their time and treasure to nonprofits face a vast array of choices. After all, there are more than 1.6 million nonprofit organizations in the United States that would be delighted to accept their resources. The challenge for donors becomes how to make the right match. In order to make the best… Read more »
Strategic co-funding expands the impact of giving
Philanthropists from families, foundations and businesses are asking, “Can’t we accomplish more by working collectively instead of in silos?” In “Strategic Co-Funding: An Approach for Expanded Impact,” a new report published by Grantmakers for Effective Organizations and REDF, the authors assert, “Strategic co-funding is a key way grantmakers of all types and sizes can expand… Read more »
Next generation of donors committed to philanthropy
With $41 trillion expected to pass by inheritance to NextGen heirs in the coming decades, people are asking, “What’s going to happen to that wealth?” and “Will young people be as philanthropic as their elders?” The answer appears to be that young people are committed to philanthropy and will indeed quickly carry the torch and… Read more »
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… Read more »
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… Read more »