Smart Philanthropy
At the best of times, philanthropy is a complex business. To begin with, there’s the question of which group, among the millions of needy and suffering people in the world, to help. Even more complicated is the strategic planning around how best to “help” people. Philanthropic organizations need to determine how best and most efficiently to raise funds, what kind of assistance to provide, how to deliver that assistance effectively, and how to help build a sustainable infrastructure in communities they mean to help.
For the general public, especially in a time of recession, the question is which charities to trust and how much we can afford to give. Many are so jaded by stories of philanthropic waste – millions squandered on elaborate fundraisers and bureaucracy – that they opt out altogether.
Recent years have seen the emergence of charity-rating websites, microdonations, and new ideas for sustainable philanthropy that represent real advances in the area of “good works.” Food and Wine Magazine’s “Chefs Make Change” initiative leverages cooking celebrity and microdonations to combat hunger, illiteracy, and more. Edward Norton’s CrowdRise was a pioneer in the online microdonation space. Big Think Chief Economist Daniel Altman proposes that by folding their philanthropic efforts into a long-term, bottom line focus on profits, corporations can do more good than by separating “people, planet, and profits.” And Sophal Ear discusses the power of personal narrative in raising international awareness of human crises.
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Celebrity Chef Superfriends Vs. Hunger
Chefs Make Change, a loose coalition of superstar chefs, is leveraging the power of micro-donations to raise a million dollars for charities, many of them focused on how, what, and whether people eat.
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Leverage Social Networks for Good
The idea for Crowdrise came from Norton's experiences trying to raise money for the New York Marathon. -
Beyond Celebrity Adoptions
What the world needs now – and just might be able to listen to – are humanitarian ambassadors like Sophal Ear, who have experienced atrocity and devoted their lives to doing something about it.
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Ostrich, Unbury Thy Head! (or, another good reason for long-term thinking in business)
Co-authors Daniel Altman and Jonathan Berman argue that businesses will do better business and more social good by considering all of their activities – humanitarian and otherwise –in terms of how they impact long-term profits.
Latest
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How to Make Creative, Collaborative Spaces
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What's the Latest Development? There are concrete steps individuals and businesses can take to make their offices into creative and collaborative spaces, say the directors of the design school at Stanford University. Furniture that encourages good posture is more likely to invite engaged problem ... Read More
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Is All Fair in Love and Tennis?
about 1 hour ago
In the fourth round of the Australian open on Sunday, Nicolas Almagro hit his opponent Tomas Berdych in the face with the ball as Berdych approached the net for a volley. At the end of what became a grueling match, Berdych surprised the crowd by refusing to shake Almagro's hand, even though Berdych ... Read More
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More Election Notes: Romney the Favorite Once More (But Santorum Might Be Surging)
about 1 hour ago
BIG THINKER Robert de Neufville has said, quite correctly, that Romney is the favorite for the Republican nomination two weeks in a row. But it's a little misleading to say he remains the favorite. He's the favorite once more. At the time of Robert's first post, it seemed to Romney was poised ... Read More
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Punk Rock Girls Against Putin
about 2 hours ago
It's not easy to take on Vladimir Putin. Just ask Nikolai Maksimov, who was thrown in prison, or Boris Berezovsky, who was forced into exile. Both men are billionaires tycoons who didn't play by Putin's rules. On the other hand, if you have an $18 billion fortune and apparently promise to play ... Read More
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The Catholic Crackdown on Feminism
about 7 hours ago
In 2009, the Roman Catholic church convened an "apostolic visitation" - a sort of modern-day auto-da-fe - a rare step taken when the Vatican feels that a church-affiliated institution has gone seriously astray. The church officials in charge of the investigation conducted interviews at almost 400 ... Read More
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Are Charities a Waste of Time?
about 7 hours ago
Philanthropy is a tricky business. To begin with, there’s the question of which group, among the millions of needy and suffering people in the world, to help. Even more complicated is the strategic planning around how best to “help” people. Philanthropic organizations need to determine how best and ... Read More
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Field Notes from a Summit on Climate Change Communication
about 10 hours ago
On January 19-21, the University of Michigan's Erb Institute and the Union of Concerned Scientists hosted a major summit of more than 100 social scientists, scientists, professionals, and political leaders focused on the topic of “Increasing Public Understanding of Climate Risks and Choices: What ... Read More
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Celebrity Chef Superfriends Vs. Hunger
about 19 hours ago
Q. How do you raise money for charity in the midst of a recession? A. Go for the gut, and take small donations. This is the powerful strategy behind Food and Wine Magazine’s initiative Chefs Make Change, a loose coalition of ten superstar chefs, each of whom supports or runs a charitable ... Read More
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Moving a Cemetery: How to Drag Higher Education into the 21 Century
1 day ago
Our university system is bloated, inefficient, too expensive, and increasingly out-of-sync with a digital society and global economy. Dr. Lawrence Summers, former Secretary of the Treasury and President of Harvard, is on a mission to change the way we think about higher education. In his new ... Read More
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Now in Fashion: Invisibility Cloaks
1 day ago
An invisibility cloak? That sounds like science fiction. Until now. Scientists at the University of Texas at Austin unveiled the results from an experiment in which they were able to conceal a three-dimensional object from microwaves by covering it with a plasmonic material that disguises light and ... Read More
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You Don't Need an MBA to Invent a New Business Model
1 day ago
Watch an extended version of our interview with Lynda Weinman, co-founder of Lynda.com: What's the Big Idea? Lynda Weinman quite literally wrote the book on web design. She was 28 years old and managing a failing retail store when she first saw a computer, which her boyfriend brought ... Read More
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Election Notes: Mitt Is Still the Favorite
1 day ago
The chance that Mitt Romney will be the Republican nominee fell since last week after Newt Gingrich beat him by 12 points in Saturday’s South Carolina primary. After the primary, Romney fell behind Gingrich in the polls both nationally and in Florida, where the next primary is being held. While the ... Read More
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Smarter Investing
Obama Leads to Curb Tuition Costs
President Obama has announced a plan to increase the federal tuition loan fund, double the amount of work-study programs and create incentive programs to drive down tuition costs.
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Overcoming Adversity
Mean Girls Setting Back Gender Equality
Once on top, ambitious female leaders can fall prey to the same behaviors that have created gender bias in the workplace. Selena Rezvani calls for a little solidarity, a little sisterhood.
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Smarter Investing
Farming: Bill Gates' Next Project
It is a horrible irony when many of the world's farmers, supplying food to local and global markets, are themselves on the verge of starvation, says Gates. We need another green revolution.
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Learning From Failure
The Real Key to Productivity? Sleep.
Figures like Bill Clinton and Arianna Huffington have spoken publicly about the deteriorating effects of sleep loss in our personal, political and work lives. When will we learn to rest well?