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. 

 

Latest

IdeaFeed

  • 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.

  • 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. 

  • 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.

  • 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?

Most Shared