philanthropy

"It's been 5 years since my last Cancer diagnosis..."

Patti Keenan — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 15:01:05 -0600

I often think about the motivations that lead someone to give to one organization over another. A couple of months ago, an article in the Chronicle of Philanthropy: “A Growing Divide Emerges as 2007 Fund-Raising Year Comes to a Close” took at look at the reasons why charities that provide social services (or poverty-focused charities) tend to lag behind the fundraising achievements of colleges, arts institutions, and hospitals. For me, it has never been an either/or scenario. Here’s my story: read more »

2008-a year of change

Sharon Brewster — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 10:44:56 -0600

What will generation X do neXt? read more »

Can nonprofits Google effectiveness?

Meghan Keaney — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 17:53:05 -0600

There's an important conversation going on over at Tactical Philanthropy, one that I think will greatly influence the next stage of how the public measures the effectiveness of nonprofits. It all began with Sean Stannard-Stockton's predictions for philanthropy in 2008. A list of his expectations for changes to the nonprofit sector in the coming year. Before I get into the prediction that started all of the clamor, I do want to mention one that struck home to our own little (ok, not so little) organization... read more »

EMPOWE(RED) Consumers?

Ashley Ferrell — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 14:41:16 -0600

Purchasing a good that you already intended to buy and inadvertently donating to a charity is by no means philanthropy, nor is it intending systemic change – but as just one of many avenues to address an issue (in this case AIDS awareness and prevention) does it have to? read more »

General Operating Support and Impact

Chris OKeeffe — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 15:21:14 -0500

There’s an interesting discussion going on over at Tactical Philanthropy about, overhead, general operating support, and donor choice about “where the money goes.” These are all topics we’re familiar with here at United Way. What struck me in reading it was how some nonprofit information sites like Guidestar play into the illusions that

a) overhead is bad, and

b) that donors are interested in micromanaging how their gifts are used.

I think that what donors are really interested in is the results their gifts achieve, communicated in accessible and compelling ways. If they don’t have that, they resort to lesser proxies like overhead rates, etc. Our new investment strategy, which combines general operating support with accountability for results, goes a long way toward putting the focus where it belongs. If you want to see my post, look here. read more »

How Deloitte Lives United

Meghan Keaney — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 18:12:48 -0500

Community involvement has long been a key aspect of Deloitte's culture, and the firm has been a pioneer in skills-based read more »

Link Round-up!!

Laura Torres — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 15:00:27 -0500

The NYTimes Magazine has lots of great articles on the topic of philanthropy this week!

Highlights:

Can celebrities really help advance a cause?

Economists tackle the question: What really makes people give?

Is it possible to show a return on investment when it comes to philanthropy?

In thinking outside-the-box news, The Washington Post has published a radical idea from Michael Goldstein, founder of the MATCH School. In a nutshell Goldstein proposes that we let students drop out of High School and then let them come back when they are ready. Whaaaa?? Click here to get the full story.

There has been a lot of talk about boys being left-behind in education lately. This Boston Globe article explores how “Boys Clubs” have helped raise MCAS scores. Link.

According to this article on cnn.com, most middle-class Americans still cannot afford housing despite drops in pricing. Link read more »

Link Roundup!

Laura Torres — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 14:40:21 -0500

“In other words, a person who bought a home for $200,000 in the summer of 1988 would have had to wait nine years before being able to sell it for $200,000 again.” Excerpt from Boston Globe article on Boston 28 month housing slump. link

Good news! Money can buy you happiness. But only if you're generous...link

Food Stamp Use Nears Record. link read more »

Massachusetts Women Receive High Marks for Philanthropy

Meghan Keaney — Mon, 26 May 2008 17:40:39 -0500

BOSTON – How do Massachusetts women stand up to those in other states when it comes to philanthropy? According to new comparative figures from United Way of America, there are more women making substantial investments in the community through United Way of Massachusetts Bay & Merrimack Valley than through any other United Way organization in the country. At a celebration in Baltimore tomorrow night, the Massachusetts women who are a part of this movement will be recognized with a national “Fleur-de-Lis” award for their outstanding dedication to the community. read more »

Measuring long-term progress

Meghan Keaney — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 13:06:28 -0600

On Sunday, the New York Times ran an article, Can Foundations Take the Long View Again, which suggested that the increased focus on measurability in the nonprofit sector may be harming long-term strategies for social change in favor of short-term quantifiable projects that, on paper, appear to be more efficient... read more »