Philanthropy

Satisfied with doing good, too few foundations work strategically to do better.

In developing economies, local philanthropists are acting more like investors.

This season of giving often brings a focus on corporate philanthropy — on giving. But it’s hard to do well. If you wanted to design a corporate philanthropy program to have minimum impact, what would you do? Give out lots of grants in amounts too small to make a real difference. Back pet charities, not […]

A framework to help funders understand who they are and what kind of impact they aspire to have.

Within philanthropy circles, one of the major subtexts of the earthquake in Haiti was the phenomenal success of text-message fundraising appeals. Nonprofits are abuzz about it. The Red Cross alone raised more than $30 million via text donations by the middle of February, more than 10% of the total funds raised. This form of communication […]

Five lessons from a survey of more than 600 companies.

The collapse of Madonna's high-profile effort to build a school for impoverished girls in Malawi has made headlines around the world. The singer's celebrity...

Lessons from 15 world-changing initiatives

They're taking multiple routes to social good.

You simply can't ignore the implications of race.

Leverage is the mantra of the times in philanthropy, and rightly so. People want to know that the charities they support are using donations as effectively as possible. Donors and institutional funders are more demanding, more discerning, and less detached. They’re no longer content with writing a check and securing their place in heaven. They […]

A program paid workers $10,000 to relocate to Tulsa. And two recent studies suggest the investment was worth it.

It's time.

Academics, government, and civic groups can all benefit from greater access.

It’s about creating a balance of grant types, categorized by operations, growth, and risk.

Seven years ago, Bank of America launched Neighborhood Builders®, a program that provides grants and, more importantly, leadership training to managers...

Research shows that the charitable benefits of such "giving-by-proxy" programs can extend beyond their direct impact.

When it comes to philanthropy, executives increasingly see themselves as caught between critics demanding ever higher levels of "corporate social responsibility"...

Every year in the United States billions of philanthropic dollars go to more than 1.5 million nonprofits--some of which use the money inefficiently. But...

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