The landscape of philanthropy is changing rapidly with the growing popularity of charitable LLCs and crowdsourced support for causes. One of the drivers of this trend is Laurene Powell Jobs, the widow of Steve Jobs. She has become one of the wealthiest women in the world with her net worth of about $20 billion. A… Continue Reading
Charitable giving in the United States reached record levels in 2017. A recently released report from the Giving USA Foundation affirmed that 2017 was a record year for giving. Americans gave more money than ever before with a grand total of $410.02 billion. When adjusted for inflation, the figure represents a 3 percent increase from… Continue Reading
Philanthropy has played a major role in reshaping public spaces across the country, ranging from parks to plazas. Expansions and improvements to these public spaces have had a positive impact on communities and larger cities, although historically not much work has been done to investigate its effects. However, a new initiative has been launched to… Continue Reading
Technology has made it easier than ever to support charitable organizations. However, while this ease of donation can encourage many more people to give, it can also lead to people donating without first doing the proper due diligence. Before supporting an organization, especially with a large donation, individuals should invest some time in vetting that… Continue Reading
The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative made waves when it became a for-profit limited liability company (LLC) despite its philanthropic focus. The LLC structure does not come with the tax benefits that a foundation provides, but it does offer much more flexibility and privacy, which equates to control. Some industry professionals think that this strategy may become… Continue Reading
One of the emerging trends in philanthropy is a push to hold donors more accountable for the impact that they make through their funding decisions. This trend was solidified by the introduction of Philamplify a few years ago. An initiative of the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP), Philamplify provides critical feedback to select foundations… Continue Reading
If you want to stay up to date about trends in philanthropy and the philosophy behind giving, you have a number of different resources available to you, from charity blogs to podcasts. One of the oft-overlooked resources is the TED Talk. TED speakers come from all walks of life to deliver impassioned speeches on the… Continue Reading
For many people, the thought of donating to charity comes with some apprehension. Choosing the right charity can involve a lot of legwork, and finding the time for research can prove difficult. Some people might give more frequently if the process was simplified. Luckily, several charity-focused apps have made it much easier to support a… Continue Reading
The American Red Cross manages a wide range of initiatives to improve the lives of people living in the United States and other parts of the world. Many people associate the organization with blood donation or disaster response, but it is involved with several other causes as well, from veterans’ services to emergency prevention. Preventing… Continue Reading
When people think of prominent philanthropists, they may talk about John D. Rockefeller or perhaps Bill Gates as a more modern example. However, this view of philanthropy is far too narrow, especially when considering the intersection of pop culture and giving. Many leading pop culture figures have also emerged as major philanthropists. One of the… Continue Reading