Uncertainty Is Our Constant

At the start of this year, I was invited to speak at a philanthropy conference slated for late spring. I entitled my presentation, “Understanding the Philanthropic Zeitgeist.”

Of course, the original event was cancelled, replaced with a virtual conference last week. As I prepared my presentation, I gathered my thoughts on the elements of our current zeitgeist and those that particularly related to philanthropy, I was not short on relevant subject matter, including community, Zoom (and other virtual platforms), DEI, erosion of trust, and uncertainty. While Read more

November 16th, 2020 0 Comment

3 Cheers for the Little Guys

Let’s hear it for the small foundations—those with assets of less than $50 million, as defined by the Foundation Source and the subject of its Annual Report on Private Foundations 2015.

View image | gettyimages.com

These “little guys” are certainly doing right by the charities they fund.  In every category, from the very small (assets under $1 million) to the large small (assets between $10 and $50 million), the 769 small foundations in this study gave more in 2014 than they did in 2013.  Across all categories, Read more

June 4th, 2015 0 Comment

Living Philanthropic

Living philanthropic—something to which we should all aspire, and something which is within everyone’s means.  There are those who inspire and those that leave us with a big thud.  As we launch into 2011, I challenge us all to be inspirational.

In October of this year, Forbes magazine published an interview with Warren Buffet and Jay-Z, an unlikely pair that apparently hit it off—once each got past his nervousness!  They talked about business and philanthropy.  Buffet, true to his beliefs, recognized that his area of expertise Read more

January 1st, 2011 0 Comment