Philanthropy
The Disappearance of Yet Another Painless Way to Give
As the economy continues to shrink, individuals will need to make a more conscious effort to give.
As the economy continues to shrink, individuals will need to make a more conscious effort to give.
In a climate resistant to government spending on social causes, the focused donations of billionaire philanthropists may be the greatest force for societal change in our world. So says journalist Matthew Bishop in this Stanford Center for Social Innovation sponsored talk. Discussing his recent book, Philanthrocapitalism, Bishop shares anecdotes, analysis, and profiles of a small group of people who are influencing the lives of many by bringing their success in capitalism to giving, rather than to making money.
Recent surveys on giving by corporations and high-net-worth individuals look promising for the nonprofit sector. The author submits how to best obtain these resources in a competitive fundraising environment.
The author suggests that nonprofits seek lobbying help from corporations that are limited in the cash they can offer.
Nonprofits should focus inward and get their organization's fundraising strategies in order before they go "rush[ing] to grab a piece of the government's financial bailout package."
While being competitive at the base of the pyramid, don't lose focus on your customer or client. The remedy may be cooperation between organizations.
Mergers may require their own specific funding. The author recommends various sources for such funding.
In a chilly fundraising environment, recruit more volunteers.
National Instrument's partnerships not only energize science education, but also boost the company's brand and employee morale.
Left: An engineer readies her robot at the 2008 FIRST Lego League World Festival, an annual competition that brings together teams of students to show off their engineering chops. Powering her robot was sophisticated software developed by National Instruments. Her team, the Power Peeps of Swartz Creek, Mich., placed third.