Why Do People Give to Charity?
Giving is motivated by humans’ deeply held need to find meaning in life.
Altruism
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With Love Comes War
Xenophobia and altruism may have evolved hand in hand.
Review: Giving
The former president shares how ordinary citizens are helping to solve our big problems.
Meet Your Match
Matching grants work – but not for everyone.
Why Vivid Storytelling Inspires Giving
Ditch the statistics -- to fundraise more effectively use story.
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The New Volunteer Workforce
Nonprofits rely heavily on volunteers, but most CEOs do a poor job of managing them. As a result, more than one-third of those who volunteer one year do not donate their time the next year.
Catalytic Philanthropy
Despite spending vast amounts of money and helping to create the world’s largest nonprofit sector, philanthropists have fallen far short of solving America’s most pressing problems. What the nation needs is “catalytic philanthropy”—a new approach that is already being practiced by some of the most innovative donors.
The Hidden Costs of Cause Marketing
From pink ribbons to Product Red, cause marketing adroitly serves two masters, earning profits for corporations while raising funds for charities. Yet the short-term benefits of cause marketing—also known as consumption philanthropy—belie its long-term costs. These hidden costs include individualizing solutions to collective problems; replacing virtuous action with mindless buying; and hiding how markets create many social problems in the first place. Consumption philanthropy is therefore unsuited to create real social change.
Fundraising in Tough Times
Our economy is in bad shape and will only get worse. So what can fundraisers do to minimize the impact of this difficult period on our organizations, and at the same time maximize income?
Do No Evil
Google DotOrg launched in 2004 with bold ambitions and almost $1 billion in seed funding. But the results have been less than stellar.