Who Are the Worlds Most Effective Givers?
Who are the best philanthropists? In a cover story (scroll down) Barons focuses on this question. And around the philanthropic world, this article is creating big conversation. Not because they are highlighting effective philanthropists, but because they are attempting to rank them. And there is no transparency as to the methodology used.
Barons is certainly to be commended for putting this list together and providing cover story exposure. A major global publication, they have chosen to focus on effectiveness, and not the size of the gift. But consider how much better this article could have been if we understood how they set the bar.
from Philantopic:
‘Givers’ Must Become Social Investors
Giving is often influenced by “tug-at-the-heart string” stories from charismatic nonprofit executive directors able to persuade people to open their hearts and wallets. Which means the funds flowing into the nonprofit sector today tend to go to organizations that tell good stories, have the right relationships, and/or have a recognizable brand. Unfortunately, none of these characteristics provides any real indication of an organization’s ability to perform and generate social value and, as a result, millions of dollars of charitable “giving” are wasted on ineffective organizations and programs.
from Civil Society (U.K.)
European ‘clawback’ law threatens “massive losses” for UK charities
A proposed European Commission cross-border inheritance law could open up the door to charities losing not only legacy donations, but potentially other charitable gifts made during a deceased donor’s lifetime.
from Forbes.com:
Eli Broad Picks The World’s Seven Most Powerful Philanthropists
As part of a feature on the world’s most powerful people, Eli Broad picks the seven most powerful philanthropists.
from Barons:
The name of the game in philanthropy this year is to make your dollars go far – very far. With the recession squeezing donors and charities alike, it’s more important than ever to make sure your giving really makes a difference.
Ideally, each dollar you give will transform itself into $3 or $4 of benefits for your chosen causes – from improving local schools to easing world poverty. That’s high-impact giving, and some philanthropists are raising it to a high form of art.