Is Your Nonprofit Truly Philanthropic?

Most nonprofit managers, if asked, would answer "yes" if they were asked whether their organization truly embodied the culture of philanthropy. But does it really?

To fully answer this question, you must first clarify what makes up a philanthropic culture. During the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ 50^th International Conference on Fundraising, representatives of the Osborne Group, a management, consulting and training firm, defined a culture of philanthropy and stewardship as follows: Everyone within the organization, including recipients of services and their families, and the board of directors, understands, embraces, believes in and acts on the person’s roles and responsibilities in philanthropy and stewardship in a collaborative and donor-centric manner.

With this definition in mind, the speakers listed six ways to create a philanthropic culture at your nonprofit:

• Organizational vision provides the urgency for change. A great organization and a successful fundraising operation begin with a clear and compelling mission and an aspirational and urgent vision undergirded with shared, stated values.
• Change requires a vision as well. Imagining the organization or institution once it achieves the culture of philanthropy and stewardship paints a picture all constituencies can grasp.
• Start with champions and modeling behavior. These champions serve as guiding lights.
• Wow the team. It is hard to make others feel great about giving and participating if the proposed change agent feels beleaguered or under-appreciated.
• You need a plan. A vision without a plan is just a pipedream.
• Institutionalize the new changes. Document the new policies and procedures. Reward and celebrate success.

Microsoft To Offer Nonprofits Office 365 Free Of Charge

Tech giant Microsoft announced Tuesday that it would be offering qualified nonprofits free versions of its Office 365 program.

As reported on CNET.com, this offer allows nonprofits in 41 countries worldwide to use Office 365 -- which contains word processing, e-mail, video conferencing, and calendar programs -- in their workplace free of charge. The donation program is part of the Redmond, Wash.-based software company's larger "Technology for Good" initiative, which distributes $2 million worth of software every day to organizations around the globe.

"In the hands of nonprofit organizations, technology can boost productivity, increase effectiveness through better collaboration, and extend services to new communities and individuals in need," Microsoft wrote on its web site. "Moreover, technology can be a powerful force that opens exciting opportunities for nonprofits to better achieve their missions and accelerate their impact."

Organizations must be recognized as a tax-exempt organization in their respective countries to qualify for this giveaway. In addition, eligible organizations should work to improve their communities in a meaningful way, including, but not limited to:

• Providing relief to the poor;
• Advancing education;
• Improving social welfare;
• Preserving culture;
• Preserving or restoring the environment;
• Promoting human rights; and,
• Establishment of a civil society.

One confirmed, organizations will have the choice to upgrade their Office 365 program to a cloud-only version for a reduced price of $4.50 (down from $20). You can find out more about this offer on Microsoft's website. 

Do you think your nonprofit will take advantage of this program? Let us know in our comments section.

Giving Tuesday Launches Holiday Donations, Community Building

Head to The NonProfit Times' website for the full version of this article on Giving Tuesday

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DoSomething in New York City sent an email to its mostly youthful members and supporters asking that they get their parents or anyone older than age 25 to take a five-question test. The penalty for each wrong answer is a $10 donation to DoSomething or a nonprofit of the test-takers choice.

Today is “Giving Tuesday,” the charitable sector’s answer to Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Approximately 2,200 organizations – both nonprofits and their for-profit supporters – are pushing Americans to kick-off the holiday season with a donation of cash or time. Much like store having promotions tied to their brands on Black Friday, it is up to each participating organization to determine how they’ll promote the event.

The event’s Twitter hashtag, #GivingTuesday, was already trending before the close of the business day on Monday. “We know this is going to be the first day of the giving season, and we’re excited to see what happens,” said Sol Adler, executive director of the 92nd Street Y (92Y) in New York City, where the idea for the day was hatched. “There are two days for spending (Black Friday and Cyber Monday), so the whole idea is, why not have a day of giving,” said Melanie Mathos of Charleston, S.C., software firm Blackbaud, one of the founding partners. “It’s a way to kick off the giving season, and the timing is great to raise awareness. It embodies the spirit of the holiday season and will bring greater awareness to nonprofits.”
Blackbaud will begin tracking giving on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving year-over-year, starting with this year compared to last year. Mathos said Blackbaud’s results should be ready tomorrow.

Though no one organization controls Giving Tuesday, a mass message of support from about 800,000 people will go out on Twitter via the Thunderclap platform at 2:30 p.m. (EST). Thunderclap allows for a large number of social media users to write a message and share it at the same time.

“One of the interesting things about Giving Tuesday is it’s an opportunity for experimenting,” said Henry Timms, 92Y’s deputy executive director of innovation, content and strategy. “Thunderclap is a chance for people to come together to share one message.” The 92Y experimented with Google Hangouts, and enlisted about 800 social media ambassadors to help spread the word between September and Giving Tuesday.

The 92Y is also driving donations and volunteering opportunities to itself, according to Adler. “We secured $150,000 worth of matching grants (for Giving Tuesday donations) from our board of directors and the general community,” he said. “We’re also doing a lot of opportunities for volunteering. We’ll have young kids doing greeting cards for soldiers and homebound elderly, and if you come down to the 92nd Street Y, a lot of it will be happening in front of you.”

No one is quite sure how Giving Tuesday will shake out, since this is the first event and there are a large number of variables. “This is the first year that a group of retailers and nonprofits and other folks in social media have pulled together to encourage the public to give,” said Anne Marie Borrego, director of media relations for the American Red Cross (ARC), another founding partner of Giving Tuesday. “We have Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday and now Giving Tuesday. It will shine a light on the importance of giving in the holiday season.”

Home Depot Founder Wins Philanthropy Prize

Bernie Marcus, the co-founder of the popular home improvement retailer Home Depot, was awarded the 2012 William E. Simon Prize for Philanthropic Leadership on October 11.

The William E. Simon Prize has been awarded every year since 2007 to business leaders who exemplify the principles of philanthropy. Recipients are given $25,000 which is donated to the charity of the winner's choice. Marcus, who co-founded the Home Depot in 1979, chose to give his earnings to the Marcus Autism Center at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.

The award is given by the Philanthropy Roundtable, the country's leading network of charitable donors, at the request of the William E. Simon Foundation.

"William E. Simon Sr. was a legendary, caring philanthropist, and it is heartwarming that his family continues this great legacy," said Marcus in a statement. "I have never done philanthropy with the objective of qualifying for awards, and it was a surprising and humbling experience to find out I had won this prestigious honor."

Marcus's business accomplishments are impressive, as he helped grow the Home Depot from a single store in Atlanta to a successful enterprise across the country until his retirement in 2002. His philanthropic deeds are also lengthy, including being the main force behind the funding for the Georgia Aquarium, and providing major contributions to medical research in the areas of autism and brain surgery.

"Bernie is strategic, effective and has high expectations for his for-profit and nonprofit investments," said William E. Simon Jr., co-chairman of the William E. Simon Foundation, in a press release. "Like our father, Bernie sets high standards and settles for nothing less. We are thrilled Bernie is the recipient of the 2012 William E. Simon Prize."

Recipients of the William E. Simon Prize must possess the ideals and principles which guides the award's namesake, William E. Simon Sr., the late philanthropist and Secretary of the Treasury under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. Those ideals include personal responsibility, resourcefulness, volunteerism, faith, and helping people to help themselves.

Previous winners of the Prize are Philip and Nancy Anschutz, Ben Carson, S. Truett Cathy, Raymond G. Chambers, Richard and Helen DeVos, Frank J. Hanna III, Roger Hertog, Charles G. Koch, David Robinson, the late John M. Templeton, and the late John T. Walton.

Northeastern Receives Record Donation

Two Northeastern University graduates who initially dropped out of the school teamed up to give their alma mater a record donation of $60 million.

Richard D’Amore and Alan McKim both dropped out of Northeastern as undergraduates but were encouraged to return by Professor Daniel McCarthy. The two former students’ $60-million donation is now the largest gift to the Boston school since a $20-million donation in 2006. As a result of the gift, Northeastern’s College of Business and Administration will become the D’Amore-McKim School of Business.

Northeastern plans to use the $60 million to launch new programs, attract top faculty, increase financial aid to students, subsidize cooperative education programs, and offer more opportunities for students to study and work abroad. The D’Amore-McKim School of Business is the first college or school to be named at Northeastern, and the $60-million gift is the fourth largest to name a business school in the United States.

A 1976 graduate, D’Amore had previously donated $5 million to the school in 2009 to support innovation and entrepreneurship. McKim, a 1988 graduate and founder and CEO of Clean Harbors, met D’Amore when the two teamed up to endow a professorship currently held by McCarthy. D’Amore is co-founder and general partner at Waltham, Mass.-based North Bridge Venture Partners.

“Once in a generation, history is made in the life of a university. This is one of those moments,” said Northeastern President Joseph Aoun in a statement.

“Northeastern has had a huge impact on me — both personally and professionally,” D’Amore said in a press release. “I hope that what Alan and I are doing will inspire others to do the same.”

Maurice Sendak's Legacy Of Philanthropy

Well known author and illustrator Maurice Sendak passed away today at the age of 83 after suffering a stroke. While Sendak was best known for books such as "Where the Wild Things Are," he also leaves behind a legacy of philanthropy.

The Huffington Post reported today that Sendak was quietly involved in a number of philanthropic causes. In 2010, he gave $1 million to the Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services, a New York City based agency that provides services to needy families in the state. Sendak decided to make the gift in honor of his partner, Eugene D. Glynn, who died in 2007 after working for the organization as a psychiatrist for 30 years. Sendak told The Wall Street Journal at the time that he was contributing to a cause that Eugene would have wanted to do.

Sendak's donations didn't always come in the form of money. Since the 1960s, he had been donating his books and illustrations to Philadelphia's Rosenbach Museum of Library. Sendak served on the museum's board of directors.

You can read the full story in The Huffington Post.

Amazon's Philanthropy Nearly Non-Existent In Seattle

Amazon.com, one of the largest and most popular online retailers, was originally conceived in downtown Seattle, Wash. Yet while other organizations born in the Emerald City have been very active in their hometown's philanthropy, Amazon has been noticeably absent.

According to a report in The Seattle Times, the online retail giant has been a minor player in Seattle's philanthropic scene.  The United Way of King County which, as The NonProfit Times reported, received a record $117,390,119 last year. Microsoft made a corporate donation of $4 million in 2011.

The list of Amazon's no-shows for its hometown is quite extensive. The Times reported that many nonprofit officials find it difficult to find someone at the company who will talk to them, and Chief Executive Jeff Bezos didn't attend a January 2011 luncheon meant to honor him as "Executive of the Year." Even more important for the city, Amazon has made no significant donations for Seattle-area causes.

Major companies  are usually found on lists of major donors for local nonprofits, but that's not the case for Amazon. The Seattle Times found no record of Amazon donations to Seattle-based nonprofits like the Seattle Symphony, Washington's Special Olympics, or YMCA of Greater Seattle. Most of its financial support has gone to writers' groups. Since 2009, Amazon has supported 80 writers' groups in the U.S., including 19 in the Seattle area, with grants of about $25,000. It also gave the University of Washington $51,000 over a three-year period.

Bezos has defended his company by saying that its most important contributions come in the form of its core business activities. He also expressed skepticism, in a 2010 interview with PBS' Charlie Rose, that philanthropy was the best way to solve problems. He noted that the Kindle, the company's e-reader, could be seen as a low-cost way to distribute books to the needy.

Yet that is really the extent of Amazon's philanthropic activity in the area. What do you think of this story? Can you think of any reason why Amazon would be reluctant to engage in philanthropy in Seattle? Make sure to read the full story in The Seattle Times.

Remembering Whitney Houston's Philanthropy

News broke this weekend that six-time Grammy Award winner Whitney Houston died at the age of 48.  Last night's Grammy Award Show featured many moving tributes to the late singer, whose cause of death is not yet known.  Although she is best known for her great voice and personal troubles, Houston also leaves behind a philanthropic legacy.

Ecorazzi, a pop-culture blog, wrote about Houston's charitable work on Saturday and it showed that as her musical career grew, so did her efforts to help the less fortunate.  Like other celebrities, Houston created her own foundation, the Whitney Houston Foundation for Children, a nonprofit that helped kids with cancer and AIDS all over the world.  The foundation was founded in 1989 and was awarded an honor by VH1 in June 1995 for its charitable work.

Houston also worked to raise money for other charitable causes.  She has worked with a wide variety of nonprofits including the United Negro College Fund, St. Jude's Children's Hospital, and the Children's Diabetes Foundation.  Her performance of "The Star Spangled Banner" hit #1 on the charts in 1991, and all the proceeds from that record went to the Red Cross.  More recently, according to the site Look To The Stars, Houston and her sister created a line of scented candles, with a portion of the proceeds going to Teen Summit, a nonprofit that helps turn around the lives of young adults.

You can read more about Houston's philanthropy in Ecorazzi.

eBay Founder Dedicated To Philanthropy

Unless you've been living under a rock, you probably have at least heard of the online auction site eBay.  Maybe you've even won a few collectable items from it.  But if you were asked how the name Pierre Omidyar connected to the site, would you have an answer?

Pierre Omidyar is the founder of the successful auction site and he has lived a fairly quiet life.  Prior to a big profile recently published in USA Today Omidyar, 44, avoided the spotlight.  He gave an occasional interview now and then, but he spent the majority of time working with his wife Pam on his real passion: Philanthropy.

Pierre and Pam have given over $1 billion to hundreds of causes both through individual giving and four organizations they created: Omidyar Network, Humanity United, HopeLab, and Ulupono (which is Hawaiian for "doing the right thing") Initiative.

Yet the Omidyars don't just throw their money around without a plan.  More often than not, their donations go to charities that have solid business plans that allow them to produce the needed funds to keep its programs running.  Think of it as a venture-capitalists' approach to philanthropy: They want their money to go to organizations that have the best chance to create social change.  And that all starts with having a solid business strategy.

What do you think about the Omidyar's approach to philanthropy?  Do you think we will start seeing more philanthropists take this venture-capital-like approach?

Make sure to read the full story in USA Today.

Alabama Gives Day Expected To Generate Crucial Funding

With many states across the country having success with the Gives Day movement, Alabama has decided to join the fun for the first time.

The Montgomery Advertiser reported Sunday that the first annual Alabama Gives Day will begin on Thursday, Feb. 2.  Beginning at 12:01 a.m., Alabamians will be able to donate to charities via an online portal alabamagivesday.org.  More than 800 nonprofits within 12 categories are registered to participate in the event.  Among the participating nonprofits are the Hospice of Montgomery, the Mid-Alabama Coalition for the Homeless, and the Montgomery Area Food Bank.

The Gives Day movement has been very popular since its inception in Minnesota in 2009.  Its purpose was to increase philanthropy and increase donor acquisition for nonprofits.  The concept has had plenty of success stories, like Colorado Gives Day, which recently had 52,000 donations totaling $12 million.  There is no monetary goal set for Alabama Gives Day; organizers simply want as many nonprofits as possible to participate.

If the Gives Days of the last few years are any indication, Alabama Gives Day should be a great source of funding for local nonprofits.  Read more about the event in The Montgomery Advertiser.

The Role Of Technology In Philanthropy

The World Economic Forum, one of the largest gathering of business and political types, began last week in Davos, Switzerland.  Where there is talk of money, philanthropy will naturally become a central topic.

The New York Times wrote a blog post last Friday about a panel discussion at the forum on the role technology plays in philanthropy.  Hosted by the Victor Pinchuck Foundation, the program began with a discussion about "e-philanthropy," specifically mobile payments.  This technology has allowed donors to give small amounts of money to causes.  A good example of its importance was seen in the 2010 earthquake in Haiti.

Alec Ross, a senior advisor on innovation to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, shared his experiences with mobile giving to the panel.  He said that the government put together a mobile giving program in the aftermath of the earthquake.  The program allowed donors to text the word "Haiti" to a specific number, which would send a $10 donation to relief efforts.  The program ended up raising $35 million in two weeks, completely shattering their expectations.

Although this program was successful, all the panelists agreed that one of the main problems with philanthropy is transparency; people want to have a better idea of where their money is going.  Sean Parker, founder of Napster and former president of Facebook, cited a nonprofit that he helped finance as an example of good transparency.  Charity Water, a nonprofit organization that advocates for clean drinking water around the world, developed online tools for their website that show donors how their money is being used.  Parker said that this kind of online fundraising should be adapted by all nonprofits to give donors a better sense of security.

Read more about this topic in The New York Times.

Global Fund Gets Major Gift From Gates Foundation

These are tough economic times we live in, but philanthropic organizations are still willing to give big money to causes that improve the lives of people in need.

That was the key message that Bill Gates sent when his organization, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, committed $750 million to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.  The major gift came in the form of a promissory note, a new funding mechanism that allows an organization to distribute funds based on immediate needs, which leads to greater impact.

The Gates Foundation has always placed a high priority on deadly diseases with its philanthropic efforts.  The organization has already contributed $650 million to the Global Fund since its inception 10 years ago at the World Economic Forum, which is a gathering of the world's top business and political leaders.  In addition, the foundation has a Global Health Program that uses advances in technology to help save lives in poor nations.  Most of this work is done through grants to partner organizations.

Since 2002, investments to the Global Fund have helped develop innovative treatments for AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria in developing countries around the world.  The organization has provided antiretroviral treatment to 3.3 million people, detected and treated 8.2 million people with tuberculosis, and provided 230 million bed nets to families to prevent malaria.  These efforts and more have helped save 100,000 lives every month.

You can read more about this story in The NonProfit Times.

After Bankruptcy, Kodak's Philanthropy At Risk

Kodak, one of America's oldest film companies, recently filed for bankruptcy.  It's unclear what's to come in the company's future, but one thing was made clear: Some difficult choices are in the cards for the company's philanthropic efforts.

Channel 13 WHAM in the Rochester area reported yesterday that because of the bankruptcy, Kodak was likely to scale down their corporate philanthropy.  The company had written on its website that "in the near term … it is likely that we will have to make difficult choices about our philanthropic investments and activities."

Although Kodak's philanthropy has significantly dwindled since 1990, the company and its employees have still funded many groups.  For example, the United Way of Greater Rochester has seen millions of dollars come into the organization from Kodak.  In addition, Kodak founder George Eastman has financed some of Rochester's greatest institutions, such as the Eastman School of Music, the home of Kodak Hall (which the company recently helped renovate with a $10 million donation).

It's still possible for Kodak to continue donating money during the bankruptcy process, but it will more than likely have to scale back on a major scale while they deal with creditors.  You can read more about this story on WHAM's website.

Bowling Green Raps About Big Donors

Who knew that you could make a great rap about donors?

If you are subscribed to our Instant Fundraising newsletter, you probably read about Bowling Green State University's rap tribute to the donors to its new athletic facility, The Stroh Center.  Here are some of the highlights from the rap, which proves that you can make decent rhymes in the name of philanthropy:

In the case of Miles, he “gave cash in piles/Sportin Charles Taylors, rockin’ argyles/He knows the game ya’ll, he ain’t no amateur/back in the 50s he was the student manager.”

Frack “made cash in stacks – snap – he’s given some back/2 cold million. Mad Falcon support!/He’s laying it down for the Bill Frack Court.”

If you are like me, you probably wondered what the rap sounded like.  It's one thing to read the lyrics, it's another to hear them in action.  Well luckily for you, the video was posted on YouTube.  We now present it to you in all its glory.  Enjoy!
 

Jacksonville Jaguars Owners Stay, To Relief Of Charities

When does the sale of a football team rock the nonprofit world?  When the owners of said football team are major philanthropic figures in the community.

If you are a fan of the NFL, you are probably aware that the Jacksonville Jaguars sold the franchise yesterday.  You might not be as aware that the owners of the team, Wayne and Delores Barr Weaver, are the most visible and active philanthropists in Jacksonville.  In an article published yesterday in The Florida Times-Union, nonprofits reacted with relief that, despite the sale, the Weavers will be staying in Jacksonville.

Words like "Thank God" were thrown around by various nonprofit executives when The Florida Times-Union approached them with the news.  And it's not just because of the money they donated ($55 million to local causes since the mid-90's) that has Florida charities thankful; the Weavers changed philanthropy in the city of Jacksonville.  The couple donated $27 million to The Community Foundation in 2007, most of which went to agencies in need, but $11 million of it was used to create endowments for 22 local nonprofits.  Until the Weaver's gift, few Jacksonville nonprofits were endowed.

It's because of stories like that why nonprofits were excited to learn the Weavers will continue to be active in Jacksonville philanthropy through the Weaver Family Foundation.  Time will tell if the new ownership of the Jaguars will be able to turn the team back into contenders.  But with all this uncertainty, at least nonprofits know that their favorite football owners are staying where they are.

Make sure to read the full article on the Weavers at The Florida Times-Union.

Steve Jobs And Public Giving

In light of the passing of Steve Jobs yesterday, I thought I would bump this post.  The world truly lost a visionary in his passing.  He will be missed.

Unless you've been living under a rock, you are probably aware that Steve Jobs recently announced his resignation as CEO of Apple.  Jobs leaves behind an impressive legacy at Apple, with products like the iPhone and iPad revolutionizing our society.  He also has accumulated a great deal of wealth, nearly $8.3 billion through his shares in Apple and Disney.  Yet, as The New York Times reports, there is no public record of Jobs ever giving money to charity.

Millionaires are often at the forefront of philanthropic activities.  Bill Gates is well known for his work in philanthropy, and Warren Buffett has gotten many billionaires to sign a so-called "Giving Pledge."  The NYT piece examines why Jobs has never been involved in the philanthropic sector, at least publicly, but it came away with few answers.  The article mentions that Jobs did create a foundation in his name in 1986, but closed it after a year.  There has also been speculation that he has been hesitant to give because he has been focused on expanding Apple and dealing with his declining health. 

Given his somewhat private nature, it is possible that Job has given anonymously.  The Times article mentions that there has been speculation that a $150 million donation to the Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center came from him.

To read the full article on this subject, head on over to The New York Times.

Philanthropic Giving After 9/11

Yesterday was a solemn day for our country.  As we honored the lives of those lost on 9/11, we had to once again relive those horrifying images from 10 years ago.  There were some positives we were able to take from that day, however.  We remembered the brave work of the First Responders at Ground Zero, how we united as a country, and the re-ignition of philanthropic giving.  That last point was something that was covered in the most recent issue of The NonProfit Times.

Nearly $2.6 billion was raised following the attacks, creating a turning point for philanthropy in response to large-scale disasters.  Following 9/11, Americans continued to give generously when these disasters took place, whether it was the Gulf Coast hurricanes in 2005, or the Asian tsunami in 2004.  As long as donors were sure their money was going to where it is supposed to be going, they seemed to have no qualms about giving large amounts of cash.

That was one of the lessons learned following 9/11.  The Red Cross came under heavy criticism when it was learned that money raised from the Liberty Fund--set up to collect donations in the wake of September 11th--would also be used to prepare for other major disasters.  This was eventually changed due to massive public pressure, creating a lesson that future charities heeded. 

If you want to learn more about giving post-9/11, check out the full article on that subject on our website.

Arab American Philanthropy On The Rise

Philanthropy among Arab Americans is increasing, according to a report in New America Media; and The Center for Arab American Philanthropy (CAAP) is a big part of that increase.  The Dearborn, Mich.-based group, which is a project of the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS), is the first national giving program in the Arab American community.  This doesn't mean that philanthropy is a foreign subject to this group, however.  The article notes that charity is something that has long been stressed by the Arab culture.  For example, there is an Islamic tradition known as Zakat, that requires followers to set aside a portion of their income for those in need.

Nonprofits like ACCESS, which was formed in 2005, have been very important for the Arab community in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.  They have sought to fight the negative perception of Islam that some Americans had after the deadly attacks.  Kate Casa, director of communications at ACCESS, says that many in her community were reluctant to participate in public philanthropy for fear of being accused of supporting extremist groups.  To combat this fear, ACCESS has created a system of transparency.

To read the full article, including details on the organizations that received CAAP grants, head on over to New America Media.

Erie Gives Day Rakes In The Cash

A couple of years back, we wrote a story about Giving Days in a number of states.  Those events were met with a great deal of success, and now it appears Erie, Pennsylvania is experiencing the benefits of online philanthropy.

GoErie.com reported today that Erie Gives Day raised $690,513 for the 223 nonprofits that were involved in the event.  Considering that the number stood at $582,038 with only two hours left, the amount raised is staggering.  Community leaders said that the cash raised will significantly boost the nonprofit sector.  The cash comes with additional meaning since organizations are expecting large reductions in state funding later in the year.  The nonprofits involved will receive their donations on August 12th at the Erie Community Foundation.

This story is not only an example of the extraordinary generosity of citizens in this country, but also of the power of online fundraising.  More and more, we are seeing that this medium can be used to great effect.  One of the more recent examples of this came in the case of Reel Grrls's spat with Comcast.

You can read more about Erie Gives Day by visiting GoErie.com.

The Changing Geography Of Poverty

When most Americans think of poverty, the first images that usually come to mind are sprawling urban jungles.  Rarely do we ever think of severe poverty taking place in our seemingly perfect suburbs.  Yet according to recent data cited in an article in The New Republic, there are currently more poor people living in the suburbs of major cities. 

The TNR piece doesn't necessarily tackle why this is happening, but it does examine the role philanthropic organizations play in addressing this new "geography" of poverty.  The article cites a study by Sarah Reckhow and Margaret Weir that examined the suburbs of four major American cities: Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, and Detroit.  The major finding of their report was that charitable organizations were not well equipped to deal with this geographic shift in poverty.  This has happened for a number of reasons, though I found the most interesting to be donor preferences.  As I hinted at in the opening paragraph, many people still see poverty as an urban problem.  As a result, it seems many donors prefer to send their money to areas that would seem to be prime areas for homelessness.

In addition, the Reckhow and Weir report revealed that there are very few well-funded philanthropic foundations in suburban areas.  Perhaps the most telling issue, however, is that many suburban communities are simply unwilling to support new programs that would help fight poverty.  That seems unfathomable, but it is a reality. 

If you have the time, you should read the rest of this piece in The New Republic.  We would love to hear your thoughts on the issue of poverty in the suburbs.  Have you seen a distinct lack of philanthropic support in your communities?  What steps do you think should be taken to make this issue more well known?