---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Thu, 11 Dec 1997 12:44:50 -0500 From: Kevin Taglang <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Headlines Special: Philanthropy Headlines Special: Philanthropy The December 9 edition of the New York Times had a special section on philanthropy. A selection of stories are summarized below: Title: Why Do We Donate? It's Personal Source: New York Times 12/9/97(E1,E18) <http://www.nytimes.com/library/national/120997give-jacoby.html> Author: Susan Jacoby Issue: Philanthropy Description: All giving is personal as this activity reflects our morals, values and affiliations. Given this, it is not surprising that individual Americans, not corporations or bequests, account for almost 80 percent of the money donated each year. In the 1990's giving in the U.S. is up, mainly because the market has made the richest 20 percent of Americans richer - making them more willing to dig into their pockets, but the number of people who are donating has shrunk. "There's a real danger if giving comes to be perceived as a hobby for the elite rather than the responsibility of everyone," says Virginia A. Hodgkinson, a research professor of public policy at Georgetown University. Paul Clolery, the editor in chief of The Nonprofit Times, agrees, noting that "while the rich can afford to give more per capita, the middle class has been the backbone of American philanthropy in the century." Competition for philanthropic dollars is growing as non-profit organizations rush to fill the gaps created by cuts in government funding. But as these groups chase fewer dollars to meet greater needs, academic researchers are trying to figure out what impels givers to part with their money. Linda Barbanel, a New York psychotherapists who specializes in the psychology of money says government cutbacks play a minor role in a person's charitable behavior. "The real truth is that people who want to give will find a way to give something, regardless of what's going on in society or even in their own financial lives, and those who hate to part with money will find reasons to hang on to every dime." Title: In Search of a Cause: Volunteering Dos and Don'ts Source: New York Times 12/9/97 (E2) <http://www.nytimes.com/library/national/120997give-lewin.html> Author: Tamar Lewin Issue: Volunteer Work Description: While volunteering has waned slightly, Americans say they want to help. Unfortunately, matching needs with good intentions is not always an easy job as many volunteers find some projects more satisfying than others. "Around the holiday season, we get calls from people who look at their lives and think they should give of themselves," said Lyn Stone, the director of volunteers at the Jewish Guild for the Blind. "That's nice but in January, they change their minds. We try to refer them to a one-time event, like serving a meal." At volunteering organization New York Cares, volunteers attend an orientation program and receive a calendar that lists around 200 projects of which they can become involved. "This way, you get a lot of options, you know you're needed and you don't have to commit to being available every Thursday at 6:30," Kathleen Behrens, the director, said. If someone isn't entirely sure of their exact niche, organizations of this sort are probably the best place to start. Title: MacArthur 'Genius' Grants Get Some Heat and a New Head Source: New York Times 12/9/97 (E4) <http://www.nytimes.com/library/national/120997give-scott.html> Author: Janny Scott Issue: Foundations Description: Each year the MacArthur Foundation Fellows awards grants ranging from $30,000 to $75,000 a year for five years to a few dozen creative people (like Paul Buckman). "The money is intended to liberate creative people from constraints on their creativity." While the fellows program has provided fellowships to some of the world's top thinkers over the years, many still question its very concept -- feeling that its primary job is to create publicity for the foundation. Others say there is no way to determine the programs effectiveness and prove that the money has been well spent. This past October, MacArthur appointed a new director to the fellows program -- Daniel J. Socolow, a 57-year-old university administrator and entrepreneur. When asked about the program he said, "The goal is to make sure that the process doesn't get stale, that it continues to generate the kind of candidates across the spectrum of human activity that really are the most creative and the most cutting-edge and the most committed of people who are really trying to make a difference." Title: A Hands-On Generation Transforms the Landscape of Philanthropy Source: New York Times 12/9/97 (E2) <http://www.nytimes.com/library/national/120997give-miller.html> Author: Judith Miller Issue: Philanthropy Description: Baby-boomer philanthropists are taking a more hands-on and business-like approach in their giving practices. Taking a very different approach than those of their elders, many of these people in their 40's and 50's have decided to become personally involved in creating more effective charities and communities that will lead to a better nation and world. Many younger givers are seeking a return on their philanthropic investments, said Craig Smith, a philanthropy expert at the Conference Board, a New York-based business research institute. "The new generation is bringing the perspective of entrepreneurship into the nonprofit world," said Smith. This group believes that it is not only important to give money to help the impoverished but to provide the less fortunate with the tools they need to become self-sustaining. Title: Corporations Adopt a Different Attitude: Show Us the Value Source: New York Times 12/9/97 (E2) <http://www.nytimes.com/library/national/120997give-deutsch.html> Author: Claudia H. Deutsch Issue: Corporate Giving Description: Say goodbye to the days when corporations wrote checks to many different types of worthy causes. More and more corporations these days are choosing to give to charities that are in line with their vision for business. "We're investing in communities and causes that represent our primary markets," said Timothy J. McClimon, the executive director of the AT&T Foundation. "Corporate philanthropy has always brushed up against marketing, public relations, government relations and human resource management," said Craig Smith, a senior fellow at the Conference Board in New York, which researches corporate trends. "But now companies are far more explicit about using it as a subtle means of manipulation." Most corporate heads would disagree with Mr. Smith's wording but few would argue with his premise. But even as corporations ask what they are getting in return for their philanthropic investment, they also are looking to give in ways that help the recipient the most. Title: In a World of Good Causes, Beware Waste and a Few Crooks Source: New York Times 12/9/97 (E2) <http://www.nytimes.com/library/national/120997give-waldman.html> Author: Amy Waldman Issue: Giving Description: Since philanthropy does not involve buying a good or service sometimes it can be difficult to know what you are getting into. In an effort to sort out the honest from the devious, Federal and state governments are requiring more information from charities and are making this information more accessible to the public. People also can look to a quarterly guide published by the American Institute of Philanthropy that ranks charities financial performances in an effort to expose abuses within the sector. While services such as these can help a donor in deciding to which charity they should give, here are some sites that can also provide assistance: The Philanthropic Advisory Service of the Better Business Bureau <http://www.bbb.org>, Guidestar <http://www.guidestar.org> and The National Charities Information Bureau <http://www.give.org>. ------------------------------ To join the Benton Communications Policy Mailing List, email the following command in the body of a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED]: subscribe benton-compolicy YourFirstName YourLastName If at any time you would like to unsubscribe from the Benton Communications Policy Mailing List, email the following command in the body of a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED]: signoff benton-compolicy If you have any problems with the listserv or any questions about the postings, please direct them to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
