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Philanthropy News Digest invites opinion and commentary on topics of importance to the philanthropic sector. For more information on this feature, contact Mitch Nauffts, PND's publisher/editorial director, at mfn@foundationcenter.org.
A New Era of Muslim-American Philanthropy Requires Fewer Obstacles to Giving
by
Saima
Zaman,
program officer,
GlobalGiving
In his recent speech to the Muslim world, President Obama pledged to work with American Muslims to ensure they are able to fulfill their Zakat, a religious obligation to charitable giving. Even amid the din of controversy and cable commentary, this promise did not go unnoticed. But before the president has a chance to follow through on this commitment, there are steps charitable organizations can take to reduce the obstacles facing Muslim American donors....
Posted on June 23, 2009
Students Face Uncertainty After Graduation
by
Stacie
Spector,
Associate Vice Chancellor, University Communications and Public Affairs,
University of California, San Diego
The fundamental mission of higher education is to provide students with the knowledge and skills required to make a positive contribution to society. As state funds for education continue to decline, public universities and community colleges increasingly must rely on supplemental funding....
Posted on June 5, 2009
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Commentary & Opinion From Other Sources
Op-Ed: Making Jewish Philanthropy Work in a Post-Madoff World (Jerusalem Post 6/30/09)
The sentencing of Bernard Madoff has ignited a media storm of interviews from unsuspecting victims, business associates who knew him (or thought they did) and reports about more Ponzi schemes discovered in the wake of the New York financier's crimes.
And for those of us in the Jewish community, pained by a scandal where massive amounts of Jewish philanthropic capital were wiped out overnight, the situation has been heartbreaking. Pair that tragedy with the worldwide financial crisis and you can see why many Jewish funders, truly dedicated to a myriad causes, have become more cautious. In the face of corruption, lost fortunes and unemployment, funders who support Jewish organizations, and those who run them, have had to make tough decisions....
Op-Ed: Michael Jackson Led the Way With Philanthropic Efforts (Atlanta Nonprofit Business Examiner 6/29/09)
June 25, 2009 marked the day that musical icon Michael Jackson passed away. I would be remiss to not reference him in my first Examiner article, while highlighting the non-profit and charitable giving efforts of celebrities. Michael will be missed, not only because of the entertainment legacy that he leaves behind, but also because of the philanthropic ideology that he bestowed upon us. Michael's desire was to 'Heal the World,' as he sang about in his 1985 musical collaboration with Lionel Richie. He later started the Heal The World Foundation in 1992, with the goal of globally helping those children in disadvantaged situations by providing the necessary tools to further their own development.
As people continue to mourn the death of Michael Jackson, many are beginning to take note of his charitable contributions. He was such a generous individual that he was listed in the 2000 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records for "Most Charities Supported by a Pop Star," with that number being 39. Having donated over $300 Million of his personal wealth over his lifetime, Michael has certainly set the stage for the current surge in celebrity philanthropy....
Op-Ed: Ford Ahead: The Foundation Tightens Its Belt (Wall Street Journal 6/26/09)
The Ford Foundation recently announced that it would be offering buyouts to one-third of its 550 employees. On the surface, the reason seems obvious: too little money. Right now, the foundation has $9 billion in assets. That may sound like a lot of money, but it is $4 billion less than last year, thanks to the country's financial crisis. And if Ford were a business, belt-tightening would be the expected response. But in the world of philanthropy, Ford's drastic action has come as a surprise.
Now all eyes are on Luis Ubinas, who since becoming president of the foundation last year has been trying to streamline its operations. In some sense, Ford is late to this philanthropic trend. Since the $27 billion Gates Foundation arrived on the scene, its founder has helped spread responsible business practices to philanthropy. And conservative foundations such as The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation and the John M. Olin Foundation have shown that they can sometimes outflank bigger, more established liberal foundations by being leaner and more focused. Ford's spending, by contrast, has reached almost governmental proportions....
Op-Ed: EfficientGovNow Encourages Northeast Ohioans to Vote for Government Projects Most Worthy of Funding (Cleveland Plain Dealer 6/21/09)
If there's a cause people can get fired up about these days, it's efficiency. We're all trying to find ways to make each scarce dollar go further. From the move for online medical records to the repair of our nation's aging infrastructure to the desire for greater automobile fuel economy — the push for efficiency is on.
Local government, where expenditures represent approximately 10 percent of all regional economic activity, is a particularly ripe area. And in the coming weeks, Northeast Ohioans can put extra muscle behind the efficiency push in a way that will help our whole region....
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