by Dan Siegel and Jenny Yancey While the Gates Foundation has raised the bar for global philanthropy, today's youth will revolutionize global giving in the coming decades. Youth under 21, so-called digital natives, were born into the era of globalization in which communication technologies have…

by Matt Robertson In 2008, at the age of 17, I traveled with a group of other teens to Zambia and South Africa on a philanthropy-oriented trip organized by YouthGive. We went to look at how microfinance, a method of lending small amounts of money to people so they can start a livelihood for…

by Victoria Dunning You might already suspect from your Facebook or LinkedIn profiles that the world is getting smaller. It's true. The folks on the far sides of the Earth are practically down the block in terms of human connections. A recent study showed that there are only 4.74 degrees of…

by Sandra Macías del Villar Emergencies are bound to happen. While there have been dramatic improvements in disaster preparedness and increased attention to mitigation, the outcomes of natural or man-made disasters are mostly unpredictable. In recent years we have seen a slew of catastrophes…

by Amanda Hsiung As a relative newcomer to global grantmaking, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to attend the Global Grantmaking Institute this week to strengthen my understanding of the field. Attending the institute has not only provided me with useful background knowledge, however. It's…

by Stephanie De Wolfe At this week's Global Grantmaking Institute, much of our discussion has focused on the role of communities in fostering lasting systemic change. Engaging community actors who work closely with vulnerable populations is a key factor. Focusing on community-based organizations (…

by Jorgen Thomsen The conservation of ecosystems is one of the most compelling environmental challenges of the 21st century. Vital to human well-being, ecosystems and their biodiversity provide food and water; regulate floods, drought, and disease; and support soil formation and pollination. They…

by Carina Wendel and Rebecca Graves A recent New York Times op-ed by Ray Madoff, entitled "Tax Write-Off Now, Charity Later" poses several theoretical challenges to Donor Advised Funds. The article suggests that donors' charitable dollars can sit in "holding pens" for decades. Moreover, it…

by Carol Thompson Cole In this day of 24-7 media, information flows nonstop and infinite reams of data can be crunched in seconds. Yet I am sometimes shocked by how very little we know, even about what’s going on in our own neighborhoods. Information is power, and while research and data might…

At ING, we have developed a strong corporate responsibility (CR) program that is enhanced through engagement in all levels of our company.  What have we learned? Buy-in and communications are important on a variety of levels. Tying CR directly to the CEO is critical. A CR program with strong…

Corporate philanthropy functions are increasingly emphasizing return on investment (RoI) in their grantmaking. Understandably, corporate foundations want to use their funding, energy, and time as effectively as possible. But for the Pfizer Foundation, evaluation is a tool to help refine our…

The Council on Foundations’ Corporate Philanthropy 2012 project calls for a “reinvention” of corporate philanthropy, in part through a core group of leaders/practitioners who are willing to “guide, adopt, test, and validate new management approaches.” So often our ability to transform established…

Major societal challenges-poverty, hunger, inconsistent access to high-quality education and health care-adversely affect hundreds of millions of people on our planet. The business community can play a vital role in addressing these complex problems. To make a meaningful contribution, businesses…

As the Council on Foundations plans for 2012, we’re looking for opportunities to partner with others to find effective ways to address the profound social and environmental challenges we all face. In addition, the Corporate Committee has been discussing the changing role of…

Earlier this month, a group of corporate citizenship leaders representing a range of industries assembled in New York to answer this question: What must we do to transform the corporate philanthropy and corporate citizenship fields? The context of the question comes at a time when business’ role in…