Women and Giving December 9, 2008

Women’s growing financial power changes the world of philanthropy

By Kimberly Palmer

Posted September 23, 2008

Angelina Jolie isn’t the only woman wielding her philanthropic power. As a result of their growing earning power, wealth, and financial control, women have surpassed men as the biggest givers, leading to shifts in how the philanthropic world operates.

Check out the rest of this US News and World Report article. 

Nurturing the next generation of philanthropists November 26, 2008

Are you teaching your child about philanthropy?  Try YouthGive where parents can create a Giving Account for their children and then let their children manage their account as their own foundation or donor-advised fund. 

Below you’ll see the YouthGive mission statement & value and beliefs:   

YouthGive helps to grow the next generation of givers and global citizens, believing that everyone can be a philanthropist. YouthGive is giving by the many, for all ages, with local and global impact. Help us create a new story for youth and families, one that empowers us all as caretakers of our communities and the world.

Values & Beliefs 1. We believe that engaging children and youth in philanthropy is critical to instilling lifelong habits of generosity and civic engagement. 2. Young people are often not recognized or asked to participate in community and civic life, yet are a vital resource in society. 3. Philanthropy can bring families together, build character and transmit values across generations. 4. Philanthropy is not about how much you have to give. It’s about how much you care and choose to give of yourself. 5. Philanthropy is a personal act of caring and a public exercise of citizenship. 6. Giving connects one to community, and is a means to change the world.

Redefine Christmas November 20, 2008

Did you know that we spend more on holiday candy ALONE than the combined annual budgets of The American Heart Association, The American Cancer Society, and Habitat for Humanity?  That’s an attention getter. 

This morning, I discovered this web-site, Redefine Christmas, which encourages visitors to think differently about holiday gift giving. 

Here is a quick introduction from the web-site.  I hope you’ll go check it out. 

It’s not about reinventing the holiday. It’s about changing the way we look at gift giving and receiving. It’s taking money we usually spend on obligatory gifts with little meaning, and creating gifts of charity that give in multiple ways, to the receiver, the giver, and people who truly need.

What’s the point of a giving party? September 21, 2008

Information:  The live small Give Big Alternative Giving Party makes philanthropy fun and easy and simplifies your holiday shopping.  Shop the local, national and international charities represented at the giving party for gifts for your friends, relatives and colleagues.  You simply make the donation and receive a gift card to give to your recipient.  Giving a gift that makes a difference feels good and makes an impact! 

Our Mission:  To offer individuals an alternative to the typical holiday gift. 

A look at another giving party September 16, 2008

Here’s an article from the Philanthropy Journal’s Women and Giving page about a giving party that took place last year in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. 

The Giving Party: Making Giving Fun by Rosie Molinary

 It’s the type of investment that wealth managers only dream about — leveraging $300 in three hours to produce $18,000 of impact. 

With the success going far beyond what Perri Kersh dreamed of when she conceived the Giving Party in September 2007, she’s already planning on Giving Party 2008.

Kersh, the owner of Chapel Hill-based Neat Freak Professional Organizing, helps clients who are overwhelmed by the stuff in their lives, diligently encouraging them to “consume” less. 

When she happened to see an Oprah interview with Bill Clinton about his book, Giving, she was struck by the many ways one can contribute to the greater good. 

Distracted, she moved from the television to her computer to check her e-mail. 

“I had three invitations for ‘sip and shop’ parties,” she says.  “After watching that show, I thought, ‘What if there was a party where, instead of buying stuff, you had the opportunity to donate to a charity in honor of someone you love?’”  More…

Tell me more about this giving party February 13, 2008

So what’s a giving party?  It’s an opportunity to celebrate a moment in life- a birthday, the holidays, etc- by focusing on giving in an alternative fashion.  In our case, as we prepare to celebrate the holidays with our loved ones, we wanted to create an easy way to celebrate our relationships in a meaningful way that does not necessarily add one more sweater, bath gel set, or razor to our often already full closets and drawers.  With our live small GIVE BIG celebration, we are hosting a handful of non-profits at a giving party that allows our guests to learn about what each non-profit does and then make donations to the non-profits of their choice in honor of the people who are they wish to remember this holiday season.  Maybe Ed will “buy” carbon offsets as a gift for his brother John who is flying in for the holidays.  Maybe Amy will “donate” a month’s care for a rescued dog to the local animal shelter in honor of her dog-loving sister.  Maybe Kate and Sean will “adopt” a World Vision child for the year in honor of their children.  The opportunities for celebrating the people in your life with an alternative gift are numerous, and by living small and giving big, all of us can have a happier holiday season!