Book Description
This read-aloud book introduces the basics of sound money management and helps children develop a positive money attitude. Featuring whimsical illustrations and engaging child friendly explanations, the book helps parents teach their kids the value of Giving, to help others, Investing for their futures, Saving for retirement and Spending their money wisely, the four components to abundant money management.
Customer Reviews:
Absolutely Fantastic.......2004-01-17
I was thrilled to see a book that teaches children about the value of money. It is extremely well written and the colorful illustrations kept my three year old nephew wanting to read more and more the book.
Money Mama to the Rescue!.......2004-01-17
Money Mama and her three little piggies make the concept of saving as easy as 10/10/10/70! This great little book is beautifully designed, well-written and features bold, colorful illustrations that will immediately appeal to children AND parents alike.
My daughter, like most children, learned her bad spending and non-existent saving habits from her parents, (who learned their bad spending and non-existent saving habits from THEIR parents.) It's a destructive cycle that needed breaking, but I wasn't sure how to do it. Enter: "Money Mama & The Three Little Pigs". I learned about this excellent book (and companion piggy bank) from a friend (who showed me HERS!) I was so captivated by the simplicity with which the daunting subjects of "giving", "investing", and "saving" were communicated, that I HAD to buy a copy for myself and my daughter. By breaking the process down into bite-sized pieces, I learned that anyone can benefit from the lessons taught in the book -- no matter how large or small the amount of money, success can begin with one little dollar.
I highly recommend this book to everyone who has kids and struggles with the subject of saving! You're never too old to learn the invaluable lessons outlined in the book, and I give Ms. Mackey two thumbs WAY up for her ingenous and innovative presentation of a complex subject. This is the gift that keeps on giving (and saving and investing) -- I'm glad I got mine before they ran out! :-)
Book Description
The philanthropic landscape is changing dramatically as a new generation of wealthy donors seeks to leave its mark on the public sphere. Peter Frumkin reveals in Strategic Giving why these donors could benefit from having a comprehensive plan to guide their giving. And with this thoughtful and timely book, he provides the much-needed framework to understand and develop this kind of philanthropic strategy.
After listening for years to scores of individual and institutional funders discuss the challenges of giving wisely, Frumkin argues here that contemporary philanthropy requires a thorough rethinking of its underlying logic. Philanthropy should be seen, he contends, as both a powerful way to meet public needs and a meaningful way to express private beliefs and commitments. He demonstrates that finding a way to simultaneously fulfill both of these functions is crucial to the survival of philanthropy and its potential to support pluralism in society. And he goes on to identify the five essential elements donors must consider when developing a philanthropic strategy—the vehicle through which giving will flow, the way impact will be achieved, the level of engagement and profile sought, the time frame for giving, and the underlying purpose of the gift. Frumkin’s point is that donors must understand strategic giving as the integration of these five critical dimensions to giving.
Essential reading for donors, researchers, and anyone involved with the world of philanthropy, Strategic Giving provides a new basis for understanding philanthropic effectiveness and a promising new way for philanthropy to achieve the legitimacy that has at times eluded it.
Customer Reviews:
A wonderful book for donors who want to be (or are) engaged in philanthropy.......2006-10-19
I really enjoyed reading this book. It is good, well written, and includes lots of thought. Clearly much time was spent writing it.
This book is not for the philanthropist who merely gives a little. And it is not a guide for major donors who want to give effectively and in an informed and strategic way. Instead, this book is for major donors to read and learn more about the donor world that exists today. It provides a comprehensive theoretical framework of that world along with analysis.
I just got done reading Tracy Gary's "Inspired Philanthropy" written in 2002 (ISBN: 0787964107) which covers the same subject material, but in a different perspective. Instead of going heavy on the theoretical framework of the donor world as Frumkin does, Gary provides a guide to creating one's "giving plan." In a way I think "Inspired Philanthropy" and "Strategic Giving" are companion books even though different authors write them. By reading Frumkin's book along with Gary's book major donors can BETTER create a giving plan.
The book has the following 10 chapters:
1. Philanthropy and the Public Sector
2. Central Problems in Philanthropy
3. Donors and Professionals
4. The Idea of Strategic Giving
5. Dimensions of Philanthropic Value
6. Logic Models: Theories of Change, Leverage and Scale
7. Institutions and Vehicles
8. Giving Styles
9. Time Frames for Giving
10. Measuring, Knowing and Acting
I found the first three chapters to be my favorite. It is where the author explains that the nonprofit sector lacks much accountability and thus donors who donate blindly may be throwing their money into black holes. Maybe enough people will read the book and try to effectuate change so there will be more accountability in the future?
Chapters 4 through 10 are the chapters that seriously supplement Gary's book by providing prose on the art and science of philanthropy. If you are a major donor, then seriously consider giving both these books a read. You won't be disappointed. 5 stars!
Amazon.com
The Cathedral Within uses the metaphor of architecture to look at the way individuals allocate their resources to improve public life. Just as the enduring magnificence of a cathedral is not erected overnight, so, too, the transformation of a society takes many, many years to complete. And just as the construction of a cathedral is less a reflection of its builders' interest in masonry than a testament to the soaring reach of the human spirit, philanthropy is not so much a response to need as to a basic human requirement to give something meaningful back to society.
Bill Shore is the founder of Share Our Strength, a national nonprofit devoted to raising funds for antihunger and antipoverty organizations worldwide, and his book showcases the stories of some of the social entrepreneurs he has come across in the course of his work. Among his chosen visionaries are Alan Khazei, the cofounder of City Year, the community-service program upon which Bill Clinton drew for his own model of a national service, and Geoffrey Canada, the president and CEO of the Rheedlen Centers, designed to provide a safe haven for inner-city children. These leaders and many others, Shore argues, represent a kind of symbiosis between the need to improve oneself personally and the drive to transform the community. The Cathedral Within also contains an excellent resource directory of community organizations where readers can begin their own process of giving back. --Patrizia DiLucchio
Book Description
In this wise and inspiring book, social entrepreneur Bill Shore shows us how to make the most of life and do something that counts. Like the cathedral builders of an earlier time, the visionaries described in this memoir share a single desire: to create something that endures. The extraordinary people Shore has met on his travels represent a new movement of citizens who are tapping into the vast resources of the private sector to improve public life. Among them are:
-- Gary Mulhair, who has created unprecedented jobs and wealth at the largest self-supporting human-service organization of its kind, Pioneer Human Services of Seattle.
-- Nancy Carstedt of the Chicago Childrenís Choir, which provides thousands of children their first introduction to music.
-- Geoffrey Canada, who has made a safe haven for more than four thousand inner-city children in New York City, from Hell's Kitchen to Harlem.
These leaders, and many others described in these pages, have built important new cathedrals within their communities, and by doing so they have transformed lives, including their own.
Download Description
In this wise and inspiring book, social entrepreneur Bill Shore shows us how to make the most of life and do something that counts. Like the cathedral builders of an earlier time, the visionaries described in this memoir share a single desire: to create something that endures. The extraordinary people Shore has met on his travels represent a new movement of citizens who are tapping into the vast resources of the private sector to improve public life. Among them are:
—Gary Mulhair, who has created unprecedented jobs and wealth at the largest self-supporting human-service organization of its kind, Pioneer Human Services of Seattle.
—Nancy Carstedt of the Chicago Children's Choir, which provides thousands of children their first introduction to music.
—Geoffrey Canada, who has made a safe haven for more than four thousand inner-city children in New York City, from Hell's Kitchen to Harlem.
These leaders, and many others described in these pages, have built important new cathedrals within their communities, and by doing so they have transformed lives, including their own.
"Simply revolutionary."
LOS ANGELES TIMES
"Bill Shore is a true American visionary.... This book can change both human lives and organizational lives for the better."
COLIN L. POWELL
"The Cathedral Within is a clarion call in this time of compassion fatigue, a compelling and convincing plea for us to reconsider the way we approach problems of hunger and poverty."
RICHARD RUSSO, AUTHOR OF STRAIGHT MAN AND EMPIRE FALLS
"[A] quietly powerful, upbeat book."
LIBRARY JOURNAL
Customer Reviews:
The Cathedral Within.......2006-02-22
At first I thought the book was too preachy, but forged on and found it lively and rewarding, especially the examples of entreprenurial approaches to building nonprofit organizations and foundations.
spectacularly vacuous.......2004-03-06
The actual content of the book can be summarized thusly: (1) spend more time with kids if you want to affect their development, (2) don't starve young children because otherwise they won't develop properly physically and mentally, (3) run your not-for-profit enterprise just like a for-profit corporation and with just as much of a zeal for profits, except that you can put the profits into your own pocket as salary instead of paying it out to a bunch of shareholders and to the Federales as income tax.
Padding these ideas out to 300 pages requires that the author tell you how famous his friends are, each and every one of them, and how much do-gooding his few non-famous friends have done. There are also long stories about the escapades of his 13-year-old son.
Never does the author address the issues raised in the subtitle, e.g., how does a person balance his or her life between charity and selfishness? Shore's definition of "giving something back" is working at a multi-million dollar tax-exempt organization and paying yourself $400,000 per year. Nice work if you can get it but what about the rest of us?
For a thoughtful look at the issue of personal charity read the novelist Nick Hornby's "How to be Good".
Right on the mark.......2002-05-06
This is a book that touches the heart of both important social issues and the reader. Written in a wonderfully open style the author writes from a perspective of sharing rather than preaching. Bill Shore's approach of tying his view of how the issues of today's society can be most effectively addressed to his personal experiences, rather than theory and conjecture, brings substantial credibility to his writings.
The issues addressed are those of scaling the resources of non-profit, public service, organizations to meet the growing needs of our society in the face of shrinking government resources. The notion of making non-profit organizations self-sufficient is well outlined and easily understood. "The Cathedral Within" is a book that left me feeling encouraged to know that there is not only room for improvemnt in our social structure but that it is being aggressively and effectively pursued.
Not just for non-profits.......2001-05-17
Bill Shore's enlightening book, "Transforming Your Life by Giving Something Back" is not just about non-profits. It provides insight into every part of human life. He spikes the book with advice about marriage, child care, and friendships. The book, in my opinion, has less to do with non-profits and more to do with living a great life. It is certainly a must read by anyone who cares about humanity.
Building A Soul For Business.......2000-05-18
Perhaps the most important points that this book makes are 1) If you can't build the structure, add a few bricks! and 2) Community Wealth and Social Capital are re-inventing business from the soul out!
In this well-written book, Shore (Founder of Share Our Strength) uses the model of a cathedral to demonstrate that large dreams are community efforts that reach beyond personal lifetimes to accomplish, and that appear impossible until the collective brainpower of the community engages to find a solution. This metaphor addresses the "perfectionism" that sometimes stops people from making efforts towards social change. In the inspirational stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things, readers feel the passion that rebounds of the pages. Echoing the human voice for meaning in an increasingly digital and isolated world, this book suggests practical ways for American wealth to be redefined, redistributed, and built upon foundations that include social interests. It is a blueprint for building ethics into today's business values and ventures that will create a social structure of community wealth.
I read it in one sitting, underlined heavily, and have placed 39 page markers within its covers. The inspiration found between its pages has helped me redesign my own business plan towards the greater good. In short, read it.
Book Description
Written by a kid for kids, this book offers a comprehensible guide to giving money, volunteering, donating goods, and organizing charity events. It makes it easy for kids to get involved with the organizations that mean the most to them. The perfect graduation gift--a must-have for kids everywhere!
Customer Reviews:
Great book! .......2007-04-05
This is a PERFECT resource for kids or teachers - anyone who wants to help kids get into to philanthropic giving early on! Easy to understand, but doesn't sugarcoat the needs of our world. HIGHLY reccomended!
EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE A COPY, child or not.......2006-12-14
Freddi Zeiler has put together a truly inspiring, powerful book. People like Freddi Zeiler are a credit to the human race. I think every household should have a copy, and in fact, I think it's selfish not to. Teaching children about giving to those less fortunate is not only a great idea, it's a necessary one. Lets raise the next generation (the people who will run our country) to be a compassionate one, and lets start with this book. Congratulations to the author for moving us in the right direction.
" A Kid's Guide to Giving" is Great.......2006-11-24
" A Kid's Guide to Giving" is a great resource to encourage a child to give back. It discusses the value of giving, how to give (not just donating money), and descriptions of many nonprofit organizations young people can relate to. The page layout and use of quotes from other young philanthropists makes it ideal for kids.
What a wonderful book!.......2006-11-17
I loved this book, beautifully written, easy to understand and so informative. What wonderful Christmas gift for all the kids on your list. Very inspiring!
Wonderful, inspirational book.......2006-10-10
This is a wonderful book to teach children the rewards in giving not only monetarily but also of your time and talent. It is a great gift (it even has a place in the front of the book to add a special message and to put some money to start the child's charitable fund). The fact that it is written by a young person to other young people makes it a more direct approach for kids. I highly recommend this book.
Book Description
If you want to change the world, you'll want to read Inspired Philanthropy. Tracy Gary and Melissa Kohner show you how social change happens. No matter how much or little you have to give, you'll learn how to create a giving plan that will make your charitable giving catalytic. Then, through clear text and substantive exercises, you'll learn how to align your giving with your deepest valuesâ to help bring about the very changes you want.
Download Description
If you want to change the world, you'll want to read Inspired Philanthropy. Tracy Gary and Melissa Kohner show you how social change happens. No matter how much or little you have to give, you'll learn how to create a giving plan that will make your charitable giving catalytic. Then, through clear text and substantive exercises, you'll learn how to align your giving with your deepest valuesâ to help bring about the very changes you want.
Customer Reviews:
Not very enlightening.......2007-06-30
This book could be helpful to people who donate little bits here and there when the doorbell rings, and feel they aren't spending where they mean too. Really, though,it just finds several ways to tell you to stop and think about what you believe in and act accordingly. I recommend thinking about that on your own, and then donating the money you might have reserved for this book to that good cause.
For donors with over $25,000 to give there is only one chapter. The primary advice to large donors is to get an advisor. Then it offers pearls of wisdom like, "If you're thinking of making a substantial gift to an organization you will want to have some detailed knowledge about he group's financial situation. One way to do this is to review their budget and balance sheet." I wonder how many large donors really find such advice enlightening.
One last word of warning - if your politics are not left-leaning you may be offended by some of the assumptions which are put forth in this book as facts - such as that government is not doing as much as it should to help those in need.
A great book to help the engaged philanthropist create a giving plan.......2006-10-19
After reading "Strategic Giving" by Peter Frumkin (ISBN: 0226266265) last night, this book was a bit of a letdown. I read both books last night at Barnes and Noble. Although this book was well written, easy to follow, short and to the point, and pleasing to the eye, its text fonts were larger and the line spacing was bigger than used in Frumkin's book. The larger fonts and line spacing made the book feel less credible. But that's just me.
I can't fairly knock this book, though. In fact, it is a wonderful book. It will provide much help to an engaged philanthropist when creating his or her giving plan. My recommendation is that if you are interested in being an informed and strategic major donor, then get a copy of both books because they really compliment each other very well. Gary's book provides the framework of a guide to putting a giving plan together, and Frumkin's book gives the necessary background information that will help you better use Gary's "guide."
The first eight chapters of this book are the meat of the guide. They will lead you step by step in creating a sound giving plan. And the last four chapters are an attempt to cover what Frumkin covers in his book.
I would have liked the book better if the diagram of the Giving Plan Model at page 198 included in Appendix A had been included up at the front of the book and fully explained in what should have been the first chapter. Then the author could have proceeded to more fully explain the model in the next eight chapters.
And I'm not sure Appendix B was necessary. To me the book was about "how to plan to give" to charity in a meaningful way. Not "how to give." I would liked to have seen more content in this book like the content included in Frumkin's book. And if that had been done, then Appendix B would have clearly appeared to be out of place.
All in all, this is a 5 star book and one that major donors should definitely read.
Tracy is the Real Deal.......2003-07-24
Tracy's book is probably the most practical material you can get anywhere on engaged philanthropy. Whether you give a lot or a little, whether you give money or time, this book walks you through a process that will make your giving more informed, passionate, strategic, and effective. This book is based on many years of experience in which Tracy has given herself and worked with others who give. Tracy herself is a well-known progressive philanthropic and activist, but the worksheets in this book would work well regardless of a reader's philanthropic causes. Highly recommended.
Book Description
Many acts of charitable giving fail in their stated goals and some are actually harmful. In Taking Philanthropy Seriously, the authors explain why this state of affairs exists. They outline solutions, ranging from those that equip philanthropists to do good work to those that build a domain of philanthropic knowledge, ethical codes, and best practices. Attention is also given to considering recipients' needs, frustrations, and hopes for support. Philanthropic leaders disclose instances of both good and compromised work, show how ethical concerns are secondary to "success" in philanthropy, and reveal strategies to promote effective and ethical conduct.
Contributors are Lynn Barendsen, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, William Damon, Akash Deep, Peter Frumkin, Howard Gardner, Laura Horn, Carrie James, Leslie Lenkowsky, Paula Marshall, Jennifer Menon, Sarah Miles, Liza Hayes Percer, Rob Reich, Tanya Rose, Paul G. Schervish, James Allen Smith, Nick Standlea, Thomas J. Tierney, and Susan Verducci.
Product Description
Almost as long as the U.S. Constitution has permitted the taxation of income, Congress has provided some form of relief for taxpayers who make charitable contributions. An often-stated reason for such tax relief is to encourage the provision of social services by private charities. While the concept of providing a tax deduction for charitable contributions is simple, the rules are complex; applying these rules on a day-to-day basis thus presents a number of challenges. Charitable Giving Answer Book meets these challenges by tackling a host of both common and hot and emerging issues. It provides quick answers to tough planning and compliance questions that frequently challenge practitioners whether they are estate planners, consultants to philanthropists, or those who manage and consult charitable organizations. The practitioner-preferred format in the "Answer Book" saves time for the busy professional. To help facilitate fast and effective research on complicated questions that need extra attention, citations are included to federal statutes, regulations, rulings, and cases that control whether a particular charitable contribution is deductible, nondeductible, or only partially deductible. This new edition covers the latest developments in this complex practice area, giving readers immediate access to timely answers on important charitable giving issues, including: - New legislative proposals that would affect charitable contributions - Car donation programs - New guidance regarding deductions for donations of patents and similar intellectual property to charities - Limits on obtaining a charitable deduction for funding an IRA and naming a charity as a beneficiary - New examples involving qualified conservation contributions - Updated model trust forms for Charitable Remainder Unitrusts and Charitable Remainder Annuity Trusts - What is a charitable contribution? - What are the various limitations on deductibility of charitable contributions, both for individual and corporate taxpayers? - How are contributions of different types of property treated? - Is a taxpayer entitled to a deduction if he or she receives a benefit in exchange for a payment to charity? - How must a charitable trust be structured to ensure that the donor (grantor) is entitled to a deduction? - How can a donor obtain a tax deduction for making a contribution of a conservation easement? - Can a donor make a contribution and still retain control over how the funds will ultimately be used? - How must charitable contributions be documented?
Book Description
"Corporate Social Investing" is a breakthrough guide for businesses planning their corporate giving strategies, as well as a valuable fundraising tool for nonprofit organizations seeking corporate support. It reflects the current groundswell of interest in the topic prompted by recent discussions in Congress and the Security and Exchange Commission, which indicated more future constraints on corporate philosophy.
Customer Reviews:
Highly Recommended!.......2001-03-17
Curt Weeden tells corporations that social investing through charitable contributions can help society, and can be good business. Then he explains why, and how. This detailed guide explains ways to get the most out of each philanthropic investment, benefiting the non-profit organization and the company's reputation, employee motivation and bottom line. Weeden provides only a few examples of companies that have engaged in corporate social investing, but the introductions by Paul Newman and Peter Lynch are more hands-on because both are active in philanthropy. The book focuses on instructions for setting up your firm's social investing system. Suggestions cover choosing a non-profit recipient, figuring tax benefits, and other nuts-and-bolts issues. The book is oriented to CEOs and top corporate managers, though we at getAbstract also recommend it to academics, stockholders and fundraisers. If you are considering social investing, this is a good guide. And if you're not, it'll explain why you should. (Note: Tax matters discussed are
A perfect book for our phony society.......2001-02-15
Today corporate America has joined the sanctimonious trend in our society under the "giving back" theme. I imagine what a breath of fresh air it would be to hear the following candid statement from a corporate CEO or Board Chairman after refusing to kowtow to political correctness:
"We sell a quality product that our customers value. We have provided our employees with the means of supporting themselves with dignity, good wages, benefits, and a good working environment. We have worked hard to create wealth for our investors who after all are people with varying needs and means - and not all of them fantastically wealthy. We pay our share of taxes. In summary we already gave back to the community! As for giving to charity - any of our investors has the right to give in any way or amount (time or money) to any organization he or she sees fit. They don't need us to make that decision for them."
The "giving back to the community" phoniness implies that while running a business you are obviously taking from others - you are a drag on society at large and need to give back to equalize things - Karl Marx couldn't have come up with a better slogan.
A Must-Read for Nonprofits.......1998-11-05
Nonprofit organizations, particularly grassroots agencies, would do well to absorb the lessons in Corporate Social Investing which demystify and challenge corporate giving policies. We've found it much more enjoyable than most business texts, and we found ourselves laughing at some of Curt Weeden's analogies on more than one occasion.
A must read for nonprofit and business leaders!.......1998-08-29
This book lays out an easy to use approach for corporations and nonprofits who work together to get the most out of corporate contribution programs.
Working in a national nonprofit heading up the communications department with our corporate members, I have seen first hand the need for a road map in uncharted territory. This book provides just that to anyone interested in the field.
This is NOT just a business book -- it is a book that every nonprofit leader should be reading. This book could really make a difference in the way businesses and nonprofits work together.
Book Description
The first and only book to blow the whistle on wasted contributions, Don't Just Give It Away shows readers how to tune out fundraising hype and make their donations to charity really count.
Customer Reviews:
A Must Read For Humanitarians.......2006-09-02
After reading this book, I now understand why those with deep pockets, like Paul Newman and Doris Buffett, turn to Rafferty for guidance in setting up a not-for-profit organization. In this book she not only provides excellent guidelines as how to set up and run a philantrophic organization, she explains how to systematically analize one from top-to-bottom (Chapter 8 "Due Diligence"). Rafferty teaches the reader how to define ones on goals so as to maximize the "return on investment" in philantrophic giving (Appendix 1). Both board member and donor alike will benefit from this book! (I own this book)
CEOs and Board Members, This Book is For YOU!.......2002-03-17
CEOs and Board members, don't be fooled. This book is NOT just for donors - it's for YOU!
Here's the way I figure it: If a book advises donors on what to look for when "investing" in a NonProfit, doesn't it make sense that NonProfits use that same book to help make their organization worth investing in?
NonProfit leaders should think of this book as one of those magazine cover stories that says "What Men Should Look for in a Woman" (or vice versa!). As a woman, I'd sure want to know what men are being advised to look for! And as NonProfits seeking donors, we should all want to know what those donors are being advised to look for in a worthy NonProfit. That's why this book is such a valuable tool.
In my NonProfit consulting work, I've used the fundraising and marketing insights from Ms. Rafferty's chapters on donor motivation when creating marketing plans, because it forces a NonProfit to think like a donor. And the chapters on performing due diligence ("Ten Warning Signs: Where to Look for the Bodies") are a GREAT checklist for ensuring your organization's ducks are in a row.
Being a NonProfit author myself, my favorite compliment is when a reader says their copy of the book is all marked up - that the pages are dog-eared and the spine cracked from use. Well, my copy of Ms. Rafferty's book is not only yellow from highlighting, but the book automatically opens to the sections I love.
So do your NonProfit a favor - don't be fooled into thinking this book is only for donors. Buy it, incorporate its messages into your marketing and fund development efforts, and watch your organization flourish.
Rafferty puts us firmly in control when making donations........1999-05-31
Most of us in this audience have spent years (and some, decades) on the inside of one nonprofit organization or another, wondering, "How can our organization attract more (or even more) charitable donations?"
We've established annual fund drives, grant-seeking programs, fielded special events, and maybe even launched planned giving programs. Some of us are in one stage or other of a capital campaign on the way toward meeting our six-, seven-, eight-, or even nine-figure goals.
Collectively, we've done a fantastic job. In 1997 alone, Americans gave us $143 billion, most of that in the form of direct gifts or bequests. We expend nearly $500 billion per year, control more than $800 billion in assets, employ nearly 11 percent of the American workforce, represent nearly eight percent of the American gross domestic product, and constitute 20 percent of the American service economy.
The money flows. Donors more or less leave us alone to spend it as we see fit and as long as we don't break some law or line our own pockets, things hum along nicely. As those of us who have been on the inside know, there is typically little or no investigation by most donors prior to the gift, much less once the gift has been made.
From our vantage point - on the inside looking out - all is well with the world. Few donors would think to ask hard questions before making a donation, much less to follow up on a donation to see that we've been wise stewards of it. That is why Renata J. Rafferty's new book, Don't Just Give It Away, How to Make the Most of Your Charitable Giving, is so startling. Written not by an outsider with an axe to grind, but by one of us, Rafferty turns things on their head by asking the public, "does it seem that $143 billion of 'social progress' was achieved through the activities of the charitable sector? How much of that $143 billion did you and your family contribute, and do you believe it was used as wisely as it could have been?"
Rafferty contends that while, in her more than 20 years in the charitable arena, she has "witnessed the integrity and industry of the men and women . . . who commit their lives - professionally and or as volunteers - to make this world a better place for all of us," she has also seen "waste and poor financial management that substantially eroded the value" of contributions. . . ."
"Like a leaking faucet that accumulates in wasted gallons," writes Rafferty, "minor misuses of each of our charitable investments add up. In fact, they amount to huge amounts of donated money annually that could have - and should have - been applied to programs and services for the community . . . but weren't. And that's why we don't see $143 billion worth of progress from our contributions."
Notice the shift by Rafferty from the industry insiders' perspective to that of the donors'? This is an insider breaking ranks, throwing open the door to the closet, and shining a bright light on, well, if not "skeletons," the family's closely-guarded secrets.
Every once in a while a book comes along which, though written with down-to-earth clarity and simplicity, carries within its covers a clarion call to reverse the flow of power and unsettle the status quo in an entire facet of society. This is that book.
Don't Just Give It Away teaches donors to conduct their giving "as thoughtfully and insightfully - and personally - as (they) approach . . . financial investing." She walks the reader through the process of defining philanthropic goals, finding a charity that fits those goals, performing due diligence on that charity, and tracking what the charity does with the gift after it's been given.
My favorite chapter - and one that poorly-run nonprofit organizations would do well to keep out of the hands of donors - is Chapter 9's "Ten Warning Signs: Where to Look for 'The Bodies.'" A sampling:
--You are discouraged or barred from a site visit or board meeting;
--Financial records are unavailable, unintelligible, or generally in disarray;
--There is no written strategic or business plan for the organization;
--Fewer than 70% of the board members have made a financial contribution to the organization within the last twelve months;
--And more.
It's occurred to me that one sign of a healthy organization is its enthusiasm in providing Rafferty's book to prospective and existing donors. An organization that is well managed and healthy will have nothing to fear, and perhaps much to gain, in educating its donors about such things. Indeed, arming donors with this kind of information - as simple as providing them a copy of this book - is one way to strengthen our nonprofit sector.
One thing the book is not is a "technique" book. Rafferty makes it clear she is not instructing donors on "how" to structure a gift - that's what attorneys and other advisors are for, she says - but on how to ensure that giving is done with maximum impact. I can imagine one pitfall is locating advisors who will understand, and add value to, the process described by Rafferty. The book is concise enough, though, that a donor might wish to provide a copy to any advisor assisting in the gift-making process.
Not surprisingly, Don't Just Give It Away has already attracted quite a few fans, including Paul Newman who, in the book's Foreword, writes: "I wish Don't Just Give It Away had been written years earlier - I could have used it. I'm delighted that it's here now and that I can share this book with friends, family, and colleagues who are searching for their own ways - more personal ways - to make this world a better place through wiser charitable giving." Newman should know. To date, his company, Newman's Own, has contributed over $100 million to charities worldwide from after-tax profits.
Average customer rating:
|
Wealth in Families
Manufacturer: Harvard University
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000F6S9Q6 |
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- Project Managing E-Learning (ASTD E-Learning Series)
- Promise Unfulfilled: Unions, Immigration, and the Farm Workers (ILR Press Books)
- Real Estate Development: Principles and Process 3rd Edition
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
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- Female Chauvinist Pigs: Women and the Rise of Raunch Culture
- Mirror Mirror: A Novel
- Gila Monster: Facts & Folklore Of Americas Aztec Lizard
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- Business Valuation Body of Knowledge Workbook
- Hungry for Home: A Wolf Odyssey
Fiction
| Pigs
| Animals
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Design Your Child's Financial Future
Rock, Brock, And the Savings Shock
Money Sense for Kids
The Penny Pot (MathStart 3)
Alexander, Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday
