You would think that society’s elites have both the greater capacity and the greater reasons to give to charity than those less well-off. Yet, many studies show the opposite. They may donate more in absolute terms than those with lower…
The theory is that people should be most willing to part with their money for charitable causes when they are dead. The challenge is how to get them to commit to this course of action before it is too late…
Does the size of a donation determine the level of generosity of a giver? Posed with this dilemna, I sought to construct a charity quotient framework. In this framework, there are two dimensions of charitableness. One measures the external manifestation…
For many organizations, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a binary question of “to give or not to give.” Supporters often cite it as good business. However, that plays to the argument of critics that the business of business is business.…
Should executives working in charity be paid more, to keep pace with the market? Actually, they are already paid in line with the market – the capitalistic human resource market. The significant gap between the charity and the commercial sectors’…
Many charities struggle to raise funds. The few that are very successful face a different set of problems. To start, when is enough, enough in fundraising? Setting fundraising targets sounds simple enough, but it may not be practical in all…
The mantra for businesses is growth, growth and more growth. The opposite should apply to nonprofits. Nonprofits are created to achieve societal change. Ultimate success occurs when the nonprofit’s mission is achieved and its existence is no longer needed. Extinction,…
Regulators may position charities as trusted institutions with the government’s seal of approval (the black box model) or as organizations that need to be transparent in a caveat emptor or “buyer beware” marketplace (the glass house model). The aim of…
The theory is that the board of directors governs an organization. In practice, charity boards face greater challenges than commercial boards in ensuring organizational performance, proper board selection and good power dynamics. In addition, there is one fundamental difference: the…
Informed giving is designed to ensure that donations are aligned with the interests of beneficiaries. Specifically, donors are asked to be more discerning, discriminating and demanding of their charities so that there is proper accountability of funds used. Informed giving…