The latest issue of Karma & Cents I share some thoughts around local support and international support.  At the end of the day, the questions that should be asked are the same for both local and overseas philanthropy.  In addition to these questions, below is the 2010 list of reviewed and recommended charities.  read more »

When my daughter stuffed her brand-new Pegasus figurine into her backpack before school one morning, I knew it was a horrible mistake.
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I have been thinking a lot about the word "Philanthropy" lately.  Not because linguistics fascinates me, but because more and more frequently I am hearing from people how they are not "philanthropists".  This is usually in the context of the dollar value of which they donate, not their nature or charitable tendencies.  read more »

The word philanthropy comes from the Greek philanthropos, the love of mankind - Phil = Loving and Anthropos = Mankind.  Our use of the word philanthropy as it pertains to charitable donations was not brought into the common English lexicon until 1730.  At that point it time it was not associated with any value beyond someone who donated to charity.  In fact, it wasn't until major family foundations like Kellogg, Carnegie and Ford came along that the word took on the "large-dollar" value connotations.