chronicle of philanthropy

America's Giving Challenge and The Primetime Philanthropist

by Kari Dunn Saratovsky on 25 Jun 2009 2
Uncle Herbert Dialing for Dollars

Coming off the heels of the National Conference on Volunteering and Service, I’m reminded about the power of individuals to recognize their potential not only as volunteers but also as philanthropists. It’s kind of serendipitous timing that just last night NBC aired its first episode of a new series, The Philanthropist. 

While the Chronicle of Philanthropy invited readers to reflect on the show in an online forum during the series debut, the jury is still out on whether or not Philanthropist (the TV show) will impact philanthropy (the practice) in the real world. As Steve Gunderson analogizes in a statement to members of the Council on Foundations, “The Philanthropist is to philanthropy what The Pink Panther is to police work,” and there’s probably some truth to that.  If nothing else however, perhaps it will help put the idea of philanthropy and selflessness in the minds of more people.
 
That’s exactly what we’d hoped to do at the Case Foundation with our online giving experiment, America’s Giving Challenge.  Earlier this week we released a report on the Case Foundation site based largely on surveys and interviews of participants in the Challenge. The  report provides an honest assessment of what worked well (and what didn't) during the online giving campaign.  
 
What I appreciate about the report is that authors Allison Fine and Beth Kanter present readers with a series of recommendations on how to improve future giving challenges. As we see more and more of these online challenges popping up online – we hope that other organizations who are experimenting will benefit from the lessons we learned during the campaign.
 
The research has spurred a flurry of responses on blogs and via twitter, and I wanted to capture some of those stories below. For more information about America’s Giving Challenge and to download the report, please visit the Case Foundation. And, whether you were a participant in the Challenge or are a casual observer - we'd love to hear your assessment of what works well and what should be improved as online giving challenges continue to evolve.
 
Nathaniel Whittemore, Social Entrepreneurship blogger at Change.org: One of the interesting take aways in the "what would work better" section is that while it was the right idea to have a time restriction, the 50 day time period was too much of a burden and a shorter time period might have been better. This recommendation resonates with the notion that these contests are about getting people engaged, but shouldn't become a burden on the relationship between a nonprofit and its stakeholders.
 
Edith Asibey and David Brotherton write in the Chronicle of Philanthropy: "Other foundations are embracing the possibilities of online media to spur citizen involvement while deepening appreciation for the practice of philanthropy. The Case Foundation recently released a report on its “America’s Giving Challenge” competition, explaining that one of the campaign’s objectives was to “help people from all backgrounds realize their potential to be philanthropists.”
 
Katya Andresen on her Getting to the Point Marketing Blog: “The key findings are actually no secret at all.  But we tend to forget their truth, which is why we need to mind them closely….Technology does not change the basic truth that we give for emotional reasons in a moment of generous impulse.  It just makes this phenomenon happen more easily, faster, and on a larger scale.  It also allows individual people or very small organizations to be catalysts for broader giving.  Most of the top fundraisers were not from large organizations. One person can do much by reaching out to their inner circle, which then connects to a greater community.”
 
Rebecca Krause-Hardie on her blog:  “Just my two cents from the sidelines, but I think a big part of the 'secret sauce' is the passion and motivation of each of the people who worked on the campaigns.  Their personal belief and willingness to talk about it and express it to everyone provides the fuel for the engine.”
 
 
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It's the Asking Season, Too

by Allison Fine on 12 Dec 2008

I've been so focused on the giving side of things lately that I haven't spent as much time on the asking side.  Nonprofits are hurting.  Estimates are that giving was down 30% in October alone - I can't imagine what November and December are going to look like.  Stories like this one about Goodwill Industries are becoming typical; basically donations are down and demand for services are up. 

However, ironically, maybe even paradoxically, the Chronicle reports that while gift buying is down people still intend to give to their favorite caues this holiday season.  Read more »

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Tuning In: Social Good Podcast Launches

by Kari Dunn Saratovsky on 6 Dec 2008
 
In case you missed it, our very own Allison Fine kicked off a new podcast series called Social Good, at the Chronicle of Philanthropy this week.  In this first installment, Allison interviews officials at the Humane Society of the United States and the Nature Conservancy and explores how these two groups have leveraged Facebook, Twitter, and other social-media tools to spread their messages and raise money.  The content is great - but personally, I'm diggin the choice of groovy background music.
 
If you're looking for a quick primer and some real life examples - it's worth blocking off 12 min 52s at your convenience, (since you can either listen below or upload to your iPod). And, look for new installments of the Social Good series on the first Thursday of every month.
Read more »
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Give Thanks, Tweetsgiving Style

by Kari Dunn Saratovsky on 25 Nov 2008 1

Earlier today I tuned in (via my laptop, of course) as marketing consultants Chris Garrett and John Haydon shared tips with nonprofits on how to best navigate social media – namely Twitter, Facebook, and the wild world of blogs. Not surprisingly, the number one question from online participants was where/how do I get started, and when will it pay off?  Read more »

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Student Loans: We All Seek Forgiveness

by Jonathan Wolfe on 22 Aug 2008 8

The Chronicle of Philanthropy recently posted information about the Department of Education’s request for feedback on proposed regulations regarding implementation of the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007.

Come again?

Basically, this new law forgives the remaining debt of student loan recipients who have worked as full-time “public service employees” for a period of 10 consecutive years while making their payments. In other words, you graduate, land a solid gig at a nonprofit, government agency, or other still-to-be-defined “public service” employer, and you won’t have to pay any more monthly debt owed after 10 years working there or remaining in the sector. Read more »

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From the Chronicle: "It's Time to Focus on a New Generation"

by Julia Rocchi on 20 Aug 2008 1

Many thanks to the Chronicle of Philanthropy for running an op-ed from our own Allison Fine on — what else? — Millennials! In this piece, Allison covers how Millennials can help nonprofits embrace social media for social change, and how the nonprofits need to understand this generation’s diverse roles as employees, volunteers, and activists.

Here’s an excerpt to whet your appetite:

Almost invariably, the first question posed by many nonprofit leaders is: “What is the best tool to reach young people?”

There is no one silver-bullet blog or Web site. Organizations must stop looking for the “killer app” to connect with millennials and start examining their own organizational culture. They must ask themselves:

  • Why do you want to connect with them?

  • What conversation do you want to have with them?

  • How open are you to listening to them?

  • What will you allow them to do that you don’t feel you have to control?

Find Allison’s recommendations (and the whole piece) here. Any questions/answers you think she missed? Share them with us!

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Chronicle Chat Follow-Up

by Allison Fine on 28 May 2008

I had a wonderful time chatting on the Chronicle of Philanthropy website yesterday. The interest was so high that I wasn’t able to answer all the questions. So, I wanted to get to a few more here so as not to leave folks out! Read more »

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Allison Fine "Live-Chats" with the Chronicle

by Kari Dunn Saratovsky on 28 May 2008

It’s no surprise that members of the Millennial Generation are finding new ways to promote, give to, and engage in causes they’re passionate about (largely through technology and their ever growing use of social networks).

So, why is it that so many nonprofits and foundations are finding it difficult to connect with and unlock some secret code to understanding this generation’s new rules for engagement?

Allison Fine answered this question and a whole lot more in yesterday’s live chat with the Chronicle of Philanthropy. Let’s keep the conversation going — if you have more questions, or want to expand on any of the topics raised in Tuesday’s forum, we hope you’ll use the Social Citizens blog to do just that.

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