The presence or absence of cash—what all this comes down to—is a flawed, inadequate, and outmoded method of valuing the contributions of Enterprise.
The Endgame on the Hope and Hype of Hybrids—A System of Balanced Benefit
Daniel Ellsberg Stands Up for Edward Snowden—Will You?
Secretary of State John Kerry thinks Daniel Ellsberg was a patriot, but Edward Snowden a “coward” and “traitor.” While nonprofits are debating free speech and First Amendment issues such as 501(c)(4) regulations and campaign finance court decisions, just as important is the issue of the extent of government invasion of the First Amendment and Fourth Amendment rights of all Americans, including nonprofits themselves.
Social Enterprise: “What Kind of Monster Eats a Mental Health Magazine?”
This ode to a failed social enterprise in the UK is well worth reading on many levels.
As Obama Focuses on Black Men and Boys, What About Black Women?
Prominent black men in the U.S. are concerned that President Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper initiative excludes black women and girls.
Gender Diversity: Disturbing Images from Silicon Valley
In the category of a picture being worth a thousand words, here are two tweets from a recent Apple conference that say it all about the gender diversity of some of the IT firms there.
Challenge Grants: A Mechanism for Double and Lasting Value
Sometimes it is worth acknowledging the tried-and-true mechanisms that work well in spreading philanthropy and gaining impact in its application. The humble challenge grant is one of our favorites!
Tea Party Patriots Criticizes Reid’s “Targeting” of Koch Brothers
Tea Party Patriots thinks that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has unlawfully attacked the rights of Charles and David Koch as engaged citizens in our democracy.
PETA vs. SeaWorld: The Creative Tactics and Tech that Drive PETA’s SeaWorld Campaign
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has been fighting to have Tilikum orca released from SeaWorld in Orlando since 1998. This article, reprinted from NTEN: Change, examines how PETA has pursued this goal, including using the CNN documentary Blackfish as a springboard.
Demanding More Than Good Intentions
A lot of people ask me what factors they should consider when deciding which charities to support. It’s a tough question. And an important one. So I turned to one of the experts.
Hero Philanthropy a Dangerous Bet: Somaly Mam’s Story in Question
A Newsweek cover story examined the dramatic tale of sex slavery activist Somaly Mam and found it to be in some part untrue. What will happen to the foundation named for her, which she has now left, and when will philanthropy realize that cults of personality may not be serving it well?
New Orleans Becomes Nation’s First All-Charter School System
The 58 public schools in the New Orleans Recovery School District are now 100-percent charter schools. Is this good, bad, or just an anomaly due to the fact that the public school system was given huge infusions of federal money before being wiped out by Hurricane Katrina?
Sterling’s Racism Pays Off Big for Sports Team Owners
If Donald and Shelley Sterling get to sell the Los Angeles Clippers to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, they will have enriched themselves immensely as a result of Donald’s racist rant to V. Stiviano. The increased vastly increased value of the Clippers suggests that the value of all other professional sports franchises will surge as well. This increase in wealth should not be pocketed but given by the owners to a fund to fight racism, whether that of the Sterling family or the overt and covert racism unfortunately still endemic in our society.