HOW TO FIND YOUR VOICE AND MAKE AN IMPACT
Giving is what women do, of course. We nurture kids and relatives. We drop everything for friends in need. We form neighborhood associations, join walkathons, sit on school boards and give to clothing drives. Often as not, we also write charitable checks. So what’s this all about? Something of a revolution, really. Increasingly, women are […]
REWARDS: FLEXING THE POWER OF ONE
Stories about women working toward a bigger purpose, building something that will outlive them, are surfacing frequently. These are altogether contemporary legacies, on a scale without precedent or model. The stories are ongoing and evolving, so the full impact is still largely under the radar. Here are snapshots of four women who put their commitments […]
THE BLISSFUL FEELING OF HAVING ENOUGH
For some years now, I’ve been delving into women’s mixed emotions about money and power, including anxiety, pride, envy, anger and guilt. I’ve been reporting on and investigating sex-based elements of leadership and entrepreneurship, looking at women’s social and political accomplishments and setbacks. And during that time, whether among women with inherited wealth, women who […]
FAMILY PHILANTHROPY IS GROWING
Despite the downturn, the number of US households with a net worth of $5 million or more still is at record levels. Increasingly, these millions of baby boomers — who primarily earned their money the hard way, by themselves rather than by inheriting it — have wrestled with how to nurture their children’s empathy and […]
THE REAL STORY OF PRINCESS CHARMING
Let me tell you the real story of the woman who married Prince Charming. During their forty years together, he enjoyed a lucrative and secure career. She never asked about their assets or how much they spent or saved. They had kids and lived well. You can see where this is headed. The prince died. […]
CAN NONPROFITS AND DONORS REALLY GET ALONG?
Increasingly, as donors accompany financial backing with hands-on involvement, they are joining forces with organizations to help leverage contributions and advance the mission. But getting to an honest, effective donor-charity alliance built on trust and understanding takes time and compromise. Such partnerships often throw up tensions and the strain typically stems from misunderstanding the other […]
THE POWER OF ONE IS TAKING CHARGE
Charitable gifts have seen “historic declines” in 2009, for the second year in a row – that’s the academic version of “OMG, it’s scary out there.” Giving USA rates the decline at 3.2% (down to $303 billion in total gifts for 2009). “Chronicle of Philanthropy” reported an 11% drop for the biggest 400 charities in […]
KICKING ASS AND GIRL-ING OUT
In the “We’ve Come a Long Way” department, Prudential has recently released its latest women and money research, a 10th anniversary edition. Results? It would seem, dear ones, that we the American women are simultaneously kicking ass and girl-ing out. Take a cruise of the findings from the “Financial Experience & Behaviors among Women, 2010−2011 […]
WHAT NONPROFITS NEED TO LEARN FROM FOR-PROFITS
At last, volunteering is getting some of the respect it deserves. In its just-released seventh annual Volunteer Impact Survey, Deloitte reports a significant shift in corporate attitudes toward workplace volunteerism. Seen in the past by companies as little more than an employee perk, volunteerism lately is being dressed as a serious tool for social change. […]
LET’S TRY REAL CAPITALISM INSTEAD OF THE SOCIAL KIND
“We need to stop separating investment decisions from philanthropic giving,” writes Alexander Friedman, in an opinion piece in the “Financial Times.” Huzzah! At last! Someone has actually named the bridge that should have been built long ago. Friedman, who recently stepped down as CFO of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and who also was […]