Katie, Author at Friends In Philanthropy

November 2023

Friends in Philanthropy: November 2023 Issue

“By 1980 I started thinking, ‘Where is all this leading and what am I going to do with it?’ I’m a guy who can be happy with a grilled cheese and tomato sandwich.”
– Chuck Feeney on his desire to find a meaningful use for his wealth

Chuck Feeney’s life consisted of two enormous successes. The first was building an $8 billion fortune in business. The second was giving it all away.

Feeney, who passed away October 9th, was the world’s foremost advocate of “giving while living,” which encourages people to use their wealth for good in their own lifetime.

For Feeney, that meant supporting everything from public health in Vietnam to earthquake relief in Haiti. After zeroing out his foundation’s endowment with one last gift to his alma mater Cornell in 2020, his life’s work was complete.

Read on for more about Feeney’s life, as well as stories and tips from other givers who share his same spirit of selflessness.

Bill Gates on What Made Chuck Feeney Great (Gates Notes) – The founder of Duty Free Shoppers passed away at age 92 in October—but not before giving away his entire $8 billion fortune. Bill Gates shares why Feeney was such a hero to him.

How To Donate Your Life Insurance To Charity (Forbes Advisor) – Donating an insurance policy can greatly multiply your impact compared to giving cash. Here are three ways to arrange that, including pros and cons for each approach.

A mattress and sleeping bag on the street

How Philanthropy Is Tackling Homelessness More Holistically (Philanthropy Roundtable) – With homelessness rising sharply, some nonprofits are challenging the dominant “housing first” solution by emphasizing job training and mental health support.

Bigger Barns or Treasure in Heaven: 3 Lessons from Luke (National Christian Foundation) – The Gospel of Luke contains many lessons on money and possessions. What if we considered them as one long teaching?

Line graphs, a pie chart, and bar graphs

Year-End Tips for Hitting Your Foundation’s Minimum Distribution (Exponent Philanthropy) – Not sure if you’ve met your 5% annual distribution requirement yet? Find out which expenditures qualify, which don’t, and how to catch up if you’re still behind for the year.

Volunteers passing boxes down from a truck

See Who’s Featured in Town & Country’s Philanthropy Issue (Town & Country) – Celebrities like Michael J. Fox and Arnold Schwarzenegger shared their giving philosophies, while lesser-known leaders discussed why their missions matter.

Inside the Georgia Middle School That Helps Refugee Girls Flourish (UNHCR) – Resettled girls from around the world are finding peace at Global Village Project, a school near the refugee-friendly town known as “the Ellis Island of the South.”

Photos courtesy of Unsplash.

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August 2023

Friends in Philanthropy: August 2023 Issue

“It showed me my ideas could do something. I didn’t think of myself as a literacy advocate at that time, but looking back, I’ve been on this journey for a minute.”
– Barbershop Books founder Alvin Irby on the reading program he helped create all the way back in his high school days

Will A.I. transform how nonprofits operate? Can donor-advised funds make it easier for people to get into grantmaking?

These are important questions. But at its heart philanthropy isn’t about technology or tax law. It’s about the human urge to help others.

So in this issue, we’re also sharing stories about people like Alvin Irby, whose nonprofit places books in barbershops so that kids see reading as something you can do for fun. Or Greg Horton, who took his near-death experience as a reminder from God that material wealth isn’t what really matters.

We hope you enjoy their stories, but more importantly, we hope your own experience with philanthropy can bring you that same kind of purpose.

Three Ways Technology Will Fix What’s Broken in Philanthropy (Kiplinger) – Can tech developments like A.I. bring down operating costs and build more trust between donors and charities? The co-founder of a DAF tech company sees reasons for optimism.

Should You Be Giving Through a Donor-Advised Fund? (Kinship United) – Fewer headaches. Lower costs. Smarter tax strategies. Here’s why donors have been flocking to the giving vehicle where you donate now, and worry about disbursing later.

How A Plane Crash Saved Greg Horton’s Life (National Christian Foundation) – Trapped in the wreckage as fuel leaked everywhere, Greg felt the peace of God’s love come over him. That’s when he knew it was time to become radically more generous.

Could These RMD Rules Turn Charitable Donations Into Retirement Income For Life? (Yahoo Finance) – Are you chafing at taking your required minimum distributions in retirement? A recent change in law regarding “charitable gift annuities” might help you preserve your nest egg while doing good.

Meet the Man on a Mission to Fill Barbershops with Books (CNN) – First-grade teacher Alvin Irby figured community barbershops were a prime place for his students to practice reading. Now his nonprofit has brought more than 50,000 books to barbershops across the country.

Why Philanthropic Giving Declined in 2022 (Nonprofit Quarterly) – With the pandemic emergency receding and the stock market slumping, perhaps giving was due for a downturn. Still, there are bright spots in Giving USA’s annual report, like support for international charities.

How To Make Philanthropy Part of Your Work Culture (Forbes) – Volunteer events can help build teamwork and cement your company’s status as a pillar of the community. But it’s often best to start small. Here’s how.

Photos courtesy of Unsplash.

December 2022

Friends in Philanthropy: December 2022 Issue

“It’s not good for the country that there are so many people who have to rely on us.”

– Feeding America CEO Claire Babineaux-Fontenot on the organization’s staggering growth in recent years

Topping a list from Forbes seems like great news. But for Feeding America, who leapfrogged the United Way to become the magazine’s #1 charity by private donations, it’s a sign of the country’s troubles.

After all, it’s only since the pandemic started that fighting hunger became such a priority for donors. “People saw something that they didn’t understand before this—food insecurity,” Babineux-Fontenot told Forbes.

It’s clear much work remains to be done to recover from the societal shockwave of Covid. But as we head into 2023, it’s also worth considering how far we’ve come. So in this month’s issue, we also highlight some bright spots over the past year in philanthropy, courtesy of the Christian Science Monitor’s year-end progress roundup.

Read on to get inspired by all that philanthropists like you have done together as a community this year, and to find the resolve to carry on that work into the new year and beyond.

The Values That Led Humanity Forward This Year (Christian Science Monitor) – “Smart canes” in Rwanda. An all-women newsroom in Somalia. Christian Science Monitor’s year-end “progress roundup” shows how values like ingenuity and dignity drove positive change in 2022.

Feeding America Ousts United Way As America’s Largest Charity (Forbes) – The Chicago-based food bank network took in more than $4 billion in gifts last fiscal year, a 47% increase over two years ago. But its growth isn’t exactly happy news. (See the full Forbes Top 100 Charities list here.)

Should You Donate to Charity in the Checkout Line? (Verywell Health) – CVS is being sued for using customer donations to fulfill a $10 million pledge to the American Diabetes Association. Now experts are noting the downsides of such indirect gifts.

MacKenzie Scott’s New “Yield Giving” Site Sheds Light on Her $14B Giving Spree (Geekwire) – Scott’s mostly stayed mum about her giving over the last few years. Now she’s sharing a searchable database of 1,600 of her gifts, plus more details about her grantmaking process and philosophy.

How Program-Related Investment Supports Charities Without Giving Money Away for Good (The Conversation) – By law, foundations must pay out at least 5% of their endowment annually. Here’s how issuing loans at below-market rates can help them meet that target and still preserve funds for the future.

Photos courtesy of Unsplash.

November 2022

Friends in Philanthropy: November 2022 Issue

“The amount of money didn’t even feel real. What felt more real was the pride and validation that the work I was doing mattered, and somebody had noticed.”
– An anonymous nonprofit leader on what it meant to receive a large, unrestricted grant from MacKenzie Scott

It’s been more than two years since MacKenzie Scott shook up philanthropy by giving dozens of nonprofits enormous grants with almost no conditions attached.

Now we’re starting to see whether her radical approach is working. Short answer: absolutely.

That’s according to a new survey from the Center for Effective Philanthropy, which found that the nonprofits Scott supported are generally thriving—expanding services and reach while making permanent improvements in their infrastructure and financial stability.

Only time will tell if the rest of the philanthropy world will embrace Scott’s trust-based giving style. But given the results so far, expect much more talk about rethinking how funders see their role in the coming years.

A grandma kissing the forehead of her granddaughter

10 Ways Your Foundation Can Engage the Next Generation (Exponent Philanthropy) – Experts say forcing younger family members to get involved on your terms is a dead end. Instead, create a two-way partnership that gives them a say and lets them use their strengths.

A Major Survey Finds M a cKenzie Scott Is Fantastic at Philanthropy (Fortune) – Some have worried that charities might struggle to handle Scott’s large, unrestricted gifts. But a new survey of 277 nonprofits shows the grants have been nearly all upside. (Read the full report here.)

The FTX Bankruptcy Is a Disaster for the Charities It Supported (The Conversation) – Millions in promised funds will almost certainly not arrive—and even some disbursed money may get “clawed back” in bankruptcy.

A community in Africa raising their hands in the air

Glimpses of Hope During a Week in Kakuma Refugee Camp (Christianity Today) – Refugee camps are meant to be temporary. But now many of Kakuma’s 240,000 residents are 2nd- or 3rd-generation. Still, one visitor saw how worship services kept people there from losing all hope.

A Local Legend Inspired Volunteers to Make 10,000 Sandwiches in a Day (Washington Post) – Eugenia Duke (of Duke’s Mayonnaise fame) was said to have made 10,000 sandwiches in a single day to get by during WWI. Could her hometown replicate the feat for local food banks?

Photos courtesy of Unsplash.

October 2022

Friends in Philanthropy: October 2022 Issue

“I never know what I’m going to do or why I’m gonna do it. I just see a need and if I can fill it, then I will.”
– Dolly Parton on her intuitive approach to philanthropy

We talk a lot about giving strategy in this newsletter, and with good reason. A thoughtful approach to your philanthropy can be the difference between solving a problem and spinning your wheels.

(Just see this month’s first story on “going beyond the grant” for proof.)

But when you’re lost in thorny problems around setting priorities and measuring impact, sometimes it’s nice to be reminded how simple being charitable can be.

That’s Dolly Parton’s philosophy, anyway. In a recent interview conducted just before she accepted the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy, the country music legend confessed she doesn’t worry too much about the strategic side of giving. She just listens to her instincts.

And her instincts are good. Between her literacy program, which puts 2 million books in kids’ hands each month, and other pursuits like disaster relief and scholarship programs, no one can seriously doubt Dolly’s making a difference.

Read on for more stories about donors and doers who are figuring out their own way to pull off the same feat.

A team putting their hands in the middle

How an Ambitious Foundation Handles ‘Going Beyond the Grant’ (National Center for Family Philanthropy) – Laurene Powell Jobs’s Emerson Collective knows a thing or two about supporting nonprofits beyond funding. (They even have a “capacity building menu”!)

Dolly Parton’s Donation Strategy: ‘I Just Give From My Heart’ (AP News) – The recent Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy winner doesn’t dig deeply into giving strategy. But from children’s books to disaster relief, when she sees a need, she fills it.

Could No-Interest Micro Loans Be the Key to Preventing Homelessness? (L.A. Times) – Software entrepreneur Adam Miller’s new $1M lending fund is meant to tide over L.A. residents on the verge of eviction. But is it sustainable?

How a ‘Tsunami of Suffering’ Pushed One Woman Toward Purposeful Giving (National Christian Foundation) – Susan Ibarguen faced a series of tragedies before a fateful Bible study session changed her life. Now her two-word purpose statement guides everything she does, including her philanthropy.

Welcome mat that says, "All are welcome here."

How Well Do We Love the Strangers Among Us? (The Better Samaritan) – Inspired by a dinner hosted by her Syrian refugee neighbors, author Catherine McNeil considers Biblical wisdom on how to treat strangers—especially strangers from another culture.

Photos courtesy of Unsplash.