Sean, Author at Friends In Philanthropy

January 2023

Friends in Philanthropy: January 2023 Issue

“Don’t tell where it came from, and don’t tell me who needed it. Just say it’s a blessing from the Lord.”
– Small-town farmer Hody Childress on his $100 monthly gift to cover strangers’ prescription costs, as remembered by a local pharmacist

Hody Childress won’t make the next Forbes Top Givers list. His simple act of kindness—anonymously giving $100 a month to a local pharmacy to make sure his neighbors can get their prescriptions—is far too modest by their standards.

But gifts like his are just as important as those of, say, Bill Gates or Warren Buffett. That’s because they prove the average person really can do meaningful good in the world, simply by choosing to be generous.

Childress’s story comes at an important moment, as the decline in middle-class charitable giving reaches a crisis point. In fact, with so much attention on mega-donors in recent years, it sometimes feels like philanthropy has become a luxury, reserved for the wealthy and out of reach for the rest of us.

It’s just lucky nobody told Hody Childress.

Read more about his story, and about the collapse of middle-class charitable giving, in this month’s issue.

But first, a programming note: Going forward, Friends in Philanthropy won’t be sent on the same monthly schedule. Instead, we’re looking into sending less frequent, more substantive updates on the state of philanthropy in 2023. Watch your inbox for news.

Thank you for being a subscriber up to this point! We hope this newsletter has helped you become a more informed and thoughtful donor, and that reading stories about other generous givers like you has inspired you to keep sharing your good fortune with the world.

How to Support Kinship United with Your Donor-Advised Fund (Kinship United) – Ready to support a charity that uses Christian principles to rescue widows and orphans around the world? We’ll show you how to recommend a grant through your DAF in minutes.

Middle-Class Philanthropy Is Collapsing (National Review) – From 2000 to 2018, the share of U.S. households that donate to charity dropped from 66% to 50%. Yet big-ticket giving is actually growing. Has charity become a luxury?

An Alabama Man Secretly Helped Pay Strangers’ Prescriptions For Years (BBC) – For a decade, small-town farmer Hody Childress gave $100 a month to a local pharmacy so his neighbors could afford their medicine. He only told his family when he got too sick to handle it himself.

4 Ways To Prioritize Corporate Philanthropy During An Economic Downturn (Forbes) – It can be tempting to cut back on corporate giving programs during a difficult economy. Here’s why pulling back when demand is highest might be a mistake, and how to avoid it.

A green plant growing out of a jar of change

Your Estate Plan Is About Living Generously Right Now, Too (National Christian Foundation) – When families discuss inheritance, they’re talking about passing along faith and values, not just money. Here’s how to make sure your estate plan is leaving a clear “living legacy” for the next generation.

Photos courtesy of Unsplash.

Kinship United often posts content and opinions that are of interest to the philanthropic community that supports Kinship United’s mission. Nothing published by Kinship United constitutes an investment recommendation, nor should any data or content published by Kinship United be solely relied upon for any investment, tax, legal or financial decisions. Kinship United strongly recommends that you perform your own independent research and/or speak with a qualified investment professional before making any financial decisions.

August 2022

Friends in Philanthropy: August 2022 Issue

“Everyone has rookie moments in their early years.”
– Ronnie Lott on why his foundation provides training and mentoring, and not just grants, for new nonprofits

Ronnie Lott knows all about development. As an NFL Hall of Famer, he experienced firsthand how far a talented young player can go when he gets the right coaching and support.

And in his second career as a venture capitalist, he became the one doing the mentoring, providing guidance, connections, and other forms of support to promising startups.

Now Lott’s foundation, All Stars Helping Kids, is taking the same “investor’s eye” approach to philanthropy. Early-stage nonprofits don’t just apply to the foundation for grants. They can also land chances for free training, peer networking, and one-on-one coaching.

In this month’s issue, you’ll learn more about ASHK’s effort to “go beyond the grant.” And you’ll also find out other ways smart givers are working through their own challenges, from the right way to measure their performance to how they should be taking care of themselves.

How Ronnie Lott’s Foundation Acts Like an NFL Scout (Exponent Philanthropy) – All Stars Helping Kids doesn’t just cut checks and run. The foundation helps promising new nonprofits develop through coaching, partnerships, and long-term funding.

‘We Were Idolizing Money’: How the Yoons Decided to Give More Than They Keep (National Christian Foundation) – Andy and Mel Yoon weren’t happy. Then David Platt’s book ‘Radical’ convinced them to make a commitment that would change their lives forever.

VIDEO: Ray Dalio Loves To Be Told He Was Wrong (Philanthropy Roundtable) – The founder of the world’s largest hedge fund and the bestselling author of ‘Principles’ thinks radical honesty is the key to success. Read a summary of his “Doers to Donors” interview here.

Everyone Needs to Practice Self-Aid. (That Means You.) (The Better Samaritan) – The cofounders of the “Spiritual First Aid” program have a simple argument: “To care well for others, we must care well for ourselves.” Here’s how to do that.

Are Common Financial Measures Holding Charities Back? (The Conversation) – Many assume charities must keep “overhead” costs low to be effective. But an analysis of more than 4,000 large nonprofits found plenty of reasons to doubt the conventional wisdom.

Photos courtesy of Unsplash.

March 2022

Friends in Philanthropy: March 2022 Issue

You probably know it’s a good idea to double-check a charity’s ratings when you’re planning a gift. But do you know the difference between the various charity ratings sites?

Here’s a quick breakdown:

This month we’re wrapping up our two-part series on using charity ratings to make more informed decisions as a donor. Click the first article below for lots more details on what ratings systems like Charity Navigator’s actually tell you.

The Ultimate Guide to Charity Ratings for Donors: Part 2 (Friends in Philanthropy) – Which sites are some of the most popular to check before making a gift? And how do you actually interpret those ratings, anyway? Here’s what you need to know.

Meet the Couple Who Rented an Entire Hotel for Ukrainian Refugees (BBC) – A logistics manager and a police officer living in the U.K. felt they had to help. So they found a closed hotel in their native Poland and started raising funds to rent it.

Most People Plan Their Giving at Year’s End. But That’s Exactly Backwards. (Forbes) – Donations surge in December because of Christmas and the end of the tax year. But you can boost your impact (and your tax benefit) by planning your giving right now.

Russian Oligarchs Have Some Asking: What Should Philanthropy Do With Tainted Money? (Town & Country) – The invasion of Ukraine is putting some charitable institutions in a bind: are they complicit with “reputation laundering”?

The ‘Year of Catastrophic Hunger’ Just Got More Catastrophic (Philanthropy News Digest) – The UN was already warning 2022 would be a dire year for hunger. Then Russia invaded Ukraine. Now supply chain problems, inflation, and diverted attention may make things much worse.

Photos courtesy of Unsplash.

January 2022

Friends in Philanthropy: January 2022 Issue

“If you are feeling off, maybe you need to give some of yourself away each week.”
– Author Jamie Ivey on the healing power of volunteering

A sad consequence of the pandemic is that churches have seen steep volunteering declines in the last two years. But that’s not what scares church leaders the most.

They know the real danger isn’t a temporary volunteering dip. It’s what happens if things stay that way. That kind of interruption in the volunteer pipeline could set back a church’s work by decades if it becomes permanent.

So in this month’s issue, you’ll see how pastors are attacking the problem with all they’ve got. Because this story has resonance for people interested in philanthropy, too: it shows that returning to normal won’t just happen by magic. If we ever want to truly heal, we all have to pitch in to help.

Church Leaders Are Still Waiting for Volunteers to Come Back (Christianity Today) – Church volunteering plummeted to new lows in the pandemic—and they’re still stuck there. Now pastors wonder where and how they’ll find recruits.

What’s a 990 Form and Why Does It Matter? (The Conversation) – Ever wondered how sites like Charity Navigator get their info? A charity accounting expert explains how one simple disclosure form can help you spot well-run nonprofits.

Children in Uganda Are Finally Back in School. Now What? (BBC) – The world’s longest pandemic school shutdown is over after nearly two years. But many worry students will struggle to catch up, especially after a new UN report on the world’s “nearly insurmountable” learning loss.

Forbes Names the Top 25 Givers in America (Forbes) – Some familiar faces lead this list of top philanthropists by lifetime giving. But most who took the Giving Pledge still have a long way to go.

An App Also Named ‘Wordle’ Is Raking in Money. The Creator Is Giving It Away. (Mashable) – Developer Steven Cravotta was shocked when his years-old app spiked in popularity because of a coincidence. Now he’s sharing the wealth.

Photos courtesy of Unsplash.

December 2021

Friends in Philanthropy: December 2021 Issue

“My daughter told me she would rather be the kind of person who got scammed out of $70 than the kind of person who didn’t help a mama and her baby sleep in a warm place.”
– An anonymous parent describing a young woman’s
spontaneous act of kindness

If you’re looking for insights on the strategic side of philanthropy, you’ll find plenty in this month’s issue: financial trends to anticipate in 2022, lessons from the Haiti missionary kidnapping, and ideas for knitting your workplace back together by planning volunteer events.

But even the most analytical donor sometimes feels the impulse to cut out all the contemplation and just help someone in need on a whim. So for our final issue of the year, we’re also pointing you to 5 stories of philanthropists who were suddenly moved to perform acts of kindness for strangers without all the fuss.

We hope their experiences serve as a reminder that underneath all the chatter about tax law and expense ratios lies the true beating heart of philanthropy: the very human, very divine urge to lend a hand when you see someone hurting.

Get Inspired by These 5 Stories of Spontaneous Generosity (National Christian Foundation) – Yes, it’s wise to plan your giving. But sometimes you just want to do something kind on a whim—like stage an impromptu grocery trip to feed 600 people!

9 Trends That Will Shape Philanthropy in 2022 (Giving USA) – Nimbler planning, smarter measuring, and DAF growth galore. Here’s what donors and nonprofits will be talking about next year.

Habitat For Humanity’s First 3D-Printed House Gave This Family a Very Merry Christmas (CNN) – April Stringfield and her son got to move into their first home just in time for the holidays. Good thing it only took 12 hours to build.

What Should We Learn From the Haiti Missionary Crisis? (The Better Samaritan) – Thanks to a miraculous escape from their captors, all 17 kidnapped missionaries are now home safe. But what does this tragic situation mean for the future?

Reconnect Your Staff And Restore Culture Through Philanthropy (Forbes) – The rise of remote work makes team-building activities more important than ever. Here’s how your company can benefit by organizing to do good.

Photos courtesy of Unsplash.

Kinship United often posts content and opinions that are of interest to the philanthropic community that supports Kinship United’s mission. Nothing published by Kinship United constitutes an investment recommendation, nor should any data or content published by Kinship United be solely relied upon for any investment, tax, legal or financial decisions. Kinship United strongly recommends that you perform your own independent research and/or speak with a qualifying investment professional before making any financial decisions.