http://philanthropy.com/news/updates/index.php?id=10256
For all the complaints conservative Americans have against President Obama and his new administration, there honestly should be no complaints against this new "Neighbor" campaign.
President Obama is proposing that each and every American donate in some way to relieve hunger. Different ways that this can be accomplished are donating food to food banks and other organizations that provide food to groups of people unable to obtain it, volunteering to serve a meal in a soup kitchen or donating your time working in a food bank. Of course, cash donations to charitable organizations are always nice and eternally welcome.
Most Americans have enough to eat every day. However, in 2008, 14.6 percent of American citizens went without food at some point. For the wealthiest country in the world, it is pitiful that anyone should ever go hungry. If every person took a small amount of what they have (and usually have too much of, leftovers, anyone??) and donated it, there is no way this hunger crisis would still exist.
It's not that there should not be greater focus on hunger relief in other places, such as third-world countries, but in order to solve a problem globally, Americans must first act locally to counteract this basic human need.
President Obama is doing great things to help the super-rich of this nation learn that there are poor people out there and they desperately need help, even with such small things as a meal.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
http://philanthropy.com/news/updates/index.php?id=10171
First and foremost, I found it extremely encouraging that employees are feeling more willing to volunteer during the tough times we are having. With unemployment on the rise and the economy still suffering, it seems more likely that people with jobs would want to spend their time making money rather than not. However, this survey has shown otherwise.
I personally find great satisfaction in giving of my time and energy to those in need. I cannot always give money as I do support myself and volunteering is a great way to give back some of the blessings I have received.
The fact that the survey polled larger companies leads me to believe that the findings are pretty accurate, since employees of All State and The Gap tend to be, what I believe, "typical" Americans. Obviously, with all surveys, there will be outliers and the results cannot be guaranteed for every single person, but the 71% findings is astounding.
The idea of companies donating to charities that its employees is really cool. It might be interesting if larger retail companies also created the option for customers to choose where the company donated funds. Of course, there would need to be a list of options for customers to choose from because otherwise it would be much to chaotic.
I had never heard of companies allowing employees to volunteer during the workday, but this is a really cool concept. Often non-profits need people to volunteer to do work during normal business hours and that cuts down on a huge chunk of volunteers. If companies continued to adapt this concept to fit their own personal schedules, it could really benefit the company, non-profits, employees, and employee relations. I would definitely consider it a plus if a company I was applying for allowed me to do my volunteer work when it was the best time for everyone.
First and foremost, I found it extremely encouraging that employees are feeling more willing to volunteer during the tough times we are having. With unemployment on the rise and the economy still suffering, it seems more likely that people with jobs would want to spend their time making money rather than not. However, this survey has shown otherwise.
I personally find great satisfaction in giving of my time and energy to those in need. I cannot always give money as I do support myself and volunteering is a great way to give back some of the blessings I have received.
The fact that the survey polled larger companies leads me to believe that the findings are pretty accurate, since employees of All State and The Gap tend to be, what I believe, "typical" Americans. Obviously, with all surveys, there will be outliers and the results cannot be guaranteed for every single person, but the 71% findings is astounding.
The idea of companies donating to charities that its employees is really cool. It might be interesting if larger retail companies also created the option for customers to choose where the company donated funds. Of course, there would need to be a list of options for customers to choose from because otherwise it would be much to chaotic.
I had never heard of companies allowing employees to volunteer during the workday, but this is a really cool concept. Often non-profits need people to volunteer to do work during normal business hours and that cuts down on a huge chunk of volunteers. If companies continued to adapt this concept to fit their own personal schedules, it could really benefit the company, non-profits, employees, and employee relations. I would definitely consider it a plus if a company I was applying for allowed me to do my volunteer work when it was the best time for everyone.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
http://philanthropy.com/news/updates/index.php?id=10035
Generosity is a difficult value to maintain in the current economic crisis. As more and more nonprofits seek different methods of keeping donors active and even attempting to gain new, untapped resources in new donors, two people have made a more than generous donation to a well-known American university.
Amherst College is a small liberal arts university located in Amherst, Massachusetts. The school only enrolls 1,600 students which allows for more in-depth learning in the classroom.
It was founded in 1821 and is one of the Five Colleges. It is an honor to be accepted to this institution and a great reward to attend classes there. Students work hard to maintain good grades under a heavy course load.
The strong standards that educational institutions such as Amherst require are what causes such strong loyalties for alumni.
What other schools have received such large, anonymous donations? The fact that two alumni were willing to donate $125 million total is simply astounding. This kind of generosity is what will allow schools and nonprofits in general to continue to thrive. A strong passion for whatever you believe in must lead to such an astronomical gift and these alumni must love their alma mater.
This passion is a resource that needs to be tapped on a national level. It does not necessarily need to be huge monetary gifts, although those are needed to keep any philanthropic organization running, but also gifts of time and energy. Few people actively volunteer any part of their lives to volunteer. We are so selfish with our time, spending it watching four hours of television as opposed to helping someone in need. If everyone could learn to donate an hour out of their week, great things could be accomplished in the United States and worldwide.
Generosity is a difficult value to maintain in the current economic crisis. As more and more nonprofits seek different methods of keeping donors active and even attempting to gain new, untapped resources in new donors, two people have made a more than generous donation to a well-known American university.
Amherst College is a small liberal arts university located in Amherst, Massachusetts. The school only enrolls 1,600 students which allows for more in-depth learning in the classroom.
It was founded in 1821 and is one of the Five Colleges. It is an honor to be accepted to this institution and a great reward to attend classes there. Students work hard to maintain good grades under a heavy course load.
The strong standards that educational institutions such as Amherst require are what causes such strong loyalties for alumni.
What other schools have received such large, anonymous donations? The fact that two alumni were willing to donate $125 million total is simply astounding. This kind of generosity is what will allow schools and nonprofits in general to continue to thrive. A strong passion for whatever you believe in must lead to such an astronomical gift and these alumni must love their alma mater.
This passion is a resource that needs to be tapped on a national level. It does not necessarily need to be huge monetary gifts, although those are needed to keep any philanthropic organization running, but also gifts of time and energy. Few people actively volunteer any part of their lives to volunteer. We are so selfish with our time, spending it watching four hours of television as opposed to helping someone in need. If everyone could learn to donate an hour out of their week, great things could be accomplished in the United States and worldwide.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
http://philanthropy.com/giveandtake/index.php?id=1402
The idea of giving back to your community is taking on a whole new side. This Canadian family, in the true spirit of philanthropy, pledged to give 10% of their annual income in 2009 to strangers. The decision to willing give away hard-earned money to people this family most likely does not know is so cool. Seriously, in America, it seems that all we care about is paychecks and making money. If you can't make money, you steal it. It's depressing how little emphasis is placed on thinking of others before yourself these days.
This family's simple work to make someone's life a little better is an example to everyone. Who knows how much someone might need twenty bucks and then they find it in an unexpected place.
I do not particularly care for the idea of giving clues as to where the money might be. I think in the spirit of giving, the money should be found unexpectedly, as that can vastly improve someone's outlook on life. Yet, without providing these key details, the family would not be able to offer the option for people to post about finding the hidden money and thank the family. I think that it's great that people would turn around and give this free gift back to a charity, because during the troubling current economic times, charities need more money and receive even less than usual.
The ability to give 10% of your income may not be an option for everyone, but we can all give something, right? Anyone can volunteer or simply drop your change into a donation bucket. The ability to give 10% of your time or energy might be more valuable than you really even know.
So, Kudos to this amazing family in Canada who are teaching the rest of the world what it truly means to "love your neighbor as yourself."
The idea of giving back to your community is taking on a whole new side. This Canadian family, in the true spirit of philanthropy, pledged to give 10% of their annual income in 2009 to strangers. The decision to willing give away hard-earned money to people this family most likely does not know is so cool. Seriously, in America, it seems that all we care about is paychecks and making money. If you can't make money, you steal it. It's depressing how little emphasis is placed on thinking of others before yourself these days.
This family's simple work to make someone's life a little better is an example to everyone. Who knows how much someone might need twenty bucks and then they find it in an unexpected place.
I do not particularly care for the idea of giving clues as to where the money might be. I think in the spirit of giving, the money should be found unexpectedly, as that can vastly improve someone's outlook on life. Yet, without providing these key details, the family would not be able to offer the option for people to post about finding the hidden money and thank the family. I think that it's great that people would turn around and give this free gift back to a charity, because during the troubling current economic times, charities need more money and receive even less than usual.
The ability to give 10% of your income may not be an option for everyone, but we can all give something, right? Anyone can volunteer or simply drop your change into a donation bucket. The ability to give 10% of your time or energy might be more valuable than you really even know.
So, Kudos to this amazing family in Canada who are teaching the rest of the world what it truly means to "love your neighbor as yourself."
Thursday, October 22, 2009
http://philanthropy.com/news/updates/index.php?id=9903
This article described a report released by some of the major philanthropic organizations that included ways to mobilize volunteers. Often, non-profit organizations need more volunteers than they have, but it seems like they focus too much time speaking purely on what the organization does, rather than how volunteers can be involved. As someone who volunteers with a couple of organizations, I know how I was recruited. For Girl Scouts, I am a lifetime member and alumna of the organization so I am strongly motivated to help carry on this organization's legacy. I want to help the next generation of girls to know how awesome working with their sister scouts can be and the pure thrill of knowing that you are a member of an organization created to purely help young women learn and grow, an organization that has been around for almost an entire century.
However, there are plenty of organizations out there that have a huge need for volunteers, but people who are interested in volunteering do not always know how to get involved. I have seen advertisements on television or even on billboards for groups such as Big Brothers, Big Sisters that do not even list a website to visit in order to gain information. If I wanted to get involved, I would have to remember the name of the group, go home, use a search engine and attempt to find some information. However, most volunteer audiences have such a short attention span that they simply will not remember to go searching for information.
I think President Obama's push for more money to be spent helping non-profit organizations sets him apart as a new(er) president. Focus needs to be put on the great organizations that are trying to make the world a little bit better and if the president of the United States is so gung-ho, then what can the world do but follow?
However, this potential for new campaigns to gain volunteers could hurt organizations that do not have a plan in place to handle a large number of new volunteers. This needs to be addressed by someone higher up and funds should be adequately portioned for volunteer orientation, because if you do not have volunteers, how will the work get done? It just won't.
This article described a report released by some of the major philanthropic organizations that included ways to mobilize volunteers. Often, non-profit organizations need more volunteers than they have, but it seems like they focus too much time speaking purely on what the organization does, rather than how volunteers can be involved. As someone who volunteers with a couple of organizations, I know how I was recruited. For Girl Scouts, I am a lifetime member and alumna of the organization so I am strongly motivated to help carry on this organization's legacy. I want to help the next generation of girls to know how awesome working with their sister scouts can be and the pure thrill of knowing that you are a member of an organization created to purely help young women learn and grow, an organization that has been around for almost an entire century.
However, there are plenty of organizations out there that have a huge need for volunteers, but people who are interested in volunteering do not always know how to get involved. I have seen advertisements on television or even on billboards for groups such as Big Brothers, Big Sisters that do not even list a website to visit in order to gain information. If I wanted to get involved, I would have to remember the name of the group, go home, use a search engine and attempt to find some information. However, most volunteer audiences have such a short attention span that they simply will not remember to go searching for information.
I think President Obama's push for more money to be spent helping non-profit organizations sets him apart as a new(er) president. Focus needs to be put on the great organizations that are trying to make the world a little bit better and if the president of the United States is so gung-ho, then what can the world do but follow?
However, this potential for new campaigns to gain volunteers could hurt organizations that do not have a plan in place to handle a large number of new volunteers. This needs to be addressed by someone higher up and funds should be adequately portioned for volunteer orientation, because if you do not have volunteers, how will the work get done? It just won't.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Nonprofit Work May Not Pay the Best,...
http://philanthropy.com/news/updates/index.php?id=9632
With unemployment on the rise, non-profit organizations are seeking to help more and more people than ever. The goal of most is to uplift someone, in some way. This mission is not always easy to follow.
President Barack Obama recently supported an act through Congress that would allow for greater benefits for non-profits. In this act, they may receive more government help. With more benefit, especially more monetary benefits, these organizations may be able to hire some of the 9.7% of Americans that are currently without work.
These organizations are especially encouraged to look into recruiting racial and ethnic minorities, as job loss within these segments of society is soaring.
Often, I feel that people would love to work for something they are passionate about. It's why I plan on going into non-profit work. However, most people are so obsessed with a huge paycheck, that they fore go their passions and work for a company they may not have any strong feelings toward, which is fine. This new act will do great things for our country's well-being. As a member of a family that is suffering a job loss for one of my parents, I think it is awesome that President Obama is striving to benefit as many people as possible. Our will needs to remain strong that we make it through this tough economic time.
With unemployment on the rise, non-profit organizations are seeking to help more and more people than ever. The goal of most is to uplift someone, in some way. This mission is not always easy to follow.
President Barack Obama recently supported an act through Congress that would allow for greater benefits for non-profits. In this act, they may receive more government help. With more benefit, especially more monetary benefits, these organizations may be able to hire some of the 9.7% of Americans that are currently without work.
These organizations are especially encouraged to look into recruiting racial and ethnic minorities, as job loss within these segments of society is soaring.
Often, I feel that people would love to work for something they are passionate about. It's why I plan on going into non-profit work. However, most people are so obsessed with a huge paycheck, that they fore go their passions and work for a company they may not have any strong feelings toward, which is fine. This new act will do great things for our country's well-being. As a member of a family that is suffering a job loss for one of my parents, I think it is awesome that President Obama is striving to benefit as many people as possible. Our will needs to remain strong that we make it through this tough economic time.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Home Depot is a large national corporation and probably has different charities it donates to regularly, but their newest fund is going to support Habitat for Humanity and an effort to make greener living possible.
First of all, Habitat for Humanity is a great foundation, since it provides homes for people who simply cannot afford them otherwise. A home is a basic necessity that oftentimes, I take for granted. What would life be like if I had nowhere to identify as my dwelling? It's the basic center of my family and without it, we would be lost. I have been blessed enough to have always had a home, but there are always going to be people who are less fortunate. This program does awesome work and I hope to see it continue to thrive.
The fact that Home Depot is supporting not only Habitat, but also greener living, is just plain cool. Often, big companies do not seem to really care about their environmental impact and social responsibility, but Home Depot is clearly making a stand that it does care. Our environment needs serious repair and even the smallest things, like building greener houses for people who cannot afford a house, are tremendous. The article makes it seem like the effort will be for things to be green friendly, while still making the houses livable, with the use of things like low flow toilets and adjustable thermostats.
http://philanthropy.com/news/updates/index.php?id=9071
First of all, Habitat for Humanity is a great foundation, since it provides homes for people who simply cannot afford them otherwise. A home is a basic necessity that oftentimes, I take for granted. What would life be like if I had nowhere to identify as my dwelling? It's the basic center of my family and without it, we would be lost. I have been blessed enough to have always had a home, but there are always going to be people who are less fortunate. This program does awesome work and I hope to see it continue to thrive.
The fact that Home Depot is supporting not only Habitat, but also greener living, is just plain cool. Often, big companies do not seem to really care about their environmental impact and social responsibility, but Home Depot is clearly making a stand that it does care. Our environment needs serious repair and even the smallest things, like building greener houses for people who cannot afford a house, are tremendous. The article makes it seem like the effort will be for things to be green friendly, while still making the houses livable, with the use of things like low flow toilets and adjustable thermostats.
http://philanthropy.com/news/updates/index.php?id=9071
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