When I was a kid, I played team sports…basketball, football, church league softball (no comments from the peanut gallery), soccer and more. And inevitably – regardless of the sport – I would be on the worst team in the league. Read more…
Giving Pledge Signers Gave Big in 2013 but Not Much for Today’s Needs
More than 120 of the world’s billionaires have committed publicly to giving at least half their wealth to charity, including 19 on this year’s Philanthropy 50 list. But while the number of people who have signed the Giving Pledge, unveiledRead more…
A Look at the 50 Most Generous Donors of 2013
America’s biggest donors gave $7.7-billion to nonprofits in 2013, with higher education and family foundations receiving the most money. This is a list of the 50 donors with further information on their giving through the different links on their namesRead more…
Russell Wilson’s Special Wallet
Allison Christensen was in the hospital in need of a heart transplant in September when she met American football star Russell Wilson. As it turned out, the meeting would create a bond between the two as Allison presented Russell withRead more…
5 Tips for Your Next Email Newsletter
The arrival of the New Year is a great time to look at your overall marketing strategy and think of new ways to grow your organization in 2014. An email newsletter is a great way to do it! With aRead more…
How to Make the Case for Giving: 8 Steps to a Compelling Fundraising Appeal
A fundraising appeal without a compelling case for giving is just words on a page. For fundraising appeals to indeed appeal, fundraisers must master the art and science of creating a rock-solid case for giving—persuasive content that inspires donors toRead more…
Opening Up: Demystifying Funder Transparency
Relationships between donors and ministries can cause much anxiety. The Opening Up: Demystifying Funder Transparency report from Grantcraft explores how transparency can strengthen credibility, improve grantee relationships, facilitate greater collaboration, increase public trust, reduce duplication of effort, and build communities of sharedRead more…
Rereading “Collective Impact”: Three Lessons
One of the many lessons I’ve learned since the first “Collective Impact” article by John Kania and Mark Kramer disrupted my life three years ago is that all collaborations go through cycles. And asLiz Weaver, vice president of the Tamarack Institute,Read more…
Generosity Exercises
The excellent ‘Generosity Exercises’ book by Gary Hoag invites Christians to explore passages in three sections: (1) the Old Testament, (2) the Gospels, and (3) the rest of the New Testament, the world of the Early Church. This format helpsRead more…
Generosity and Your Marriage: Keep the Flowers Coming
Those brave souls who study marriage are continually looking for the positive behaviors that add to marital satisfaction and longevity. In October 2013 edition of the Journal of Marriage and Family, W. Bradford Wilcox from the University of Virginia and JeffreyRead more…