Pledging to Give: The Power of Example
Within the next 45 years, nearly $59 trillion dollars is up for grabs. Don’t run to check your bank account balance or buy a lottery ticket just yet though, as unfortunately, this money is already earned. What this number references is the greatest intergenerational transfer of wealth to ever occur. The much cited study “A… CONTINUE READING >>
“Just Charity”? The Nexus of Impact, Philanthropy, and Investment in the African Context
When we decided that we should take a closer look into U.S. giving to Africa, we were confronted with a troublesome specter called generalization and the looming notion that we would join the ranks of those who talk about Africa as a homogenous nation and not a complex continent with 54 distinct countries. Alas, with… CONTINUE READING >>
Anti-Money Laundering Compliance for Grantmakers: The Good, The Bad and The Regulatory
A recent announcement by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is giving the charitable sector a new reason to celebrate. For years, governments have cautioned potential donors that the entire charitable sector, made up primarily of Nonprofit Organizations (NPOs), is at a greater risk for being used to commit money laundering and other illegal activities. Such… CONTINUE READING >>
Latest from the UN: CAF America Participates in Global Development Week
September is always a hectic time in New York City. The United Nation’s annual meeting of the General Assembly (GA) occurs every year in September and brings with it a whole host of international government officials, corporate executives, international organization employees, and of course, civil society members and philanthropists. This year, however, the massive… CONTINUE READING >>
Charity Spotlight: Samriddha Pahad UK
Imagine you live in a region of the world that is so remote that you’ve never seen, let alone heard of, a bank. You have very little opportunity to make a living, through no fault of your own. The concepts of self-starter, entrepreneur or business owner might not be completely foreign to you, however, without… CONTINUE READING >>
Philanthropy in the Asia-Pacific Region: A Mosaic of Giving to Bangladesh and the Philippines
In today’s interconnected world, global philanthropy is more within reach than ever before. The challenges of distant countries and peoples feel acutely tangible through live videos, images, and stories that we can access with the tap of a finger. This means that donors in the US can not only witness a natural disaster occur while… CONTINUE READING >>
Tracking the Funding: An Update on Financing the SDGs
As we are nearing the end of the Sustainable Development Goals’ (SDGs) first year of existence and the planning work towards achieving these goals is fully underway, two main questions remain as common concerns on everyone’s mind — critics and proponents alike — how will we finance these goals and how will we track developmental… CONTINUE READING >>
Reflecting on International Youth Day 2016
Last week marked the 17th anniversary of International Youth Day – a day to celebrate young peoples views, lives and futures while also raising awareness about the issues they are facing. This year, the theme for International Youth Day was “The Road to 2030: Eradicating Poverty and Achieving Sustainable Consumption and Production“; dovetailing with Goals… CONTINUE READING >>
Charity Spotlight: Delhi Council for Child Welfare
Suman is a cheerful 6 year-old from Delhi, India. She has been living with cerebral palsy, a congenital disorder of movement and muscle tone that prevents her from standing without assistance. On a daily basis, Suman’s parents take her to receive physiotherapy and speech therapy. Every day presents a new challenge that the family must… CONTINUE READING >>
Five Predictions for the Future of Philanthropy
This op-ed by CAF America’s CEO, Ted Hart, was originally posted at npENGAGE and can be found here. When asked about what I think the future of fundraising looks like, my best advice? STOP FUNDRAISING! In the ever-evolving world of philanthropy, your success is not in the tools you use to fundraise, but in your… CONTINUE READING >>
Latest from FATF: Changes to Recommendation 8
Civil society organizations (CSOs) around the world have recently recorded a victory that could be more than a small step toward regaining access to international funding. Moreover, the 25th of June, 2016, when FATF issued a string of revisions related to the implementation of its recommendations, may even mark – as highlighted by Adam Pickering,… CONTINUE READING >>
A Remarkable Rise in International Giving
The American philanthropic sector welcomed last week the release of the Giving USA 2016 report that shows a considerable growth of charitable giving, with contributions exceeding $373 billion for 2015. A publication of Giving USA Foundation, The Giving Institute & IUPUI, the report focuses on charitable giving trends within the United States and provides valuable… CONTINUE READING >>
Tax relief on charity donations ‘effective’ but often skewed in favour of the wealthy – CAF
May 17, 2016 | New Report Released Tax incentives encourage people and businesses to give more to charity but are too often skewed in favor of the wealthy and causes favored by governments, an international study has concluded. People are significantly more likely to have given to charity in the past month if they live… CONTINUE READING >>
Basketball as a Vehicle for Change: An interview with Mark Crandall, Founder of Hoops 4 Hope
Amidst a growing recognition of sport as a unifying force — no matter where in the world it’s played — CAF America is dedicating the month of April to highlighting the work of our donors and partners who use sports to promote tolerance, accountability and respect. In a recent blog post, a story of reconciliation… CONTINUE READING >>
Rwanda and Cricket: A Story of Reconciliation
“At one point, I saw my mother try to run away. She made it out of the door, but they killed her under the tree with machetes. When the killing was done, they pulled all the bodies out of the house and into the courtyard. I couldn’t recognise anyone. They were all cut up. Disfigured…. CONTINUE READING >>
Philanthropy and the SDGs: A Real Opportunity or Just Another Set of Buzzwords?
In September 2015, the 193 Member States of the U.N. unanimously adopted the new global agenda. These 17 goals and 169 targets will decide the world’s common action towards tackling some of the most encumbering problems of humanity during the upcoming 15 years. But who, exactly, is this world that is taking action? The proponents… CONTINUE READING >>
Grant Reports: What We Learned in 2015
One of the most rewarding experiences as a grantmaker is receiving and reviewing reports on projects and programs that were directly impacted by your grant. Grantee reports are a wonderful opportunity for charitable organizations to continue building a sense of trust with their donors, to celebrate the successes of their efforts, and to reflect on… CONTINUE READING >>
Revenue and generosity, not necessarily linked.
The Case of the UK A recent publication by Charities Aid Foundation noted that despite falls in revenue, many British companies maintained their charitable giving in 2014. The report, Corporate Giving by the FTSE 100, shows that while corporate giving by Britain’s top companies fell to £2.1bn in 2014 (the lowest level in the past… CONTINUE READING >>
Women at the Heart of Philanthropy and Gender Equality
SDG #5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls On March 8, the world celebrates International Women’s Day. This day has always advocated for an expanded view of women beyond their role in the family. As women’s political, economic, and social achievements are increasingly recognized, the world also remembers how far we still… CONTINUE READING >>
Charity Spotlight: The Finnish Association for Nature Conservation
At the beginning of the 20th century, an estimated 1000 Saimaa Ringed Seals populated Lake Saimaa in Finland. By 1983, only 150 of these seals survived net fishing, which is still to date the biggest threat for the ringed seals. With unwavering and relentless awareness campaigns like that of the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation,… CONTINUE READING >>
Extinction to Preservation: Celebrating Diversity this International Mother Language Day
Perhaps more than ever before, there is a push across the world to preserve some of the 6,000 languages that exist on our planet. This goal is not free of challenge however, as according to the BBC, over 90% of these languages are spoken by only 100,000 people or less. With the rise of English… CONTINUE READING >>
Aspen Institute transitions the Diaspora Investment Alliance to CAF America
Washington, DC, February 17, 2016 – The Aspen Institute today announced the transfer of the Diaspora Investment Alliance (DIA) to Charities Aid Foundation of America (CAF America), the nation’s leader in global giving. The DIA will reside independently under CAF America who will evolve the initiative under its leadership and unique global footprint. DIA’s… CONTINUE READING >>
Charity Spotlight: Bright Future International
Bright Future International (BFI) is a charitable organization dedicated to helping underprivileged children around the world. It funds arts and educational enrichment programs for children through partnerships with local and international organizations that seek to instill values of compassion, self-esteem, and the desire to help others. Founded in 2008 by Mr. Anthony Melikhov, a former… CONTINUE READING >>
Charity Spotlight: Nochlezhka
Nochlezhka is a rehabilitation center in St. Petersburg, Russia, that provides holistic services for homeless men and women. The organization, created in 1990 and functioning as a certified charitable organization since 1997, was conceived by a group of compassionate individuals concerned about the situation of the homeless in their city. Since, it has evolved to… CONTINUE READING >>
The Sound of Resurgence: Radio 2.0
Apparently, just like karma or fashion, radio has come and gone and is now back again. With the advent of television and the internet, it seemed like the platform that brought us FDR’s fire-side chats, Radio-Free Europe, emergency broadcast systems, and allowed music to transcend borders, would end up disappearing into history. As World Radio… CONTINUE READING >>
Gross Domestic Philanthropy: An international analysis of GDP, tax and giving
Out of 24 countries representing 75% of the world’s GDP, the U.S. has ranked #1 in generosity. A recent paper published by Charities Aid Foundation — Gross Domestic Philanthropy: An international analysis of GDP, tax and giving –– looked at data provided by the selected countries to determine whether a correlation existed between GDP growth… CONTINUE READING >>
Bright Future International
Bright Future International (BFI) is a charitable organization dedicated to helping underprivileged children around the world. It funds arts and educational enrichment programs for children through partnerships with local and international organizations that seek to instill values of compassion, self-esteem, and the desire to help others. Founded in 2008 by Mr. Anthony Melikhov, a former… CONTINUE READING >>
The Sustainable Development Goals: A Plan for 2016 and Beyond
As we find ourselves only a number of days into 2016, it’s the time of year when many of us commit to altering our lifestyles in an attempt to abide bold resolutions. The beginning of this year, however, marks an important benchmark for humanity itself. The world — under the auspices of the United Nations… CONTINUE READING >>
Latest from the IRS: Proposed Rule for Gift Substantiation Withdrawn
As of January 2016, the IRS proposal on gift substantiation has been withdrawn. The proposed regulation would’ve resulted in nonprofits collecting, storing and reporting donors’ Social Security numbers. The Substantiation Requirement for Certain Contributions, a voluntary reporting regime proposed by the IRS, has been one of the most recent victims of public outcry. In line… CONTINUE READING >>
