Unpacking India’s CSR Law
India’s Ministry of Corporate Affairs released new guidance on their corporate social responsibility (CSR) law, which legally mandates that companies spend two percent of their average net profit for the past three years on CSR activities. The CSR rules in Section 135 of India’s Companies Act, 2013 provide a broad framework for companies to undertake… CONTINUE READING >>
5 questions to answer when planning your international charitable legacy
Legacy giving, or giving by bequest, is one of the best ways for donors to support charities and charitable programs they care about. But not all bequests are made the same: donors should be asking themselves five key questions before settling on a legacy giving plan. 1. What do I want my legacy to be?… CONTINUE READING >>
Philanthropy done well: the importance of compliance
Originally article posted by Alliance Magazine NGOs and civil society organizations around the world serve many different roles. In some countries organizations seek to augment the public services provided by governments. Still others may be called upon to step in to cover the needs where governments fail, serve as watchdogs holding those in power accountable,… CONTINUE READING >>
Substantiating and Reporting Charitable Contributions: Requirements from the IRS
Effective July 30, 2018, the IRS published final regulations for Substantiation and Reporting Requirements for Cash and Noncash Charitable Contribution Deductions. These updates guide individuals, partnerships, and corporations making charitable contributions on how these contributions should be substantiated and reported in order for them to be legally tax-deductible. These regulations clarify existing regulations by adding new… CONTINUE READING >>
Giving to India? Compliance with the Newly Amended FCRA
Published on November 23, 2020 and Updated March 25, 2022 In Brief Donors in the United States may not give directly to nonprofits located in India and receive a tax deduction in the United States. By giving through a 501(c)(3) public charity, such as CAF America, US donors can make tax effective donations to any… CONTINUE READING >>
A Recap of IGS18
Some of the IGS18 Delegates in front of the Washington Monument! “The legal environment impacting cross-border giving is changing, and sadly not always for the better. But such laws are just part of a larger picture, an ever-changing tapestry of environments, both domestically and around the world, that impact our work.Changes to our field can… CONTINUE READING >>
11 Facts About Donor Advised Funds and Private Foundations
When evaluating options for best structuring charitable giving, donors often wish to assess the differences and benefits offered by creating a private foundation or opening a donor advised fund (DAF). While private foundations and DAFs enable strategic and tax-effective charitable giving, they differ enough that they can appeal to different types of donors, be more… CONTINUE READING >>
The Latest from the IRS on DAFs, Donor Pledges, and other Donor Benefits
The IRS released an important notice regarding donor advised funds (DAFs) on December 4th, 2017 and has begun soliciting public comments on a number of issues concerning distributions from DAFs. While at this time only Section 4 has been posted by the IRS as guidance taxpayers may currently rely on, there is much to learn… CONTINUE READING >>
CAF America Hosts Diaspora Philanthropy Summit
On November 2nd-3rd, CAF America had the immense honor of hosting its Diaspora Philanthropy Summit at the organizational headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia. With CAF Canada and Boston University’s Pardee School of Global Studies African Studies Center as partners, the Summit brought together representatives from diaspora groups from across the world and served as an incubator for… CONTINUE READING >>
IGS 2017: A Delegate’s Take
Author: Emily Bryant, Doctoral Candidate CAF America’s third annual International Grantmaking Symposium was held earlier this month in Boston. As a first time IGS participant (or “delegate,” as we’re called), I took in a great deal of valuable information and received the opportunity to network with others in the field. Though not a grantmaker myself… CONTINUE READING >>
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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
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 >>
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: 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 >>
PYXERA Global: Igniting CSR Innovation with Global Pro Bono: Part Two
PYXERA Global helps global companies design and implement a different kind of CSR initiative – global pro bono. Multinationals such as IBM, Google, SAP, The Dow Chemical Company, and dozens of others deploy their employees into emerging markets from one week to many months to work on pro bono assignments with influential NGOs, social enterprises, local… CONTINUE READING >>
The Changing Landscape of NGOs in China
All eyes have been on China, with one fifth of the world’s population, the second largest economy in the world, and an annual GDP growth rate of ~10%. However, in tandem with such tremendous growth there has been a parallel increase in social and environmental challenges. From excessive coal burning and dangerous levels of pollution (to the point where it is affecting the ability to attract employees in large cities), to huge income disparities and migrant worker challenges as workers flee to the cities to earn a livelihood but do not have the legal right to reside in those cities.
The good news is that the Chinese government is recognizing the important role that nonprofits, and to a lesser extent companies, can play in addressing some of these social issues. There are encouraging signs that the government wants to involve more social resources to resolve social problems together.
We have created a “Top Trends” list based on our knowledge and the experiences of our clients.
» Report: The 2013 World Giving Index
Looking to gain insight into the nature of global giving? Download your FREE copy of the report here.
» December 10 is the Day of International Giving
CAF America is proud to celebrate the growth in international giving; today we’re sharing two stories of philanthropy on behalf of DIG, made possible by our generous donors. Click to learn more.
