The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s Prospecting blog has an interesting post about a new planned giving tool. Apparently, it’s a CD that donors can play to see the benefits of making a planned gifts and a charity can customize it to be the “charity of choice” for the example.
But wait! There’s more:
What worries some fund raisers, [...]

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Here’s another story in the growing collection of unassuming people that become noteworthy philanthropists by leaving millions of dollars to charity.
The Chronicle of Philanthropy reports that James Ebbert, the son of a sharecropper, left $10 million to charities in Pennsylvania.
When reporting on this high-school-turned-business-owner:
He lived frugally and invested his money well, says the [...]

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I had fun today creating a parody of a sales letter for fundraising consulting. You can see it at www.GuiltFreeFundraising.com.
It’s loosely based on the calls I’ve gotten from people over the last 10 years asking me to do their fundraising for them.
It’s all meant in good fun. I got the idea from Fred Gleeck’s [...]

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Just read a news brief from the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s daily entitled Small Colleges Say Board Members Have Been Poor Fund Raisers.
In the article, Wesley Wilmer is quoted as saying:
“If college presidents and development staffs are unhappy with board members’ understanding of fund raising, they should take the initiative to get them trained,” he said.
Music [...]

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Just read this in MaineBiz:
Report: Maine philanthropy has grown
Maine philanthropy has increased dramatically in recent years, according to a new report from the Maine Community Foundation and the Maine Philanthropy Center.
“Giving in Maine: A Report on Philanthropy 2008″ found that individual giving has grown sevenfold over the last 22 years, from $67 million to $482 [...]

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Another episode of Oprah’s Big Give.
I’ve watched all three episodes in three different ways:

via recording on my DVR

on TV like I did in the 1990’s

on abc.com!

Who knew TV shows could be so adaptable to technology?
This week’s program brought out two interesting themes: creative engagement of donors and the dangers of [...]

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Last week, I blogged about what I like about Oprah’s show “The Big Give” and about my concerns.
I still like it. I loved the way the guys teamed up for the Denver orphanage. The shock and gratitude on the directors face moved me to tears.
Another person got voted off. His “kindness” was considered weak and [...]

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I just watched the premier of The Big Give. (Thank God for a DVR! )
I really liked it.
I was really touched by the examples of people bringing community together. Like the woman who’s husband was shot. Wow. They all pulled together. And the balloons. How cool that the family will forever have a [...]

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Check this article out from the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s daily email:

A Charity Levy for Britain’s Wealthy?
Affluent British people who do not give at least 10 percent of their incomes to charity should pay an equivalent surcharge in taxes, said Frank Field, former welfare reform minister for Britain’s Labour party, according to The Financial Times.
Mr. [...]

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Check out this Reuters story : Frugal librarian amassed $8 million art trove.
With a The Millionaire Next Door feel, librarian Jean Preston ate frozen meals and took the bus.
But she’d collected art work worth more around $8 million.
The lesson I get from this? Any fundraiser that had visited her would’ve noticed the quantity of [...]

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