Minnesota Council on Foundations Blog – Philanthropy Potluck

A roundup of what other bloggers are saying about philanthropy and nonprofits. Join the conversations!

• Blogging About Philanthropy
  Tactical Philanthropy: I’ve been so pleased to see that in his first two posts, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation president Paul Brest has begun to stake out a personal blog about philanthropy. He’s even decided to follow the classic model of most bloggers (but not most foundation blogs) of commenting on other people’s blogs, writing about what other blogs say on his own blog and (this is critical) disagreeing with the other bloggers!
• The ‘Art’ of Foundation Payout in Tough Times
  PhilanTopic: Some foundations may be looking for guidance/help in determining an “appropriate” level of payout even though their own assets have dropped. Another blogger suggests that “if now is not the time to increase foundation payouts –- when governments are strapped, businesses are shaky and individuals are tapped out –- when would be?”
• How Generous Are You?
  StarTribune.com’s Ka-Blog: Shouldn’t this be the year when I should step up my giving?
• Charitable Giving
  A new Business Week roundup of news and blog posts about how financial advisors can assist with charitable giving, and how corporations can maximize their charitable contributions.
• What Message Will New “Secret Millionaire” Show Send About Charity?
  Give and Take: The new series is the latest in a string of network offerings with a charitable bent. Some of the shows have been quite popular — offering feel-good stories while also raising money for charity. But they have also been criticized as exploitative and as giving viewers a skewed vision of how charity really works.
• Reflections from a Nonprofit Ally
  U of M Humphrey Institute’s pubTalk: about a dozen leaders of Minnesota nonprofits’ “infrastructure” organizations meet bi-monthly to work together through information-sharing, joint projects, and even some consistent “messaging.” We are fortunate indeed to have such strong infrastructure organizations and must continue to work together for an innovative and sustainable nonprofit sector.