Anyone else feel like they’re meeting themselves coming and going this summer? Good, then that means you’re as behind on the news, and blogging about it, as I am. This News and Views then is just for you, as, in the interest of transparency, I’ll admit, it goes back more than a week. But the issues were worth covering, I thought, even at the risk of my own reputation for steadfast timeliness. Enjoy!
Now, on to business: See below for a round-up of what was news this week (ahem, past few weeks) in the world of philanthropy, social change and women and girls in the Washington metropolitan region and beyond:
Grantee Partners in the News!
The Washington Times’ Adrianna Washington reported on the graduation of the first class of female tradeswomen from the Washington Area Women in the Trades program in her column, "New tradeswomen off to reconstruct lives." WAMU also covered the program in a radio story, "From Poverty to Hardhats." Our blog likewise covered the event, with posts on how this program–and others like it–is welding a new world for women and how they indicate that women are hammering their way to social change, not just another job.
(And it seems the trend isn’t just local. The Washington Post documents in "The New Artisans," how tradeswomen in France are emerging to replace men fleeing from the field.)
In "The School of Second Chances," the Washington Post documents the individual success stories emerging from Southeastern University’s programs, and particularly for those who return to school later in life–sometimes after struggling with early pregnancy, addiction or poverty to pursue nontraditional careers. Southeastern’s President, Charlene Drew Jarvis, explains, "There is a large pool of what I like to call ‘people of promise,’ who have not had a tradition of college-going in their family, who maybe have very challenging financial situations, basically whose light is under a bushel. But their promise is shown as soon as they connect to the idea that they can go to college."
A few weeks ago, Southeastern University professor Telaekah Brooks appeared on Smooth Jazz 105.9 FM with The Women’s Foundation’s interim president, Marjorie Sims, to discuss our partnership to create workforce development opportunities for low-income women in our region and the power of women’s philanthropy. The interview, on Spectrum, will re-air on Sunday for you early birds!
On Giving
How rich are you? And how giving? As I’ve said before, you can find out anything on the Internet, even about your own altruism, a most interesting exercise, says Daniel Handler in his post, "Mo Money, Mo Problems: Lemony Snicket Still Not Ultra Rich."
But then Bill Gates reminds us during his commencement address at Harvard, that that may be the wrong question, because, in the end the real theme is to simply, to stop thinking, and to just give, act, solve. Nicely summarized by On Philanthropy in their post, "Gates at Harvard: From those to whom much is given, much is expected."
On the Nonprofit World
Youth seems to be the talk of the town lately in philanthropy-ville. Give and Take highlights an ongoing discussion on whether or not nonprofits should give up on younger donors–of late, no, says Tom Belford, a fundraising expert.
And, on the young front, contrary to some popular wisdom, including some of my own, it appears that "More grads are opting to serve the poor."
On that note, The Nonprofit Consultant offers a reminder of a quote that gets at the spirit of nonprofit, or social change, work. He reminds us of Woodrow Wilson’s words, "You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand."
Then again, according to some, nonprofits can just suck. Someone else’s words, not mine, and they’ve kicked off quite a debate on nonprofit and philanthropic effectiveness, which is summarized nicely in Give and Take’s "How to measure nonprofit effectiveness" which will drive you over to Tactical Philanthropy, where much of the conversation and commentary took place.
And really, "Whose Nonprofit Is It Anyway?" That’s what Nonprofit Connector is asking about the collaborative, and cooperative nature of nonprofits, and how, if you’re not necessarily up for managing the relations between a board of directors and the public trust, you may want to consider a for-profit model for your enterprise.
On Philanthropy
Worldchanging.com offers an intriguing commentary, "The Future of Philanthropy: Innovation, Networks, Thought Leaders and the Fringe" that I won’t even attempt to summarize. Let me just say, great questions, interesting discussion, worth checking out.
On Poverty
Give and Take summarizes a response to a New York plan to help poor families by paying them to complete socially beneficial tasks by asking, "Will New York’s Cash Rewards Hurt the Poor?" Commenters on the blog offer a different perspective–and a few more news sources covering the issue–from The New York City Hunger Blog.
Whew. That’s it for this week(s). Enjoy and we’ll see you next week for more in what’s new in women’s philanthropy, social change and our region.
Have a great weekend!
