GIVING FOR GOOD
“Giving For Good – What is Philanthropy?”
Before sitting down to write this column, I asked a couple of colleagues: "what is philanthropy?" This monthly column will debunk the myth that philanthropy is reserved for the wealthy and will explore ways in which members of our local community are getting involved in philanthropy. - By Bess Langbein, The Capital Gazette Sunday May 4, 2008
“Giving For Good – The Effect of the Economy”
Given the weakened economy, the impending decrease in county grant funds to support nonprofits and the fact that many of us are tightening our purse strings, it seems reasonable to assume that all charitable giving in our region must be down. A slow economy affects everyone, but nonprofits including those with healthy endowment funds, are feeling the pinch. - By Bess Langbein, The Capital Gazette Sunday June 1, 2008
“Giving For Good – Giving Kids the Gift of Giving”
Parents, as well as grandparents, teachers, religious leaders and other adults, have the ability and the opportunity to teach their children the spirit of giving. It is a good idea to start when kids are young, but it is never too late. And, it does take some ingenuity, research and time.– By Bess Langbein, The Capital Gazette July 6, 2008
“Giving For Good – Philanthropy at Work: Local Foundations Help the Uninsured”
It seems that not a day goes by that I don’t hear or read something about the skyrocketing cost of health care coverage and the millions of Americans who lack health insurance. The number of uninsured increased from 44.8 million in 2005 to 47.0 million in 2006. Local foundations, big and small, are working hard to educate themselves on the most pressing needs of our community and to target their grants accordingly. One such target is the Annapolis Outreach Center, a free medical and dental clinic for low-income and uninsured residents of Anne Arundel County – By Bess Langbein, The Capital Gazette August 3, 2008
“Giving For Good – Philanthropy Ensures Quality in Education”
"No public school system is great by itself. We need partnerships with our parents, the community and the business community.” It takes both public and private resources, both financial and human, to ensure that we have one of the best public school systems in the country. - By Bess Langbein, The Capital Gazette September 7, 2008.
"Giving For Good - Giving circle brings local women together"
So what is a giving circle? It is a group of individuals who come together to pool their dollars, learn together about the community and philanthropy, and then decide collectively where to give their money. One important giving circle is located here in our county - Anne Arundel Women Giving Together (AAWGT). Hosted by the Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County, AAWGT was started in 2005 by a small group of women. In just two and a half years, it has grown to more than 130 local women from diverse backgrounds ranging in age from 30 to 80.
- By Bess Langbein, The Capital Gazette October 5, 2008.
“Giving for Good - Profile of a Philanthropist, Edward St. John"
Our annual Celebration of Philanthropy Luncheon, which we host every November, gives us a rare opportunity to honor and highlight a philanthropist in our community. Our Philanthropist of the Year award goes to a person or couple with a proven record of exceptional generosity who, through direct financial support, has demonstrated outstanding civic and charitable responsibility and whose generosity encourages others to become philanthropic leaders. Our 2008 Anne Arundel County Philanthropist of the Year, Edward St. John, certainly personifies the award. I wanted to learn more about Ed and why he gives so I asked him a few questions.
- By Bess Langbein, The Capital Gazette November 2, 2008. “Giving for Good: Help Neighbors In Need This Holiday Season”
Families and senior citizens across Anne Arundel County are finding themselves in serious trouble. The crisis is not just affecting the chronically unemployed or homeless but people who are employed and have never before asked for help, but now have no choice. And one unexpected incident like a car accident, broken pipe or illness is enough to cause financial ruin. For this reason, the Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County, along with our partners, the Judy Foundation, David and Carol Cronin and Jane Morrell, have created the ‘Help Our Neighbors’ campaign.
“Giving for Good: Take a minute to thank the helping hands in our community”
For those of us who rely on the generosity of others to achieve our missions, we can’t say it enough. Therefore, on behalf of all of my fellow colleagues in the nonprofit sector, I say THANK YOU. Thank you for what you do to make our community better - for being a philanthropist. I asked a few of my colleagues if there were a particular individual or group whom they wanted to thank. Click here to read their responses.
“Giving for Good: Celebrating Black Philanthropy”
Although we often hear about the outstanding philanthropic endeavors of Oprah, Tiger Woods, and Sheila Johnson, African American philanthropy is more often exercised at the grassroots, community level and under the radar screen. For generations, African American churches have been at the center of African American philanthropy. African-Americans give 25 percent more of their discretionary income to charity than do others of similar income, according to a recent study by the Chronicle of Philanthropy. - By Bess Langbein, The Capital Gazette February 1, 2009
“Giving for Good: The Value of our Connections"
Did you know? Joining a group boosts your life expectancy as much as quitting smoking. Participation in clubs and civic organizations has decreased by more than half over the last 25 years. Philanthropy as a fraction of income is down by nearly one third since the 1960s. All of these statements are derived from research conducted by Robert Putnam and his colleagues of The Saguaro Seminar at Harvard University on civic engagement in America. Putnam argues that over the last three decades civic engagement has declined, and our stock of social capital has been depleted. - By Bess Langbein, The Capital Gazette March 8, 2009 "Giving for Good: Great Collaborations for Good Causes" Collaboration is a word we are hearing a lot lately in reference to nonprofits, and how they should operate to survive in these challenging economic times. Every time I hear someone suggest that nonprofits should collaborate, it gives me pause and prompts me to ask these questions... - By Bess Langbein, The Capital Gazette May 3, 2009 "Giving For Good - Donors Remain Generous as Nonprofits Prove their Resiliency"
$307.56 billion. That's a lot of money. If that were the size of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP), according to the International Monetary Fund we would rank approximately 32nd in the world, between Venezuela and South Africa. It isn't our GDP, but rather the amount donated by generous donors to charitable causes in the United States in 2008... - By Bess Langbein, The Capital Gazette July 5, 2009 "Giving For Good - Your Time Is Your Treasure" Sometimes I didn't even know I was doing it. Stuffing envelopes, schlepping tables from one event to the next, going with my "Pop Pop" to cook breakfast, manning a decoy booth, making crabcakes and delivering food to "shut-ins" on Christmas morning. It wasn't really an option in our family. Volunteering that is... The Capital Gazette August 2, 2009 "Giving for Good: Donor-advised funds: Simplifying Your Giving" "If I had known about community foundations, I would never have set up a private foundation," Frank Chaney, chairman of the board of Chaney Enterprises, explains when discussing the advantages of setting up a fund, particularly a donor-advised fund, at a community foundation. Sunday September 6, 2009 "Giving for Good: Live Here, Give Here" Join us in spreading the word about our "Live Here, Give Here" campaign. The Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County is launching this campaign to highlight our efforts, simply and succinctly, to encourage charitable giving, not just to the foundation but across the board to all of the vital nonprofits in our community. We truly believe that a rising philanthropic tide will lift all "boats." The Capital Gazette Sunday October 4, 2009 "Giving for Good: Philanthropists of the Year: Philip and Meri Gibbs" Nominated by St. Mary's, with local support from the Light House Shelter and Hospice of the Chesapeake and selected by their peers (past honorees), Phil and Meri Gibbs will be recognized on Friday, November 13 at our 2009 Celebration of Philanthropy Luncheon. Our Philanthropist of the Year award goes to a person or couple with a proven record of exceptional generosity who, through direct financial support, has demonstrated outstanding civic and charitable responsibility, and whose generosity encourages others to become philanthropic leaders. The Capital Gazette Sunday November 1, 2009 |
