Many people who hope to see the social sector perform at a higher level talk about the need for a more “business-like” approach to nonprofit work and philanthropy. The phrase is odd because nonprofits are businesses and so there’s no other way for them to act but to be business-like. So what the phrase really […]
Category Archives: Warren Buffett
Bill Gates’ Annual Letter & Brilliant Video
February 1, 2011 – 9:41 am
In the wealth management business, many money managers write quarterly or annual letters to their investors. Far from simple boilerplate memos, these letters are read closely by investors and seen as important sources of knowledge. Philanthropy has a little bit of this dynamic, but not much. For the most part, foundation annual reports are ignored […]
Speed-Freak Philanthropy
January 21, 2011 – 9:51 am
Philanthropy tends to value deep thoughts, strategic plans, fidelity to process and careful monitoring. But there’s an underappreciated attribute that too few funders deploy even though only self-imposed constraints limit its usage. Speed. The world changes fast. Sometimes making the right decisions is all about thinking long and hard about your options. Other times the […]
Warren Buffett on Philanthropy
December 15, 2010 – 9:50 am
I believe that one day Warren Buffett will be looked on as the most pivotal person in the philanthropy of the early 21st century. Like Andrew Carnegie in the late 19th century, Buffett will be remembered not just for his own philanthropy, but for his outsized impact on the philanthropy of others. Below is the […]
