Microfinance Gaining Philanthropic Currency
Microfinance efforts are becoming the cause of choice among wealthy philanthropists, reports BusinessWeek Online. Microfinance is the practice of lending to the poor, often through unsecured loans of $50 to $150 that are used to purchase animals or mobile phones, or even to build schools. Now some…
Gates-Supported Charity Buys Vaccines
An alliance supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will give $200-million for vaccines, reports The Seattle Times. Seattle-based PATH is leading the effort, which will buy millions of vials of two new vaccines that combat rotavirus and several strains of pneumonia. Rotavirus is an…
Corporate Philanthropy: Products With a Purpose
Companies are not only donating more money, but they increasingly are also integrating philanthropy into their missions, reports Inc.com. In addition to donating a certain percentage of their revenues, corporations are seeking to support charities that are closely tied to the products they sell, a…
FDA Fines Red Cross Over Blood-Safety Rules
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given the American Red Cross until mid-December to report on how the charity intends to comply with federal requirements concerning blood safety, according to the Associated Press. The agency fined the Red Cross $5.7-million recently for violating…
United Way Tops Forbes’s List of Charities
Average gifts to the top 200 charities in the country increased by 20 percent last year, according to Forbes magazine’s annual list of the country’s biggest charities. Forbes’s special report also includes ratings in three key areas for these organizations: “charitable commitment,” fund-raising…
Donors Should Weigh Options Before Giving
Philanthropists who want to donate objects in addition to money or stocks should carefully weigh their options and the resulting tax implications in advance, reports Barron’s magazine as part of a special report. Another article in the package highlights philanthropists’ personal connections to…
Bush Presidential Library Expected to Seek $500-Million
Bush seeks to raise $500-million for his library
Donor-Advised Funds Slash Fees and Expand Choices
Donor-advised funds slash fees and offer new investment options