Caught in the Crossfire of Disaster and War
Charities in Sri Lanka struggle to meet the needs of tsunami victims and those affected by civil conflict Tiriyai, Sri Lanka Arunachalam Sundararajah looks east to the Sri Lankan coastline with a feeling that resembles envy. Many families on the shore live in new houses or own new fishing boats…
By Ian Wilhelm
Contributor
A Year of Progress, a Year of Setbacks
Many challenges, from lack of coordination to an overabundance of aid, have hampered recovery efforts in tsunami-stricken regionsThe Indian Ocean tsunamis that struck South Asia last December triggered one of the largest charitable ALSO SEE:Caught in the Crossfire of Disaster and WarRebuilding,…
By NICOLE WALLACE and Ian Wilhelm
Anti-Malaria Efforts Get $258-Million From Gates
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced last week $258.3-million in grants for research to develop a vaccine for malaria and other efforts to fight the deadly disease. Calling the disease a “forgotten epidemic,” Mr. Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft, said more needs to be done to stop…
By Ian Wilhelm
Contributor
Scrutiny Prompts Many Foundations to Make Governance Changes
A majority of foundations are strengthening governance practices as a result of increased scrutiny by ALSO SEE:Giving Charities a Voice federal and state regulators, a new study suggests. The study, which surveyed chief executives and board members at 53 of the nation’s wealthiest foundations, says…
By Ian Wilhelm
Contributor
Organization offers foundations an unvarnished evaluationCambridge, Mass. In 2003 the George Gund Foundation commissioned a survey of its grant recipients that would keep ALSO SEE:Scrutiny Prompts Many Foundations to Make Governance Changes comments anonymous in order to obtain a candid assessment…
By Ian Wilhelm
Contributor
After Katrina, the Public Wants Companies to Help the Poor
U.S. companies had donated at least $379-million in cash as of last month to Hurricane Katrina relief and recovery efforts, as part of one of the largest philanthropic responses from the corporate world to a disaster, says the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Center for Corporate Citizenship, in…
By Ian Wilhelm
Contributor
Google Unveils Philanthropy Plan Valued at Nearly $1-Billion
After several years of quiet meetings with nonprofit officials, scholars, and other informal philanthropic advisers, the Google company this month shed light on its charitable ambitions by announcing it will spend $175-million to support social causes during the next three years, as well as put…
By Ian Wilhelm
Contributor
Earthquake Taxes Capacity of Donors and Charities to Provide Relief Aid
The catastrophic earthquake that devastated parts of Pakistan and India this month has strained the ability of many international relief organizations to raise funds from American donors, many of whom feel overwhelmed by appeals for what has been an unusually high number of major disasters this…
By NICOLE WALLACE and Ian Wilhelm
For 14 years, John A. Johansen had dreamed of a monument that would pay tribute to individuals whose deeds had largely gone unsung in the nation’s capital: nonprofit leaders. This month, Mr. Johansen -- an official with the Points of Light Foundation -- saw his dream become reality in the form of…
By Ian Wilhelm
Contributor
Foreign-aid groups offer advice in hurricanes’ aftermathWhen Arthur B. Keys Jr., a veteran international-aid worker, visited Katrina-ravaged parts of Mississippi, he felt a disturbing sense of déjà vu. “There’s a one-mile swath ALSO SEE:Carving Out a Role in Disaster’s Wake along the coast where…
By Ian Wilhelm
Contributor