2013 Highlights: From The Chronicle’s Opinion Section

When Charities Hit Roadblocks, Even Small Gifts Can Help Them Survive
By Laurie Michaels
Philanthropists need to be more flexible in helping beneficiaries weather the financial challenges of inevitable obstacles, argues a donor who created an organization specifically to help charities deal with such challenges.

Pride Can Reinvigorate a Nonprofit’s Work
By Brendan Tapley
Can we honestly act surprised when private or public money declines if the nonprofits that advocate for good causes appear to be what their critics claim: removed and therefore inanimate in many people’s lives?

Philanthropy Must Help Heal the Breakdown in Democracy
By Robert L. Gallucci
The government shutdown and the rancor between the parties are threatening the policies that foundations want to push forward.

Small Foundations Can Spur Big Changes: One Grant Maker Shows How
By Emily Tow Jackson
The Tow Foundation vowed to overhaul the juvenile-justice system and found that strenuous advocacy plus lots of collaboration paid off.

I Give Millions to Charities. Here’s Why It’s Unwise to Limit Tax Breaks
By Earle I. Mack
New nonprofits that are taking risks and pursuing innovations are most likely to suffer if Congress curbs deductions for donations.

After Disasters, Communities Need Long-Term Solutions
By Richard Harwood
The deluge of gifts, counseling, and cleanup workers doesn’t focus on what matters most—bringing people together to set a new course for the region’s health and sustainability.

We Should Take Advantage of All Kinds of Ways to Pay for Social Change
By Michael Edwards
Popular obsession with market-based approaches overlooks the fact that different mechanisms are needed to serve different purposes.

Donors Aren’t Always Right. Here’s How to Sidestep Their Misguided Ideas
By Felix Salmon
Fundraisers should tell rich people to top meddling in charities’ internal workings, putting money into buildings, and creating their own foundations.

Nonprofit Weaknesses Start With Too Few Leaders and Too Many Managers
By Richard Male
Too much focus on tactics and chasing money gets in the way of meeting serious social needs.

The Dangers of Shutdown Philanthropy
By Beth Gazley
Gifts that keep government running are well-intentioned, but they undermine America’s commitment to distributing public benefits equitably and transparently.