Opinion: Risks Come With Rise of ‘Crony Philanthropy’
Concerns about crony capitalism—well-connected interests using the political system for business benefit—can increasingly be extended to corporate philanthropy as projects driven by elected officials seek private dollars for social causes, an executive with the nonprofit Manhattan Institute writes for Forbes.
Obama’s Plan to Aid Black Men and Boys Will Be a Boon to Other Groups, Too
A plan that fails to recognize that some groups have greater needs than others will not deliver equal outcomes.
By Maya Rockeymoore
Contributor
Justices Give Christian College Stay on Birth-Control Rule
The Supreme Court issued an emergency order Thursday granting an Illinois evangelical college a reprieve from complying with the Affordable Care Act’s contraceptive mandate while the school’s case against the rule is litigated, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal report.
Opinion: Specific Sense of Connection Motivates Bigger Giving
Research on behavioral economics indicates that people who feel a sense of agency and belonging when approached about giving donate more money, suggesting new strategies for cause-driven groups, a Yale economics professor writes in The New York Times.
Faith Groups Fighting Contraceptive Rule Hail Hobby Lobby Decision
With the Supreme Court’s ruling Monday that corporations can curb birth-control coverage for employees on religious grounds, attention now shifts to the dozens of legal challenges filed by faith-based nonprofits against the contraceptive mandate, The New York Times and The Washington Post write.
Opinion: Court Ruling Could Hit Birth-Control Programs Abroad
The Supreme Court’s ruling Monday that the government cannot compel for-profit businesses to provide birth-control coverage for employees over owners’ religious objections could have far-reaching implications for efforts to supply contraceptives to women in the developing world, actor and activist Ashley Judd writes in a column for Al Jazeera America.
Opinion: Cash Donations to Poor People Do Not Go to Waste
In the wake of Chinese tycoon Chen Guangbiao’s failed attempt last week to hand out $300 each to hundreds of homeless people in New York, a Columbia University political scientist speaks up in The New York Times for the growing practice of fighting poverty by giving cash to the poor.
Opinion: Storytelling to Win Support for a Cause Should Be Tied to Social Change
Personal narratives work best when they convey the kind of inspiration that prompts people to action, the author says.
By Paul VanDeCarr
Contributor
World Vision Firms Up Evangelical Base After Gay-Marriage Furor
The evangelical aid charity is working to shore up its religious base, which revolted earlier this year when the organization briefly changed its hiring policies to allow employees who are in same-sex marriages, the Religion News Service writes.
Opinion: Cities Should Think Twice About New Cultural Centers
Civic leaders should be cautious about rolling out the red carpet for new or expanded museums, performing-arts facilities, and other cultural centers, which don’t always have a net positive effect on surrounding areas, Kriston Capps writes for CityLab.com.