Today, I started my own foundation, named it, and seeded with $50. That’s right, for $50 USD, or more specifically 500 rand, one can start and name their own Giving Foundation with the GreaterGood for South Africa’s South Africa Social Investment Exchange. So it’s not a foundation in the traditional tax-exempt sense, and it’s not a stock exchange in the traditional Wall Street sense either, but it is a different and terrific way of giving.
Who is GreaterGood for South Africa, and what is a social “stock” exchange?
GreaterGood for South Africa is a four year old online giving marketplace based in South Africa. In their own words, “GreaterGood South Africa brings good causes and committed givers together in meaningful and innovative ways to end poverty in South Africa.” By bringing donors and volunteers together they have been able to quantify their impact since their launch as having donated over 16 million rand (about $1.7 million USD), about 45,000 volunteer hours, and over 500,000 surplus or second hand items.[1] But what I found really intriguing was their social “stock” exchange called the South Africa Social Investment Exchange (SASIX).
Briefly, SASIX “makes carefully selected social development projects available as investment opportunities with a social return.” One can browse funding opportunities by geography, sector (for example food security, environment, HIV/AIDS), and risk (based on, for example, concept, design, capability, control, sustainability). With so many options one can identify a giving opportunity matching many personal values. Once a project has been identified, and if it is not fully funded, one can give by “investing” in “shares” of the project. A share can be a fixed cost at say 50 rand ($5 USD), and a project might be for example 230,000 rand (about $24,000 USD) to refurbish the psychiatric ward of a hospital. A project is fully funded when all shares have been purchased. And “shareholders” are updated regularly with detailed reports.
Setting up a Giving Foundation
More interestingly, a donor has the option of setting up a Giving Foundation – an individualized and personalized charitable fund set up by a family, individual or business. A major benefit for South African tax-payers is tax-efficiency – tax benefits upfront while donations can be distributed throughout the year. But for those outside South Africa, it’s still a fantastic and easy way of discovering, contributing and following projects and charitable donations.
One of the things I appreciate most about this organization is their effort to quantify impact. Knowing how to describe impact has been one of the major challenges and opportunities facing many charities and there is growing demand from donors for comparable metrics of impact. I think GGSA and SASIX are onto something unique not only in how they calculate these metrics, but also how they present it in an accessible way for the new donor or investor.
A low cost to enter
For just 50 rand ($5 USD), one can own a share of a project, and participate in something really special. I find it worthwhile that my small gift can be ever so slightly redemptive for a country historically overlooked by parts of the world. Consider exploring opportunities for greater good in South Africa.
[1] Annual Report. GreaterGood South Africa. April 1, 2007 to March 31, 2008.
Disclaimer: The information presented here is based on the author's research and experience, and in no way reflects the official opinion of GreaterGood for South Africa.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Friday, December 19, 2008
How to host a philanthroparty
In a time of economic uncertainty and need for our country, I have been trying to practice deeper gratitude for what I do have. With the holidays approaching, I decided to throw a philanthroparty as way to celebrate the year with friends, and as an opportunity for charitable giving.
A philanthro-what?
This time of the year is one of the most generous times of the year for charities. But charities are not robust to the downturn of the economy, and in fact, many have been disproportionally affected in a time when needs for services are rising. So this month, I chose philanthropy as the theme for my annual holiday party. Instead of a white elephant gift exchange with re-wrapped, unwanted gifts or a secret Santa with uncertain gifts to the stranger, I decided to make this party memorable with something novel.
A different way of giving
Each guest was asked to bring either a $25 gift certificate for an online giving marketplace or a $25 donation to the charity of their choice. Everyone was encouraged to select a cause that reflected something they were personally connected to with examples including international, health and education. One by one, guests took an envelope containing the gift from the Christmas tree. And with each unveiling gift, the donor shared a brief introduction to the cause and why they were enthusiastic about it. The exchange obeyed some of the rules of other familiar gift exchanges. For example, each guest had an option to “adopt” a previously opened charity from another guest, which made the exchange a little lively at times.
To my surprise, a diverse spectrum of charities was represented. They spanned size from a newly started scholarship fund for Thai students to international online giving marketplaces. They covered the globe from China and India to inner city American schools. All had something different to share.
At least one
My biggest hope from the evening was that each guest, including myself, left having connected with at least one charity in a new way. At least one. Whether it was the charity they brought or left with or one shared during the evening, I was glad to see the philanthropic interest of others sparked. I was thrilled to receive an email from a guest the next day sharing that she had left thinking about an international relief agency and had a few enthusiastic café conversations about it that next morning. For myself, I learned new things about the hearts of people I have seen regularly for years and new organizations whose cause to support.
Might you consider doing something different this holiday season, maybe for at least one?
A philanthro-what?
This time of the year is one of the most generous times of the year for charities. But charities are not robust to the downturn of the economy, and in fact, many have been disproportionally affected in a time when needs for services are rising. So this month, I chose philanthropy as the theme for my annual holiday party. Instead of a white elephant gift exchange with re-wrapped, unwanted gifts or a secret Santa with uncertain gifts to the stranger, I decided to make this party memorable with something novel.
A different way of giving
Each guest was asked to bring either a $25 gift certificate for an online giving marketplace or a $25 donation to the charity of their choice. Everyone was encouraged to select a cause that reflected something they were personally connected to with examples including international, health and education. One by one, guests took an envelope containing the gift from the Christmas tree. And with each unveiling gift, the donor shared a brief introduction to the cause and why they were enthusiastic about it. The exchange obeyed some of the rules of other familiar gift exchanges. For example, each guest had an option to “adopt” a previously opened charity from another guest, which made the exchange a little lively at times.
To my surprise, a diverse spectrum of charities was represented. They spanned size from a newly started scholarship fund for Thai students to international online giving marketplaces. They covered the globe from China and India to inner city American schools. All had something different to share.
At least one
My biggest hope from the evening was that each guest, including myself, left having connected with at least one charity in a new way. At least one. Whether it was the charity they brought or left with or one shared during the evening, I was glad to see the philanthropic interest of others sparked. I was thrilled to receive an email from a guest the next day sharing that she had left thinking about an international relief agency and had a few enthusiastic café conversations about it that next morning. For myself, I learned new things about the hearts of people I have seen regularly for years and new organizations whose cause to support.
Might you consider doing something different this holiday season, maybe for at least one?
Sunday, December 14, 2008
About a gift that keeps on giving
I don't know about you, but I want every dollar I spend to work hard for me. There is a certain grand satisfaction in knowing that I just helped make the world a better place, and maximizing that effort maximizes that joy.
Efficiency, efficiency, efficiency
I came across a Charity Navigator top-10 list one day that shames 10 charities that are drowning in administrative costs, consuming more than half of your donated dollars for anything not directly related to the mission you intended to support. I got curious about thinking about the most efficient ways to give financially and I ultimately landed at opportunities in microfinance, particularly with an organization called Kiva. Giving to Kiva is wonderfully efficient because 100% of your donation goes to the project you want to fund, and afterwards you can make a separate designation for Kiva if you wish (their suggestion is only 10% of your transaction). Also, once the loans have been repaid, you can relend that money to other projects perpetually.
It takes money to make money
Microfinance is a banking principle of providing financial services like small loans to clients with few or no assets, and in my area of interest to the poor in developing countries. With Kiva, you and several other investors can choose to bankroll any amount of the small business needs of any number of people in a shopping cart style. Once they get their need met, they go and make use of the money and return the loan at low-interest. It is said that credit is an incredibly powerful financial tool, and it is, but it is quite generally unavailable to the world's poor. The poor of the world then are not able to take on costly endeavors that jump-start their small business and bring themselves out of poverty: it takes money to make money. Therefore, microfinance has its place in the fight against systemic poverty.
Give it a spin
Microfinance is an incredibly rewarding experience for me, though admittedly I'm helped by never having experienced a default on my loan (but most people don't, since the average default rate is less than 4%). Instead, I've seen people all around the world make wonderful use of their immense individual resourcefulness and my small, humble, financial contribution. If you're interested in business and investing, and you want to see people do well with just a small kick start, microfinancing just might be the game for you.
Efficiency, efficiency, efficiency
I came across a Charity Navigator top-10 list one day that shames 10 charities that are drowning in administrative costs, consuming more than half of your donated dollars for anything not directly related to the mission you intended to support. I got curious about thinking about the most efficient ways to give financially and I ultimately landed at opportunities in microfinance, particularly with an organization called Kiva. Giving to Kiva is wonderfully efficient because 100% of your donation goes to the project you want to fund, and afterwards you can make a separate designation for Kiva if you wish (their suggestion is only 10% of your transaction). Also, once the loans have been repaid, you can relend that money to other projects perpetually.
It takes money to make money
Microfinance is a banking principle of providing financial services like small loans to clients with few or no assets, and in my area of interest to the poor in developing countries. With Kiva, you and several other investors can choose to bankroll any amount of the small business needs of any number of people in a shopping cart style. Once they get their need met, they go and make use of the money and return the loan at low-interest. It is said that credit is an incredibly powerful financial tool, and it is, but it is quite generally unavailable to the world's poor. The poor of the world then are not able to take on costly endeavors that jump-start their small business and bring themselves out of poverty: it takes money to make money. Therefore, microfinance has its place in the fight against systemic poverty.
Give it a spin
Microfinance is an incredibly rewarding experience for me, though admittedly I'm helped by never having experienced a default on my loan (but most people don't, since the average default rate is less than 4%). Instead, I've seen people all around the world make wonderful use of their immense individual resourcefulness and my small, humble, financial contribution. If you're interested in business and investing, and you want to see people do well with just a small kick start, microfinancing just might be the game for you.
Is your water footprint bigger than your carbon footprint?
Have you ever thought about how much water it takes to produce the food we eat or the products we buy? I was really surprised to learn that it takes a staggering amount!
"Every drop of water has a purpose"
I had the opportunity to listen to an address given by Frank Rijsberman of google.org, where he began by introducing the idea of a water footprint. Similar to how a carbon footprint is a measure of one's individual carbon impact on the atmosphere, in 2002, experts began talking about the water footprint as a measure of the total amount of water used by a consumer or producer. One can learn more here.
At this event, I learned that water consumption for drinking comprises only a tiny fraction of overall water usage. And in fact, using water for agriculture to produce the crops we eat makes up the overwhelming majority of what water is used for. Would it surprise you, as it did me, that every calorie in a meal you ate today took 1 liter (L) of water to produce? So the lunch that we ate today which might easily have 1000 calories took 1000 L of water to get to your plate. Or that a can of coke with its water-expensive sugar, aluminum, manufacturing and transporting takes orders of magnitude more water to produce than the 12 fluid ounces one drinks. It's important to point out that one's water footprint is geographically specific, but for me as an average consumer, the illustration was clear that there is surprising and unknown water costs to things we see every day.
Why care about water at all?
There is increasing concern about the crisis of water, which includes not just the scarcity of drinking water, but much more. Forthcoming will be a companion article titled "Water: the blue gold?" that will give a better description about the need, and share about opportunities to give to charities making strong efforts for water.
But I also thought about a small decision I could make to reduce my water footprint. This week, it meant buying groceries from a local farmer’s market. And by doing so, I hope it will reduce the costs of water in delivery and support local, climate-appropriate crops.
"Every drop of water has a purpose"
I had the opportunity to listen to an address given by Frank Rijsberman of google.org, where he began by introducing the idea of a water footprint. Similar to how a carbon footprint is a measure of one's individual carbon impact on the atmosphere, in 2002, experts began talking about the water footprint as a measure of the total amount of water used by a consumer or producer. One can learn more here.
At this event, I learned that water consumption for drinking comprises only a tiny fraction of overall water usage. And in fact, using water for agriculture to produce the crops we eat makes up the overwhelming majority of what water is used for. Would it surprise you, as it did me, that every calorie in a meal you ate today took 1 liter (L) of water to produce? So the lunch that we ate today which might easily have 1000 calories took 1000 L of water to get to your plate. Or that a can of coke with its water-expensive sugar, aluminum, manufacturing and transporting takes orders of magnitude more water to produce than the 12 fluid ounces one drinks. It's important to point out that one's water footprint is geographically specific, but for me as an average consumer, the illustration was clear that there is surprising and unknown water costs to things we see every day.
Why care about water at all?
There is increasing concern about the crisis of water, which includes not just the scarcity of drinking water, but much more. Forthcoming will be a companion article titled "Water: the blue gold?" that will give a better description about the need, and share about opportunities to give to charities making strong efforts for water.
But I also thought about a small decision I could make to reduce my water footprint. This week, it meant buying groceries from a local farmer’s market. And by doing so, I hope it will reduce the costs of water in delivery and support local, climate-appropriate crops.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Why I Give to the Fight Against Lung Cancer
A recent New York Times article featuring the Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer published inspired me to share about why I give to the fight against lung cancer.[1]
Lung Cancer, really? Tell me more.
Earlier this year, I asked the question “Which diseases impact Americans the most?” After some brief research I learned, perhaps not surprisingly, that the leaders of mortality in America were heart disease and cancer.[2] But several things about cancer did surprised me.
Cancer led in person-years of life lost (PYLL), the years of life lost due to early death from a particular cause or disease.[3] And most surprisingly, cancer of the lung & bronchus (what an under-campaigned disease!) leads all cancers in PYLL by an overwhelming amount, almost triple the runner up female breast cancer.[Figure 1] Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related death in men, and second in women.
Figure 1: Lung cancer leads in person-years of life lost. Source: National Center for Health Statistics, CDC. Cited in: Cancer Trends Progress Reports 2007, National Cancer Institute. Updated: June 1, 2008.
Why do you give to fight Lung Cancer?
I give to the fight against lung cancer for two reasons. First, it is a cancer that historically and continues to have relatively low five year predicted survival.[Figure 2] While treatment and survivorship of other cancers have increased over time, cancers of the lung & bronchus remain relatively unchanged in the past few decades.
Figure 2: Lung cancer survivorship is low. Five year relative survival rates. 1974-2000. Source: Cancer Trends Progress Report – 2007 Update. Figure L1. NCI. Accessed : June 1, 2008.
Second, I wonder if the fight against lung cancer could use more research funding. The National Cancer Institute’s Office of Budget and Finance showed that relative to other cancers, lung cancer received fewer research dollars than other extreme PYLL cancers. For example, in 2007 lung cancer received less than half of what breast cancer received, despite having nearly three times the impact. Personally, this juxtaposition challenges my attitudes towards lung cancer. Why does it seem easier for me to rally for the cause of a mother’s, sister’s or daughter’s breast cancer than another family member’s lung cancer? Could lung cancer, whose most common cause is long term tobacco exposure, be stigmatized as a consequence of vice and seem not as worthy for charitable giving?
Table: Research dollars (millions) disbursed by the National Cancer Institute, sorted in descending order of person-years life lost. Source: Office of Budget and Finance. 2007 Fact Book. NCI. Accessed: June 1, 2008.
This year, my convictions for attention to lung cancer were affirmed as major philanthropists gave generously to impacting the disease.[4] Hurray!
Where can one give? Two opportunities.
In recent months, I have been supporting two organizations selected to target long-term and short-term impact. The first is the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Over the past few presidential administrations, government funding for research has grown to be very competitive. Government funding for research is an intensive, peer-reviewed process, whereby experts rank and decide which projects and investigators to fund. Advances in research are important to the long-term development of understanding and treatment of diseases and conditions. Interested donors can give to the NCI Gift Fund, with a research designation for “lung cancer.” Details can be found here and here.
A more immediately impactful opportunity is the Campaign for Tobacco-free Kids. I believe one significant to positively impact the lung cancer battle is through supporting teen smoking cessation programs, and programs supporting teenagers. Campaign for Tobacco-free Kids is a national advocacy and education organization based in Washington DC. They target the prevention of adolescent smoking, smoking cessation, and reduction of exposure to second hand smoke. More details of the organization and how to give can be found here and here.
References:
[1] “New Cases of Cancer Decline in the U.S.” New York Times. Nov 25, 2008.
[2] Kung et al. “Deaths: Final Data 2005”. National Vital Statistics Reports 56:10. April 24, 2008. CDC.
[3] Center for Health Statistics, CDC. Cited in: Cancer Trends Progress Reports 2007, National Cancer Institute.
[4] “Billionaires Back Antismoking Effort.” New York Times. July 24, 2008.
Disclaimer: The information presented here is based on the author's investigative research and in no way reflects the official opinion of the New York Times, National Cancer Institute, Campaign for Tobacco-free Kids, or other cited organizations.
Lung Cancer, really? Tell me more.
Earlier this year, I asked the question “Which diseases impact Americans the most?” After some brief research I learned, perhaps not surprisingly, that the leaders of mortality in America were heart disease and cancer.[2] But several things about cancer did surprised me.
Cancer led in person-years of life lost (PYLL), the years of life lost due to early death from a particular cause or disease.[3] And most surprisingly, cancer of the lung & bronchus (what an under-campaigned disease!) leads all cancers in PYLL by an overwhelming amount, almost triple the runner up female breast cancer.[Figure 1] Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related death in men, and second in women.
Figure 1: Lung cancer leads in person-years of life lost. Source: National Center for Health Statistics, CDC. Cited in: Cancer Trends Progress Reports 2007, National Cancer Institute. Updated: June 1, 2008.I give to the fight against lung cancer for two reasons. First, it is a cancer that historically and continues to have relatively low five year predicted survival.[Figure 2] While treatment and survivorship of other cancers have increased over time, cancers of the lung & bronchus remain relatively unchanged in the past few decades.
Figure 2: Lung cancer survivorship is low. Five year relative survival rates. 1974-2000. Source: Cancer Trends Progress Report – 2007 Update. Figure L1. NCI. Accessed : June 1, 2008.Second, I wonder if the fight against lung cancer could use more research funding. The National Cancer Institute’s Office of Budget and Finance showed that relative to other cancers, lung cancer received fewer research dollars than other extreme PYLL cancers. For example, in 2007 lung cancer received less than half of what breast cancer received, despite having nearly three times the impact. Personally, this juxtaposition challenges my attitudes towards lung cancer. Why does it seem easier for me to rally for the cause of a mother’s, sister’s or daughter’s breast cancer than another family member’s lung cancer? Could lung cancer, whose most common cause is long term tobacco exposure, be stigmatized as a consequence of vice and seem not as worthy for charitable giving?
Table: Research dollars (millions) disbursed by the National Cancer Institute, sorted in descending order of person-years life lost. Source: Office of Budget and Finance. 2007 Fact Book. NCI. Accessed: June 1, 2008.This year, my convictions for attention to lung cancer were affirmed as major philanthropists gave generously to impacting the disease.[4] Hurray!
Where can one give? Two opportunities.
In recent months, I have been supporting two organizations selected to target long-term and short-term impact. The first is the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Over the past few presidential administrations, government funding for research has grown to be very competitive. Government funding for research is an intensive, peer-reviewed process, whereby experts rank and decide which projects and investigators to fund. Advances in research are important to the long-term development of understanding and treatment of diseases and conditions. Interested donors can give to the NCI Gift Fund, with a research designation for “lung cancer.” Details can be found here and here.
A more immediately impactful opportunity is the Campaign for Tobacco-free Kids. I believe one significant to positively impact the lung cancer battle is through supporting teen smoking cessation programs, and programs supporting teenagers. Campaign for Tobacco-free Kids is a national advocacy and education organization based in Washington DC. They target the prevention of adolescent smoking, smoking cessation, and reduction of exposure to second hand smoke. More details of the organization and how to give can be found here and here.
References:
[1] “New Cases of Cancer Decline in the U.S.” New York Times. Nov 25, 2008.
[2] Kung et al. “Deaths: Final Data 2005”. National Vital Statistics Reports 56:10. April 24, 2008. CDC.
[3] Center for Health Statistics, CDC. Cited in: Cancer Trends Progress Reports 2007, National Cancer Institute.
[4] “Billionaires Back Antismoking Effort.” New York Times. July 24, 2008.
Disclaimer: The information presented here is based on the author's investigative research and in no way reflects the official opinion of the New York Times, National Cancer Institute, Campaign for Tobacco-free Kids, or other cited organizations.
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