Charity and Philanthropy

The issue of charity vs. philanthropy has been on my mind a lot lately, as I have been interviewing representatives from various United Ways about their transitions from a more traditional funding system to that of Community Impact. United Way Worldwide is seeking to become more than just a fundraiser and is encouraging local United Ways to work toward solving some of their communities most pressing issues. I had been under the impression that this shift from belief in the importance of "just charity" to finding the root causes of problems and working to solve them at a deeper level was a relatively new movement in the nonprofit sector. It was very interesting to read, however, that philanthropist such as Rockefeller were espousing similar ideals long ago.

It does seem to me that many more organizations are working toward solving community problems, rather than simply treating them. More funders are requiring that agencies document their outcomes and impact, and organizations like the United Way (which aren't foundations, as they don't give grants from endowment funds-- but are still traditionally grantmaking organizations) are seeking to make a more far-reaching impact. I wonder how grant-making foundations will change as this push for real impact becomes more widespread.

(If anyone is interested in how changes to Community Impact affect United Way partner agencies and how these transitions can be best managed, please attend my Capstone presentation! Friday, May 6th at 8:00am)