What do social-networking sites and parents have in common? Both carry a lot of weight in the efforts to engage today's young adults in philanthropy. Check out these two articles to find out how.
A New Generation Reinvents Philanthropy
(from The Wall Street Journal Online, by Rachel Silverman)
Joe Alamo didn't set out to become a do-gooder. But late last year, when the Geneva, N.Y., Web designer was surfing on MySpace, he chanced onto the profile of Kiva.org, a nonprofit that allows people to make zero-interest "microfinance" loans over the Internet to needy entrepreneurs in developing countries.
Soon after, Mr. Alamo not only became a lender through Kiva, but he also started a new Web site, Kivafriends.org, devoted to Kiva enthusiasts. He also now volunteers to run Kiva's MySpace page. "This is the first time I've ever gotten so involved with a charity," says Mr. Alamo, now 30 years old... Click here to view full article. Used with permission from The Wall Street Journal, WSJ.com. Copyright 2008 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All rights reserved.
Donors: The Next Generation
(from The Nonprofit Times, by Eugene R. Tempel and Dwight F. Burlingame)
Parents serve as trusted advisors to children in myriad ways throughout their lives. One of the most valuable roles parents can play, whether their children are youth or adults, is to help them understand the importance of philanthropy and to assist them in discovering their own philanthropic values.
The philanthropic tradition must be taught and passed from one generation to the next, lest it wither and die.
Parents, educators and nonprofit leaders must help foster philanthropic mindsets and behaviors in future generations. Philanthropy is the space in society where innovative approaches are developed to address complex social problems...Click here to view full article.
