Philanthropy Action

News & Commentary

Archive

Archive

Dec 17, 2007

Where Philanthropy and Government Meet

Wealthy people from the developing world are dedicating large portions of their personal fortunes to addressing social gaps in their countries, a trend which is growing commensurate with the explosion of wealth in parts of the developing world. In some cases they are doing it in partnership with government.

Dec 13, 2007

What Else Is Embedded In Embedded Giving?

It may seem to clash with the spirit of the holidays to ask probing questions about any form of charitable giving. Yet there are a number of problems with embedded giving that are not immediately obvious.

Dec 12, 2007

When Is a Cow Not a Cow?

Alternative gift programs have been criticized for the fact that the items in their catalog are not literal. When a giver buys a cow from Oxfam it does not necessarily mean that a poor person will receive a cow. To use the language of Oxfam’s disclaimer, the items in the gift catalog are “symbolic.”

Dec 10, 2007

Recent Themes Roundup

There has been a spate of stories recently covering a few recurring themes at Beyond Philanthropy: business development in sub-Saharan Africa, food policy, and effective giving. 

Dec 04, 2007

Cheetahs, Free Trade, Growth and Subsidies: Is this African Boom Different?

There is plenty of good news coming from Africa these days—not least of which is that average economic growth on the continent exceeds the world average growth. Much of the growth in sub-Saharan Africa is being driven by a new generation of African entrepreneurs, powered by business reforms, access to credit and such programs as the U.S.’ African Growth and Opportunity Act (which allows for free trade with U.S. for African manufactured goods). George Ayittey, a Ghanain economist, refers to these entrepreneurial leaders as “cheetahs”—fast, flexible, and aggressive in exploiting newfound opportunities.