Politics

A few weeks ago I told a friend of mine, jittery about the prospects of a Trump win, to “take an Ambien and call me in November, after you wake up in the second Clinton era.” I mention that because, clearly, my predictions aren’t worth very much. But, hey, the same goes for so many…

No matter your politics, one thing is certain: The role of philanthropy in education, social services, health care and nonprofits across the board will be greater than ever. It will take years to see where government is headed and if that direction is effective. And in the meantime there remains significant challenges and issues to address...

Each and every day, I get to work with people who believe in diversity, saving the planet, curing diseases, improving quality of life. I get to agonize over copywriting, figure out statistics, devise strategy. I get to laugh about success and cry about failure. I get to say the names of people I help. Regardless of who sits in the White House, we still get to do our work...

If you’re like me, you’re worried for our country, for your family, for your neighbors, for the environment, for fellow human beings in other parts of the world, for the strength of our democracy, and for the Oxford Comma. Seriously, this election is terrifying and stressful, like planning a golf tournament fundraiser, but worse. Depending…

Declining state revenue in the face of growing needs in education, health, child welfare and infrastructure is leading many to look to philanthropy to fill these gaps. As the Houston Chronicle editorial board recently noted in urging the Houston Independent School District to accept $7.5 million from the Kinder Foundation, "Philanthropic gifts are needed in…

Sarah Holway awoke one morning to a surprise: The art teacher’s Washington, D.C. school had been selected to help first lady ­Michelle Obama break ground later that day on a vegetable garden on the South Lawn of the White House. Holway was running Bancroft Elementary’s school garden, and she spent much of her time convincing…

A newly revealed memo from a former aide to Bill Clinton detailed substantial overlap between donors to the nonprofit Clinton Foundation and the former president's personal financial activities, a $30 million-plus enterprise described in the memo as "Bill Clinton Inc." Money managers UBS and Barclays, mining giant BHP, and the for-profit educational company Laureate International…

Hillary Clinton has gotten very lucky in the 2016 presidential election, on few items as clearly as the Clinton Foundation. And her spell of good luck continued again Wednesday night at the third presidential debate. Moderator Chris Wallace pointed out that Clinton had pledged to avoid appearances of conflict of interest between the Clinton Foundation…

The present political campaign season offers a number of lessons for the astute nonprofit fundraising professional. Although the heated and sometimes virulent rhetoric political campaigns employ may often seem out of bounds and incongruous with nonprofit charitable work, the strategies on which these campaigns rely for procuring financial support from donors are plainly effective...

Will America recover from this election? Whatever the result, there will be lasting impact to our society, as actual American Nazis, misogynists and bigots of every persuasion have crawled out of their bunkers for a public hearing. This has damaged our American experiment, and the impact will be felt for years. Can you imagine eight…