Giving advice
THANKSGIVING is the first chapter in the book of winter, a reminder that as the leaves and bright sun of nature's abundance fade, it's time to increase the output of man-made abundance. It's the season of more food, football, and, most creative of all, philanthropy.
Philanthropy prevents, fixes, and builds. Hungry Pilgrims come ashore and the local Indian tribe says: Let's eat. Bill Gates funnels
The challenge for donors is deciding where to give. Some advice: Remember the small organizations. A recovering economy and a competitive charitable environment leave some small groups hungry for help but unable to market themselves.
Ralph Cooper, head of the Veterans Benefits Clearinghouse, told the Globe that his organization has lost $75,000 in corporate donations over the last decade, hindering its ability to help veterans find jobs. He says recent corporate appeals have been unsuccessful.
Bank mergers and the consolidation of other industries have raised concerns that local companies are less interested in their less well-known nonprofit neighbors.
Milton Little, the new president of the United Way of Massachusetts Bay, is committed to helping these organizations build their capacity and outreach.
Another solution is the Catalogue for Philanthropy. Now in its eighth year, the catalog's annual publication and website (www.catalogueforphilanthropy.org) spotlight small groups with budgets below $2 million. Included this year are the Dance Alliance in Boston, which provides technical assistance to small and midsized dance companies. Or the Nantucket Human Services Center, which serves residents hit hard by state budget cuts and the seasonal economy. The group is running a capital campaign to finance construction of a new home.
Over the years the catalog has celebrated the tradition of philanthropy, pointing to Benjamin Franklin and the leaders of the American Revolution, who knew that philanthropy was not merely the rich helping the poor but a chance for the concerned and the able to build a better society. This year the catalog points to Prometheus, the mythic Titan who gave fire to man. The catalog acknowledges that Zeus's punishment of Prometheus was not "donor friendly" -- he was chained to a rock, and each day an eagle ate his liver. His gift is affirmed when he is released -- showing the great and lasting power of philanthropy, of Thanksgiving, and of manmade abundance.
