As the number of online social networking sites continues to grow, philanthropists around the world now have the chance to share not only their profiles, but their giving experiences as well. Sites like Ammado.com make it easier to donate to charities and show off philanthropic credentials to other online users, reports CNN. Read more.

President-elect Barack Obama benefited greatly from online outreach, and both nonprofits and social entrepreneurs have much to learn from this success, reports onPhilanthropy in an article adapted from the new book by Changing Our World chief strategy officer Tom Watson. Read more.

As President and CEO of the World Affairs Council/Global Philanthropy Forum and Vice President of the Aspen Institute, Jane Wales holds a position of great respect and influence in the philanthropic arena. Alliance magazine interviews Wales about all things philanthropy. Read more.

With the economic crisis hitting such traditionally relied upon providers of sizable charitable grants as Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and Lehman Bros., nonprofits across the country are growing increasingly concerned about guaranteeing their continued financial support, reports USA Today. Read more.

The "donor-advised funding" approach of such philanthropic organizations as the San Francisco Foundation puts decisions in the hands of family investors, reports the San Francisco Chronicle, allowing individuals to play a more active role in determining where their charitable donations go. Read more.

The UN Foundation, which was established by Ted Turner as a way to directly support the United Nations' causes, has become an increasingly attractive charitable outlet for corporations focusing on "strategic philanthropy," reports the Financial Times. Read more.

Those with lots of money to give are finding themselves overwhelmed by the sheer number of nonprofits, reports The International Herald Tribune, noting that new services such as GlobalGiving pre-screen the organizations they list on their website and provide donors with updates on what's being done with their contributions. Read more.

Electronics giant Philips is expanding its focus beyond the needs of developed countries to those of developing ones, reports BusinessWeek, and this non-traditional approach finds the company not only developing targeted innovations but working with local agencies in creating job opportunities related to the manufacture and distribution of these niche products. Read more.

From incorporating celebrity endorsements to employing social networking tactics, nonprofit organizations are experimenting with new ways to raise funds online and limit their reliance on more traditional appeals, reports The Chronicle of Philanthropy. Read more.

The pan-Asian group of women comprising the New York City-based Asian Women Giving Circle is focused on raising money to support local artists working for the greater good, while also raising awareness of a community not often associated with philanthropic efforts, reports AsianWeek. Read more.

Meet Contribute magazine's Tech 10 list of advocacy leaders, who are successfully using the power of the Internet to innovatively effect change locally and globally and, in the process, to redefine philanthropy, reports MSNBC. Read more.

Baby Boomer and Gen X women are making their mark in the world of philanthropy, reports the Traverse City Record-Eagle, and whether donating $200 or $4 million, they are interested in solving problems and contributing to charities and causes that bring about change. Read more.

By changing the question from "Can it be done?" to "How will we be the first to do it?," incentive prizes drive entrepreneurs to pursue solutions in a timely fashion, writes Peter Diamandis in The Huffington Post." Read more.

In an effort to establish a life span for their work and pay out funds more quickly, today's foundation leaders are taking important steps to define goals, solicit feedback, and ensure the efficiency and impact of their work, writes Phil Buchanan, president of the Center for Effective Philanthropy, in an opinion article in the The Seattle Times. Read more.

Whether it's preserving a community asset or identifying and addressing an area's problems, community foundations provide lasting means to unite local leaders and work toward solutions that enhance the best aspects of a community, writes Blueprint Research & Design, Inc. president Lucy Bernholz in the San Francisco Chronicle. Read more.

A recent study by the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University reveals that less than one-third of all Americans' nonprofit donations go directly to meet the needs of the nation's poor, with the rest funding religious organizations, schools, hospitals, and the arts, reports The Record. Read more.

Recipients of loans from nonprofit microfinance organizations such as Chiapas, Mexico's Al Sol are turning things around for themselves and their families as they expand profitable businesses, writes The Dallas Morning News, and although microfinance often relies on donor funding, these loans average repayments better than 97 percent, which may encourage conventional banks to participate in similar programs. Read more.

America's long tradition of giving has reached an all-time high according to new findings from the Giving USA Foundation, reports the U.S. State Department, with 2006 charitable donations topping $295 billion and more than 83 percent coming from individual donors. Read more.

Online lenders can more easily connect to one another and to the entrepreneurs they support, writes onPhilanthropy, through growing networks like Kiva and Facebook, which may change the face of charity as we now know it. Read more.

Wealthy would-be donors are turning to advisors for suggestions and information about how best to donate their money in the hopes of being responsible in their charitable giving and to determine "their giving potential," explains the Christian Science Monitor. Read more.

A student committee from local schools reviews and selects youth-based organizations for $2,500 grants bestowed by Loudoun County, Va.'s Rust Family Foundation, which is working to teach area students "how to practice philanthropy," writes The Washington Post. Read more.

Thanks to online charity sites, individuals can more easily donate small amounts that are pooled into larger sums to benefit charities of their choice, writes the International Herald Tribune, but givers are advised to investigate an organization's track record to ensure that their money is being wisely spent. Read more.

The death of his two-year-old son spurred Steward Leonard, Jr., the chief executive of a Connecticut grocery store chain, to turn his grief into action by starting a foundation to support children's health and education, serving as an example for other wealthy 40- and 50-somethings who are now acting to leverage their wealth, reports Forbes.  Read more.

When rural towns look to address the needs of their small communities, they often rely on contributions from concerned residents to support local foundations, which combine these smaller endowments to fund everything from school trips to cemetery cleanups, reports The Christian Science Monitor. Read more.

Boston-area resident Mark Dunning was spurred by the hearing problems of his young daughter to form a small foundation focused on supporting an early-intervention program, writes the Boston Herald, noting that Dunning and others like him offer community-based alternatives to larger charities. Read more.

Hispanic incomes are on the rise, but fewer dollars are going to minority nonprofits, reports Hispanic Business magazine. In response, leaders are working to encourage endowments that support Hispanic nonprofits and to direct donations toward Hispanic causes. Read more.

While venture philanthropists and social entrepreneurs continue to receive attention for their innovative efforts to promote social good, Ford Foundation President Susan Berresford reminds readers in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer that foundations have been addressing such needs for decades and suggests that it takes all types of models to combat "the root causes of enormous problems." Read more.

A multi-sport group of athletes, including boxing champ Muhammad Ali, renowned skateboarder Tony Hawk, and baseball Hall of Famer Cal Ripken, Jr., has teamed up to educate athletes about the good they can do, connect them to charities, and recognize their philanthropic endeavors. Visit the Athletes for Hope website.

Marc Gold has become the Johnny Appleseed of philanthropy, writes the Helena Independent Record, journeying across the globe on a one-man mission to help those in need through the distribution of small financial donations from a network of friends and other associates. Read more.

Since the April 16 tragedy at Virginia Tech, fundraising events have been held across the country to raise cash donations that will be used for counseling services, memorials, and scholarships, writes The Washington Post. Read more. Donations can be directed to the school's new Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund.

To honor those who lost their lives on April 16, 2007, in the senseless tragedy at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, the school has established an official Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund. Contributions can also be made through the United Way of Montgomery, Radford & Floyd's newly established United in Caring Fund for Victims of the VA Tech Tragedy. The American Red Cross and the Salvation Army are also supporting relief efforts in the community. Virginia Tech warns that other websites soliciting donations may be fraudulent.

As the New Orleans United Way's 2006-07 campaign nears closing, it's well on the way to reaching its $20 million goal, writes The Times-Picayune, and perhaps most significant, it's on track to meet its local fundraising goal of $14 million despite the area's reduced population. Read more.

According to the Chronicle of Philanthropy's survey of more than 100 of the largest U.S. benefactors, 65 percent of the foundations polled declared their intentions to increase grant-giving in 2007, writes the Financial Times. Read more.

David Bornstein, author of "How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas," tells The Chronicle of Philanthropy that if nonprofits have to chase after grants and donations, their ability to find "innovative solutions" will suffer. Read more.

In an interview with Peter Frumkin, author of "Strategic Giving: The Art and Science of Philanthropy," SmartMoney's Lisa Scherzer explores how the hedge-fund industry is learning to function -- and achieve results -- in the nonprofit sector. Read more.

The wealthiest donors continue to grow wealthier, but they don't necessarily give more than they gain, writes Gregg Easterbrook of The Mercury News, explaining that most of these donors give about 1 percent of their wealth, compared with Americans "as a whole," who give away 0.5 percent. Read more.

Philanthropists are finding that it's not so easy to give away their wealth, writes the Telegraph, and are attending seminars to learn how to combat such issues as applying a results-oriented approach to philanthropic work and working with the nonprofit sector. Read more.

Called "the purest form of charity" by actor Martin Sheen, Catholic Worker charities operate outside the government, says the Los Angeles Times, but by failing to register with the IRS as nonprofits, they are denied grants, funding, and tax write-offs. Read more.

Traditional fundraising is giving way to viral philanthropy, which encourages many people to give small amounts while raising awareness through online media such as blogs, videos, and networking sites, writes The Chronicle of Philanthropy. Read more.

The newly created QLu is encouraging celebrities to clean out their closets and turn over their castoffs to be auctioned on eBay, with proceeds from the sales going to celebrity-designated charities. Read more.

Philanthropists are increasingly interested in participating in their charitable endeavors rather than merely stipulating giving in their wills, writes The Columbus Dispatch, and donor-directed giving, such as through the Columbus Foundation, enables them to do just that. Read more.

"Money and ambition [are] coming full circle" for Sheldon Adelson, writes the Boston Globe, but the third-richest man in America isn't sitting on his billions, he's donating it to medical research and Jewish philanthropies through his family foundations. Read more.

Golf is "the easy part," says Tiger Woods, who, according to the Washington Post, is bringing not only a PGA tournament to the nation's capital, but also the Tiger Woods Learning Center, which will help youth with education and career options. Read more.

"Philanthropy is bipartisan," says a foundation executive in The Examiner, and the House of Representatives has established its first-ever Congressional Philanthropy Caucus so members can pursue legislative goals that pertain to the nonprofit sector. Read more.

If you want to know what the bloggers are saying without spending all your time surfing, you might want to start your day with the Chronicle of Philanthropy's new blog roundup, "Give and Take." Don't miss this recent entry on from "Have Fun Do Good," on how nonprofits can use blogs to promote their missions.

Vetting the organization and adhering to IRS rules are essential when setting up a donor-advised fund, explains STLtoday.com, but once that's done, these funds are an ideal way to deduct income tax, avoid capital gains, and help a worthwhile charity. Read more.

Being a GQ man now means more than just looking good, and to prove that, GQ magazine has launched the Gentlemen's Fund, which will raise funds through donations, sales, and events to support five different charities. Learn how you can contribute.

The typical family foundation is "fairly modest," says the Baltimore Sun, with one-third valued at less than $250,000, but they all can make a difference, as some 800 attendees learned at a conference hosted by the Council on Foundations. Read more.

Sherry Lansing left Hollywood in 2005, writes Variety, but it was at this year's Oscar Awards that the former Paramount executive was honored with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for her dedication to cancer research, health, and education. Read more.

Nonprofits may be "big business," generating $1.4 trillion in revenue in 2004 and growing by 27 percent between 1994 and 2004, reports the Philanthropy Journal, but individual rates of giving and volunteering for 2005 remained stagnant. Read more.

London private banks are making it easier for their wealthy clients to be charitable, says the Times Online, and to ease the process of giving, are setting up philanthropy divisions and "advising donors on how best to give." Read more.

Rivaling the Forbes 400, the Slate 60 (now in its seventh year) has become an honor bestowed upon America's leading philanthropists, with a base requirement of $30 million in pledges and gifts. Read more.

"Being a rich nation doesn't necessarily make us a great one," writes Slate.com columnist Henry Blodget. He argues that it's not just making money, but giving it away, that completes the realization of the new American dream. Read more.

Shifting priorities and the lack of a "common unit of measurement" make it difficult for grant makers to determine whether their grantees are achieving results.  But in this op-ed published in the Wall Street Journal, the leaders of the Center for Effective Philanthropy and Grantmakers for Effective Organizations explore how foundations can determine whether their work in fact "means something." Read more.

According to U.S. News & World Report, products sold through eBay's "Giving Works" auctions command sale prices about 5 percent higher than products sold through regular auctions, showing that people will pay more for "charity-linked" products -- to a limit. Read more.

Social Innovation Conversations, Stanford?s free online podcast channel, is furthering collaboration and cross-sector dialogue by highlighting ways that the nonprofit, business, and public sectors are working together, each leveraging what it does best. Read more.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, increasing numbers of Californians are establishing and funding foundations that speak to their own social interests, resulting in 50 percent growth in the number of charitable organizations in the state. Read the article.

Residents of some states have deeper pockets than others. John Andrews of The Hippo writes that securing donations is especially hard in states that fall "near the bottom in terms of charitable giving." To help reluctant givers part with their donation dollars, nonprofits are becoming more creative. Programs sponsored by New Hampshire organizations include giveaways of bobbleheads of historical figures, charity concert series, and chef tasting tours. As executive director Bill Veillette explains, "We don't get the same kind of excitement with a coffee mug or a T-shirt." But gimmicks alone are not enough. Sandie Phipps of Giving Monadnock stresses that it is important "to connect with individual donors to promote continued giving." and to "focus on the immediate community."

It's one thing to have millions of dollars. It's an entirely other thing to give it all away. Tracy Gary has come close to doing just that and shares how she's learned to do so wisely. In an interview with Shannon Buggs in the Houston Chronicle, Gary explains that she began giving away her money almost as soon as she started receiving it. "The money came to me with a message at 14 that this money has to be leveraged for good." And, although she was at one time worth more than $1 million, she's never had "more than $30,000 in the bank." Gary now lives on $50,000 a year so that she can give away an equal amount. As she explains, "most Americans give away 2 percent of their income. I'm trying to model something different."

By pooling resources to meet a common goal, giving circles are making an even greater impact. These community-minded groups meet socially to set their annual philanthropic goals. Each member agrees to donate a set amount per year (ranging from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand). Together, they select a cause, determine recipients, and fund needy projects. Family members, not just friends, are also pooling funds and sharing ideas. "Giving circles are emerging as a popular option for people who want to engage in philanthropy and socialize in the process." According to the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers statistics, there are more than 200 giving circles in nearly 40 states. However, "that figure is probably just a fraction of the number that actually exist." As giving circle member Laurel Domanski Diaz explains, "when we pool our money, we can make a real difference for some individual or group."

They may be small, but they sure are generous. The Association of Small Foundations, which represents some 3,000 foundations, said that 2005 giving by their members totaled nearly $2.6 billion. Although giving is on par with the previous year, 40 percent of these foundations expect increases in the amount of money given to their cause. This, in turn, should increase grant-making at the foundations -- many of which are family foundations with little or no staff -- in the coming years. According to the Chronicle of Philanthropy, in 2005, the median amount of total grants per foundation in the association was $362,000, and the median grant size was $11,223.

The correlation between affluence and charitable giving may be on the rise among today's youth, a new survey finds. According to the third annual American Express Platinum Luxury Survey, nearly 67 percent of all respondents' children participate in charitable activities, while 62 percent donate part of their own money to charity. The AmEx Survey is based on  responses from 1,170 parents with an average of two children and average household income of $472,000.  Notable survey findings cited by AmEx indicate that parents are emphasizing personal responsibility (45 percent of 15- to 17-year-olds and 73 percent of 18- to 21-year-olds have part-time jobs) and prioritizing philanthropy more than ever (91 percent of parents encourage their children to participate in charitable activities).

"Giving is up. Giving is dynamic. Giving is even chic." So reports the Hartford Courant, and notable philanthropists such as Warren Buffett, Bill Gates and Richard Branson, as well as corporations like Google, are making major donations. The emphasis on philanthropy has never been greater and, indeed, beyond these big names in philanthropy, Americans have dramatically increased their charitable donations in recent years. According to the Giving USA Foundation, individual giving rose by 6.4 percent in 2004 to an estimated $199 billion.