The Art of Giving

I just started reading The Art of Giving by Charles Bronfman and Jeffrey Solomon. The purpose of the book is to “show donors and potential donors how to become street-smart, effective philanthropists.” This is right up my alley. I loved the tag line – Where the soul meets the business plan. Partially into it, I am still hopeful, but there have been a couple of points stuck in old philanthropy. They describe a non-donor as “she does contribute her time…does so many tasks that keep alive the organizations that hold communities together.” According to my definition, this person is in fact a donor. She donates her time, her skills and her resources. They also suggest that a good way to attract young people to an organization is to put them on junior or advisory boards. I don’t think Generations X and Y are looking for this type of introduction to the world of nonprofits. I think nonprofits need to tap into social networking – the virtual and the physical – as a way to attract strong young leaders. I think for my generation (X) its about the issue and the organization’s ability and effectiveness to address the issue that draws us in and spurs our desire to do more and to give more to an organization. Bronfman and Solomon have tremendous experience in the field and I continue to read with great interest.