For decades, American nonprofits have primarily focused their fundraising efforts on the domestic turf. After all, as an economic superpower with a culture that encourages giving, the US probably had the best pool of donors to tap into.

However, the number of people capable of making a substantial gift is growing in many part s of the world, said Deborah Miller, an assistant vice president at Wake Forest University.

According to the World Wealth Report 2009, by 2013 the number of millionaires in Asia and the total value of their wealth will exceed that of millionaires in the United States. They would be next generations of donors, who will also diversity the donor portfolio of organizations, said Deborah.

Not only are individuals abroad able to make significant donations, there are many organizations that are consciously pooling their resources to bring global social change. Grantmakers Without Boarders is an example of such organizations, connecting a network of trustees, public and private foundations to provide funding for international causes, as well as to improve the practice of international grantmaking.

Pollution, poverty, water access, diseases and countless other pressing issues know no boarder or nationality. If the world is already flat, if people are already connected to each other, it is only plausible to look beyond home, beyond our own neighborhoods, to channel our resources to the places what will effectively utilize them and reap the most benefit.