Muhammad Yunus, one of the most repsected leaders in anti-poverty efforts today, will be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Obama at an award ceremony on Wednesday, August 12.
Dr. Yunus,  a Bangladeshi economist by training, is the recipiant of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize for his work with the Grameen Bank, for their efforts to “create economic and social development from below”. Grameen bank
It was exciting, although not entirely surprising, for us to hear that Muhammad Yunus, one of the most respected leaders in anti-poverty efforts today, will …

Recessions are no fun for nonprofits. Corporate givings tumble, people donate less, and foundations cut down grants. Some of the hardest-hit organisations in this economy have also been the most deserving of support.
But nonprofits, according to Michael Seltzer from PhilanTopic, are “survivors“. Nonprofits have traditionally faced much more capital constraints and their for-profit counterparts, and therefore can better adopt themselves to budget cuts. There is also the silverlining. A difficult environment brings forth creative approaches, such as new ways to fundraise, new incentive to improve capital efficiency, new opportunities to recruit senior leaders, …

The traditional image of a philanthropist - an older man in a vest sitting solemnly in a red armchair – is, well, too traditional. A new report published by Barclays Wealth shows that a new breed of wealthy philanthropists is emerging. They are younger, more socially aware, and more motivated to give back to the communities.
Nicknamed the ‘Go Giver’, this ambitious group has a stronger commitment to philanthropy than older generations and feels more responsibility to support charities and causes. More than their older counterparts, they believe that giving will become more incumbent on the wealthy because …

Imagine being married before your 18th birthday.
That’s the fate half of Indian women face, but one 16-year old girl is part of a bigger group that’s trying to change their domestic destiny.
Krishna Chaudhry, a typical village girl in rural India, is one of the 1,000 girls who attend the Pardada Pardadi Educational Society, where girls spend half of their days studying, and the other half working hard to earn an income for the family, so they are allowed to stay in school. Although she lives in Uttar Pradesh, one of India’s poorest states, …

The White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation has an ambitious goal: to transform how we approach, and ultimately solve, our nation’s most pressing domestic problems in education, health care, poverty, joblessness, the environment, and more.  Their secret weapon – the nonprofit sector.
According to a White House Press Release, President Obama, in his FY2010 budget, will ask Congress for $50 million for the Social Innovation Fund to identify the most promising, results-oriented non-profit programs and expand their reach throughout the country.
“The idea is simple: to find the most effective programs …