A program officer is a person who works for a foundation or in a corporate giving program that helps decide which causes to give to and how much to give. They review grant proposals and discuss the budget and other policy issues with board members and other staff.
Posts Tagged ‘charitable giving’
A Program Officer is…
Friday, August 7th, 2009Why does every pro athlete have their own foundation?
Friday, August 7th, 2009Tiger Woods, Michael Phelps, Mia Hamm, and seemingly every other big athlete out there has their own charitable foundation. There are many reasons why an athlete might open his own foundation, which are really no different than the reasons a normal person would have for starting a foundation. Starting a foundation allows you to determine its mission – what causes it plans to address and how it will go about doing that. Mia Hamm’s foundation focuses on two causes very close to her, young women in sports and transplant patients – her brother Garrow died from complications from a transplant. A lot of athletes’ foundations have something to do with the sport in which they excel or with another cause otherwise meaningful to them.
Also, having a foundation is good PR. Running a foundation that does charitable work makes you look like a good person and therefore, more marketable for a larger number of companies. This can be good for endorsement deals and generally adding to your fame. That isn’t to say that athletes are bad for being famous and starting foundations at all – their fame can bring lots of attention to issues that might otherwise be overlooked. Although not an athlete, Farrah Fawcett’s advocacy and unfortunate death brought lots of attention to a little-discussed form of cancer.
Some think it would be better to give to a pre-existing foundation than starting your own. Michael Jordan closed down the Michael Jordan Foundation because he wanted to focus on the James Jordan Foundation, started in honor of his father. He noted that they did similar things and he wanted to be able to concentrate his energy and money in one place to enhance his impact.
Starting a foundation allows athletes and other people with money and influence to direct their giving precisely as they choose. They should be commended for lending their name and their money to causes that need support, and so should you for giving to good causes.
If I donate to an organization, will my boss donate too?
Friday, August 7th, 2009You might be sufficiently passionate and inspiring enough to convince your boss to donate, but you shouldn’t get discouraged if he or she doesn’t follow your lead. Being passionate about a cause can inspire others to give, and advocating for something you believe in is a powerful way to support your cause. Being a good example to your co-workers, classmates, and friends is very important, but there is certainly no guarantee anyone will follow suit.
There is one situation in which the boss’ donation is a sure thing: some organizations have “matching gifts programs” in which your company, or your boss, will match the amount of your donation to a good cause. This encourages people in a company to give and is one way good companies and other organizations can make a big impact on lots of important causes. Whether or not you are involved in a matching gifts program its good to give – if your donation can help others to make the same good decision, it’s even better.
Don’t Give Up, Give Better…
Friday, May 29th, 2009This article explores different strategies for giving in a changing economic climate.
- With the wrath of the recession widespread, most people are cutting spending wherever possible, charitable giving being a popular place to start.
- But charities are in need right now more than most and more than ever.
- Instead of cutting charitable giving altogether, some people are reassessing which charities are most in need (prioritizing, for instance, food banks over art galleries) and directing whatever they can afford to those organizations.
Facts & Figures
- Donors have two basic theories of giving: (1) direct service to individuals and (2) change through advocacy and public education.
- During tough economic times, there is a shift from advocacy and public education to direct service because its effects are tangible and measurable.
- Three techniques for giving in tough times are: (1) conversion (let the charity spend part of the pledge to an endowment immediately), (2) deferral (spread the donation out over time), and (3) triage (weed out charities no longer seen as effective).
Best Quote
“When things go down, no matter how much you have, you think you are poorer and therefore your tendency is to withdraw completely. The problem is that this is the time when you can do the most good, when you really need to give.” – Joe Briggs, retired legal-publishing executive and philanthropist