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A changing landscape
Accounting ledger.

Accounting for the new philanthropy

In a philanthropic economy, the gift market would be balanced against the exchange market in every transaction

WINNIPEG, MANITOBA - October 19, 2011 - Marty Donkervoort poses for a photograph at the ceremonial circle of the Urban Circle Training Centre in Winnipeg's North End Wednesday, October 19, 2011. Donkervoort's social enterprise company Inner City Renovation (ICR) renovated the building for the social organisation. Donkervoort is retired now but founded a social enterprise in Winnipeg called Inner City Renovation (ICR) which does construction work and employs people with criminal records, former gang members.

New breed of company blurs lines between charity and business

Balancing activism and the profit motive isn’t easy, but it’s well worth the effort, say leaders of Canadian social enterprise

The changing face of giving: Why donors choose anonymity

Closeted philanthropists are not the norm but they are on the rise for personal, spiritual and business reasons

Fundraising through Facebook? Please like

Social media can bring in charity dollars at a tiny fraction of direct-mail costs. But those who click to donate are still a drop in the bucket

Canvaser Emily Smits, Fundraising Manager for Toronto Street Fundraising Office with Public Outreach, tries to engage potential donors on Bay Street in Toronto.

Canvassers take the cause to the street

A growing army of face-to-face fundraisers works Canada’s busiest sidewalks for major charities, becoming a chief source of monthly donations

Lynn Eakin, policy chair of the Ontario Non Profit Network, says the shareholder model for giving is ill-suited to non-profits.

Non-profits worried new law will hurt smaller agencies

Organizations have until October, 2014, to meet stringent regulations

Former prime minister Paul Martin on Sept. 13, 2011.

Scrapping tax on charitable stock donations ‘worked unequivocally,’ Paul Martin recalls

Sparked by a proposal from an investment banker with a philanthropic bent, former prime minister’s move resulted in a significant rise in giving

Movie or mango tree? How your discretionary income can help others

By giving up just one of your ‘wants,’ you could help several people in need

Maria Antonakos will be teaching a 'Startegic Philanthropy and Leadership' course at McMaster University during this winter semester.

Philanthropy’s new class act

Forget fundraiser runs and volunteering for Girl Guides. There’s a change afoot in academe, as educators at all grade levels explore ways to teach students the principles of responsible charity

Migrant workers watch Olympic matches on TV in a room at Huangbeiling Village in Shenzhen of south China's Guangdong province Aug. 10, 2008.

A Chinese boomtown test drives the concept of charity

Shenzhen’s breakthrough experiment, which fosters the creation of NGOs and charities, aims to help those left behind by the economic reforms of 1980

Minister of Human Resources Diane Finley a question during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday, October 26, 2011.

Expanded capital-gains exemptions to be studied

Commons finance committee to study charitable donations incentives

Expand the capital gains exemption to pre-empt a charitable crisis

It’s vital that Ottawa encourage charitable gifts in the form of private company shares and real estate

Paul Alofs

It’s time to say ‘not’ to not-for-profit

What other sector of the economy refers to itself by what it’s not? A better name is the ‘social profit sector’

A donor puts money into a donation box for the Thai flood victims, at a Buddhist temple in Kuala Lumpur on Feb. 27, 2011.

How to make the most of your donation dollars

Here’s a charity action plan to help you determine how much to give and to whom

What’s the best charity for you?

Before you write your cheque, check out these resources for evaluating financial health, accountability and results

Billionaire co-founder of private equity giant Apax Partners, Sir Ronald Cohen, is a social finance proponent. Matt Cardy/Getty Images

New social impact bond targets the greater good

By combining societal goals with business acumen, pioneering class of investment asset aims fill gaps charities, government can’t

Former UK prime minister Tony Blair

I put my faith in creative philanthropy

It’s not simply about signing a cheque, says Britain's former PM. More and more often, supporters donate technology, supplies or infrastructure to a cause they’re passionate about

Governor General David Johnston, right, lends a hand to a Habitat for Humanity project in Toronto in January , 2010.

Governor-General says time, talent, treasure keys to philanthropy

David Johnston explains why he hopes this will be a hallmark of the celebrations on Canada’s 150th birthday in 2017

In Harper's Canada, will we give more of ourselves to get lower taxes?

In an era where fiscally restrained governments confront rising need created by economic turmoil, the private sector must do more. And the private sector is each one of us.

South African businesswoman Mamphela Ramphele, who grew up in a rural village under apartheid, has become an outspoken advocate of philanthropy in Africa.

Giving continent: An African icon leads by example

83% of wealthy black South Africans support family and friends. In Canada, only 23.1% of tax filers donate

Linda Twala runs a daycare centre for township children, pictured here, as well as a soup kitchen, community centre for children and senior citizens, and other projects.

From coffin-maker to mentor: One African's lifetime of philanthropy

As the gap between rich and poor grows larger, a surge in philanthropy is sweeping the African continent, most markedly in South Africa. Many of the newly rich still donate only a tiny portion of their wealth. But some South Africans have spent their lives giving back, such as businessman Linda Twala.

Members of the public help clean up Manchester, England, on Aug. 10, 2011, following a night of violence that occurred during Britain's worst riots in decades.

Britain's 'Big Society:' Noble experiment in volunteerism or cynical politics?

‘Good ideas’ but PM David Cameron ‘needs to work harder at grafting the details.’

After u[ndergoing concussion treatment last year, Montreal Canadiens left wing Max Pacioretty (67) has set up a foundation at Montreal General. Jean-Yves Ahern-US PRESSWIRE

Hospital helped Canadiens’ Pacioretty, now Max gives back

Pacioretty Foundation will raise money for brain trauma treatment, research at Montreal General, where Canadien recovered from severe injury at hands of Boston Bruins’ Chara

Bob Munro (right) at the opening ceremony of the Mathare FIFA Football For Hope Centre on September 4, 2010 in Nairobi, Kenya. (Photo by Neil Thomas - FIFA via Getty Images)

How grassroots sports improves lives around the world

For kids, to play is to learn: MYSA and the Toronto-based Right to Play, are united in a movement called Sport for Development and Peace

Giving them the right to play

A photographic look at recent events involving The Right to Play

Edward Czarnecti, eating his lunch at The Good Neighbors Club in Toronto on Oct. 26, 2011, is one of the 300 people who are given daily meals at the agency that receives funds from the United Way.

The many faces of giving – and receiving – in Canada

An uncertain economy threatens to send already dwindling charitable donations from an aging base of givers into permanent decline. For the country’s charities, it is an undeniable crisis – but also a moment of unprecedented opportunity.

Distributions of food are shrinking at the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society because of a drop-off in corporate and individual donations this year, its chief executive officer says.

Corporate giving coming with more strings attached

Many Canadian corporations are tightening their donation budgets and asking for more in return.

Sir Elton John and partner David Furnish attend the 18th Annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Award Party in Hollywood, March 7, 2010.

For celebrity givers, it’s not just about the cash

Star power isn’t enough to make philanthropy work – anyone can have a foundation, but success also depends on genuine, sweat-soaked commitment

Angelina Jolie visits a relief camp in northwest Pakistan, Sept. 7, 2010.

The stars give — and we give them a star rating

In charity, as in entertainment, there are five-star megahits and zero-star clunkers. From Brangelina to Paris Hilton, The Globe gives the rundown on who’s in it for the cause, and who for the applause

Vancouver philanthropist Michael Audain with some of the art work he owns, currently on display at The Vancouver Art Gallery, Oct. 24, 2011.

Inside Michael Audain's personal art collection

The Canadian art philanthropist talks about works from his collection in an exhibition opening Saturday at the Vancouver Art Gallery

Notable pieces from Michael Audain's collection

Michael Audain and his wife Yoshiko Karasawa have amassed an art collection numbering in the hundreds. They have made a selection available for display at the Vancouver Art Gallery

Sir Ronald Cohen speaks as he has a discussion with former Prime Minister Tony Blair at a breakfast discussion jointly hosted by the UK Israel Business, the Office of the Quartet Representative, The Portland Trust and the Palestine Britain Business Council on May 26, 2011 in London.

Sir Ronald Cohen: private capital for the public’s benefit

The godfather of social finance explains how investment tools can be used to address societal problems

Jim and Sandra Pitblado watch a rehearsal at the National Ballet of Canada in Toronto, Oct. 26, 2011.

Arts giving: A big-money game

If you want to save lives, you fund a hospital. If you want to transform them, maybe you help build an opera house, or fund promising young artists

John Baker (white hard hat), general manager for Inner City Renovation (ICR) looks over some plans with site supervisor Larry Laberge as a crew renovates an old bank into a credit union in Winnipeg's North End Thursday, October 20, 2011. Inner City Renovation (ICR) is a social enterprise in Winnipeg which does construction work and employs people with criminal records, former gang members, etcetera. (John Woods for the Globe and Mail)

Four steps to a more generous Canada

We should make sure that giving – of time, of money, of energy, ideas and expertise – is easier, and that charitable work can have more impact.

12 people who are transforming philanthropy

Here are a dozen innovative individuals who are reaching beyond old norms of philanthropy to help people in new ways. This is part of The Globe and Mail's in-depth look at the evolution of philanthropy.

Five key players in Canadian philanthropy

These benefactors are supporting important initiatives to bolster higher education, help the downtrodden, advance the frontiers of science and foster excellence in the arts. This is part of The Globe and Mail's in-depth look at the evolution of philanthropy.

Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing, chairman of Hutchison Whampoa Ltd. and Cheung Kong (Holdings) Ltd, looks on during a news conference after an annual general meeting in Hong Kong Thursday, May 18, 2006.

Why Li Ka Shing thinks of his charity as a ‘third son’

The Chinese billionaire has dedicated his foundation to health care and causes concerned with human dignity

Greg Thomson, director of research at Charity Intelligence poses for a photo in his Toronto home on October 28, 2011. He explains that charities do need to be more accountable.

Charities upset over accountability comments

Minister’s remarks about meeting performance targets cause concern, confusion

Editor's note: The perils and promise of the new philanthropy

The Globe and Mail launches a series that captures the transformation of philanthropy. Our journalists explain how a few visionary billionaires, the social-media generation and the world economic crisis have come together to rewrite the rules of giving.