I have been having a few conversations lately with Charity Intelligence about the true value of a charity.  Some of this is in light of the CEO Compensation debate that seems to have reared its head in the news lately.  In fact, in Canada there is a private member's bill - C-470 in the House of Commons that is being voted on about capping CEO Compensation.  This issue got me thinking about the true value of a charity.  read more »

In the 1980's Wendy's ran a commercial with the slogan, "Where's the beef?"  I was reminded of this as the debate about CEO compensation in the charitable sector is raising its head again.  read more »

Charity scams are alive and well in Canada.  In 2003 the Chronicle of Philanthropy released a report that in North America over $1.28B is lossed due to fraud (and that is only the fraud that is caught!).  This hit home this week when Ashley Kirilow was denied bail for her part in a cancery charity scam.  read more »

Last week I was having coffee with two amazing and insightful people at my favourite local coffee shop - @CaffeRosso in Ramsay. @MicheleFGartner and Bob McInnis, Executive Director of @brownbaggingit, and I were talking about donor motivations and charity trends around fundraising and identifying other revenue streams.  At some point during the conversation Michele identified that "Feel-Good Philanthropy" can have a negative downstream effect on overall grant-making because it does not look at a foundations overall social strategy.  read more »

You really never do. One day the non-profits you donate to could be the places you turn for help.

I am a vocal supporter for the Calgary Women's Emergency Shelter. I've donated in the past and I'd give more if I could. But I also do my part by talking about it as a worthwhile organization whenever I can: dinner parties, lunch-room gossip, casual conversations. "Hey, did you know about this charity and what they do? You should give them some money..."

Little did I know I'd be using the very services I'd donated to in the past. Someone I care about came to me with a serious problem. Her life was in tatters; her heart, mind, soul and body were all being abused.

I had no idea what to do.

For someone who'd advocated on a personal level for a charity, it never occurred to me to turn there for help. My face is bright crimson as I make this admission.

Another friend actually told me to call the Calgary Women's Emergency Shelter. Duh...I could've told myself that.

The counselor was amazing. She listened to me describe what I knew, what I was terrified of. Over the phone, she bore witness to my tears, frustration and sadness. And she understood. She didn't ask me stupid questions like, "Well, what do you mean abuse? Is there any hitting involved?" She knew exactly what to say, and exactly what I needed. Most importantly, she told me I was doing the right thing. I was listening. My inability to swoop down and save the day had been crushing me. But the counselor told me that listening was all I could do. In fact, it was exactly what I should be doing.

When my daughter and I talk about why we give to charities like the Calgary Women's Emergency Shelter, I tell her the reason is that they help people who are sad and hurt.

Now I know first hand that it's true.

Social Justice Mommy (SJM) is a regular blogger.  When she is not writing for this blog, Heather Setka, is an editor and freelance writer and single mom raising a five year old daughter.

The Globe & Mail published a report on charitable sector CEO compensation.  My thoughts on CEO compensation, for what they are worth...  read more »

I think I’ve really screwed up the whole stranger danger thing. Sure, my daughter and I have had many talks about safety and what to do if someone threatens her or tries to hurt her. These are frank discussions, and I’m pretty sure she gets it.  read more »

My daughter has a strange attachment to things. It startles me whenever it rears its adorable (nothing she does is ugly) head.

Since my daughter was born, we’ve been both the recipients and givers of many clothes to and from many different homes. It’s a karma-based system whereby you may not be giving hand-me-downs to the same family you get them from.  read more »

In a recent blog post, Charity Navigator highlights the Top 10 Best Practises of Savvy Donors.  This post is directed at the American donor, but the basic premise can be applied to anyone who makes charitable investments.

For more information and resources on making charitable investments click here.

Twitter Unveils New Effort to Boost Online Giving

Twitter is taking an approach similar approach to Facebook’s to help charities raise money and visibility for their causes, the technology-news site TechCrunch reports.

A new feature, TwitCause, will highlight a different charity every Thursday and ask followers of its Twitter account to alert readers about the cause. When people post the alert, or “retweet” it, they will also include a link to a place to donate to the charity using PayPal. The service started Thursday by featuring the V Foundation, a cancer-research charity.