(Community Matters) a friend sent me the link to this article: Rebooting Philanthropy in Silicon Valley, with a note that we should spend more time thinking about this in Austin.
My response:
We already do
Austin’s high tech millionaires and billionaires are very engaged in philanthropy. Through L3, funders networks, foundation forums, ACF, the Entrepreneurs Foundation and informal relationships there’s a lot of strategy and emphasis on giving
In my mind, what’s more needed is for nonprofits to better understand the criteria these philanthropists use to invest – and I do mean invest. The top nonprofits in Austin have enjoyed robust funding during even the last few years. There is more money than causes but it has high standards of accountability and outcome that too many nonprofits don’t understand, resist or subscribe to in reporting – even though they might be doing outstanding work.
btw, I don’t think enough of the LGBT community is appropriately philanthropic (or politically supportive)
I’m sometimes embarrassed by the low level of giving of many well-to-do gays & lesbians. I acknowledge many notable exceptions
Community Matters 