Giving Compass' Take:

• David P. King compares and contrasts philanthropy and faith in the sense of who's giving back, what drives high net worth donors, and the ever-changing dynamics. 

• King argues that it is worth taking stock of how religion functions for donors, nonprofits, and humanitarian networks. How can we get more data on this? 

• Here's an article on faith-based organizations who promote well-being in their communities. 

For much of the past century, philanthropy remained an unquestioned good. But with growing public perception connecting philanthropy to the power and prestige of an increasingly smaller number of megadonors, philanthropy can no longer be dismissed without critical reflection. And that is all for the good.

In the broad definition of Robert Payton, founder of the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy where I currently teach, philanthropy is “private action for the public good.” Yes, that is the largesse of the Rockefellers, Carnegies, and Gates, but it is also the everyday giving of average Americans putting a twenty in the offering plate, dropping spare change in the Salvation Army kettle, or the regular monthly donation that sponsors the child whose picture hangs on their refrigerator. The United States has most often held up its philanthropic spirit as a distinctive contribution since the days of Alexis de Tocqueville. It does hold true that America has a more vibrant third sector (but also a lower tax rate and smaller government) than other industrialized countries.

Yet, since de Tocqueville, the majority of the focus on the American philanthropic spirit has focused on issues at home. American philanthropy has also provided significant interventions and impact abroad. Today, even amidst increased nationalism in many parts of the world, international giving actually grew by the largest percentage of any charitable subsector last year (9.6 percent), mostly due to the pressing need of responding to civil wars, disasters, and rising numbers of refugees.

Read the full article about faith and philanthropy by David P. King at SSRC.