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On June 15, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos made the unusual move of tweeting a “request for ideas” about how to direct his charitable giving. “I’m thinking I want much of my philanthropic activity to be helping people in the here and now—short term—at the intersection of urgent need and lasting impact,” wrote one of the world’s wealthiest men. “If you have ideas, just reply to this tweet with the idea (and if you think this approach is wrong, would love to hear that too)."
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The tweet received ample media coverage and more than 40,000 replies on Twitter.
In this open letter, leaders of 18 community foundations from around the United States respond.
Change comes from the bottom up. It comes from working with those we serve, and from joining with business, ordinary citizens, nonprofit groups, and government to make an impact. We cross borders, too. Through efforts like the Community Foundation Opportunity Network—which brings together more than 40 foundations that are working to bridge the opportunity gap between more and less privileged youth—we share ideas and resources to make a real difference.