From: The New York Times, November 10 2008
Have a Question About Philanthropy?
Stephanie Strom, who reports on philanthropy for The New York Times, answers questions from readers. Have a Question about Philanthropy?
From: Philanthropy UK, Issue 34, September 2008
Crossing Borders: An Essential Guide for Philanthropists
Susan Mackenzie and Ben Eyre
According to this article by the Philanthropy UK, overseas development is one of the most popular causes for UK donors. It says that wealthy people in Britain have been less likely to give internationally because of scepticism about effectiveness and impact, since good projects have been harder to identify and evaluate from a distance. However, it also notes that as awareness of international causes has increased due to travel and the internet, the wealthy increasingly want to have an impact abroad. Crossing Borders: An Essential Guide for Philanthropists
From: The Financial Times
Foundations must enter commercialisation debate
Buzz Schmidt, 26 August 2008
This article examines the ways in which the charitable sector can be strengthened through some degree of income generation. However, it also argues that new ways of giving such as ‘philanthrocapitalism’ can ensure that the work being done by nonprofit organisations is not overshadowed because it can help socialise for profit activity. It also highlights how GuideStar can assist in this respect. Foundations must enter commercialisation debate
From: Charity Finance
Temple’s Guiding Star
Ian Asllop, July 2008
An interview with Lewis Temple, Director of GuideStar UK was featured in the July issue of Charity Finance. The interview gives a personal insight into what led Lewis to his position at GuideStar UK, as well as the role he will play in the development of GuideStar UK. He also talks about the way in which GuideStar UK is providing a model for the development of GuideStar overseas. Interview with Charity Finance
Oprah Winfrey uses GuideStar data to inform the Oprah’s Big Give Campaign
Oprah’s Big Give encourages viewers to donate or volunteer their time with nonprofits in the US. Through the Network for Good giving system, they can search for charities that that are in the GuideStar database before deciding which ones they would like to support. Oprah’s Big Give
GuideStar Nonprofit reports utilised for Facebook Causes Application
Project Agape has launched the Causes application on Facebook which utlises GuideStar reports. Any Facebook member can create a cause which will organize people towards collective action on a an issue for example “Recycling”. They can promote it to their friends and network, and raise money. It supports over 1.5 million American nonprofits and obtains information about them from GuideStar. Facebook Causes Application
From: Financial Times
Help with Giving
Andrew Jack, 27th March 2008
This article examines how the charitable sector is helping to provide business executives assistance when working with the non profit sector, and ways in which they are facilitating a base to maximise their philanthropy. GuideStar UK is mentioned as one of the organisations that helps in this regard. Help with Giving
From: Philanthropy UK Newsletter, Issue 32, March 2008
NPC and NCVO Debate Charity Scrutiny
Debate between Martin Brooks (Director of Research New Capital Philanthropy) and Stuart Etherington (Chief Executive, NCVO)
This debate put forward various way in which charities performance should be better accessed and ways that charity reporting should be encouraged. GuideStar UK is putforward as one of the ways which is already helping with charities to report their activities. NPC and NCVO Debate Charity Scrutiny
From Third Sector Online
GuideStar UK Appoints Chief Executive
Hannah Jordan, 14th March 2008
Announcement of Lewis Temple Appointment as Chief Executive. GuideStar UK Appoints Chief Executive
From: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ)
The Tough Business of Transparency
Alex Westhoff, 21st February 2008
The article gives a brief introduction to the German GuideStar project, which aims to build a comprehensive database of non-profit organisations in a country with little transparency and a lack of reporting standards.
The ongoing scandal involving the German branch of UNICEF, which lost its seal of approval (accredited by DZI) last week, could be the catalyst making it happen. Martin Vogelsang the Project Manager for the German GuideStar project expressed “We hope we are the next to go online.” English version – FAZ The Tough Business of Transparency.pdf
From: Financial Times
The age of cyberspace offers aids for giving
Sarah Murray, 12th February 2008
This article looks at the ways in which various online systems improve giving to charitable organisations. The age of cyberspace offers aids for giving
From: Third Sector Online
Adapt to the web or lose donors, voluntary sector warned
Emma Rigby, 11 December 2007
News article talking about the need for charities to use websites like GuideStar so they do not risk losing donors. Adapt to the web or lose donors, voluntary sector warned
From: Financial Times
Giving in the internet age
Sarah Murray, December 10 2007
This news item talks about the potential the internet (and websites like GuideStar) has to revolutionise giving as well as the useful of the internet for improving communication by non profit organisations. Giving in the internet age
From: The Guardian
Charities must not waste public trust
Seb Elsworth, head of policy at the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations (Acevo), November 29, 2007
A blog post talking about why it is important for charities to provide information to the public Charities must not waste public trust
From: Third Sector Magazine
GuideStar UK opts for a Merger
Emma Maier, 19 September 2007
Charity information service GuideStar UK is merging with Civil Society Systems, the charity that promotes and supports the establishment of GuideStar programmes worldwide. The full article is available GuideStar Uk opts for a merger
From: Alliance Magazine
Lighting Up Civil Society
Caroline Neligan, September 2007
This article looks at the ways in which access to information about CSOs is neccessary for the development of the civil society sector internationally, and focuses on issues such as transparency and accountability in this regard. Lighting up Civil Society
From: European Foundation Center
GuideStar Europe: Transparency for Europe’s civil society through online reporting
The news items speaks about the GuideStar Europe project. The full release is available GuideStar Europe: Transparency for Europe’s civil society through online reporting
From: Third Sector Magazine
It’s time to stop relying mainly on opinion
Nick Seddon, 11 July 2007
This article looks at the ways in which the third sector in the UK can best be understood, and advocates GuideStar UK as a good way of providing useful information and analysis of it to improve our understanding of its usefulness. It’s time to stop relying mainly on opinion
From: Alliance Magazine Vol 12 Number 2
Growing GuideStar International – News from around the World
June 2007
Since its establishment in September 2004, GuideStar International (GSI; formerly known as Civil Society Systems) has been making great strides. It is now supporting the development of GuideStar systems in South Africa, India, South Korea and a number of countries in Europe … Growing GuideStar International
From: newritings
Putting Civil Society on the Map – or Mapping Civil Society for Development
May 20th 2007
This news articles advocates the improvement of access to information about civil society organisations, and examines the role GuideStar International can play in doing this. The full article is available Putting Civil Society on the Map
From: The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
Creating an Online Information Marketplace for Giving, Paul Brest 2006
This essay argues for the provision of valuable information online by stakeholders and nonprofits, which would aid in the increase of giving by donors and the stregthening of the non profit sector and mentions the role GuideStar can play in this. Creating an Online Information Marketplace for Giving
From: AccountAbility Forum Issue 10
Civil Society and the Internet: Made for Each Other: A conversation between David Bonbright, Founder, Keystone, and Buzz Schmidt, Founder, GuideStar
November 2006
Arguably, no one has done more to demonstrate the power of ICT to advance civil-society accountability than GuideStar USA founder Buzz Schmidt. Buzz has now launched Civil Society Systems to promote and support the construction of GuideStar systems around the world. David Bonbright, founder and managing partner of Keystone, has watched GuideStar’s progress over the past decade with keen interest and admiration. Here in conversation with Buzz he looks at the GuideStar experience and juxtaposes it with Keystone’s very different approach to strengthening NGO accountability systems.
Civil Society and the internet: Made for each other
From: Professional Fundraising
GuideStar International maps out its prospects, October 2006
This news items talks about the development of the mapping of ‘GuideStar readiness of countries around the world being pursued by GSI. GuideStar International maps out its prospects
From: Alliance Online
Interview with Venkat Krishnan and Pushpa Singh – Creating a philanthropy exchange in India, July 2006
The full interview is available here from Alliance Magazine
In this interview Alliance speaks with GiveIndia’s founder and director, Venkat Krishnan, and the new Chief Operating Officer, Pushpa Aman Singh, about the changes within the organisation and the development of GuideStar India
From: Alliance Magazine
Alliance Extra: Interview with Buzz Schmidt – Taking data seriously, April 2006
This is an excerpt; the Full Interview is available here from allavida.org.
GuideStar aims to provide good-quality information about a large number of a country’s civil society organizations in accessible and highly searchable form and free of charge. After a decade operating in the US, GuideStar has now launched in the UK, and systems may be emerging in India, South Africa, Hungary, Germany, Israel and Palestine. What can GuideStar offer to the non-profit sector? How can quality of data be assured? And who’s going to pay for it? Caroline Hartnell talked to GuideStar founder Buzz Schmidt, who is now President of Civil Society Systems, which promotes and supports the construction of GuideStar systems around the world. Alliance Extra - April 2006 - Interview with Buzz Schmidt - Taking Data Seriously.pdf
From: The Economist: Wealth and Philanthropy
Virtue’s intermediaries
Feb 23rd 2006
A host of new businesses is trying to make the philanthropic market work better
... For more comprehensive information about who is doing what in the philanthropic world, there is GuideStar. Nicknamed the “Bloomberg screen of philanthropy”, it was founded in America in 1994 by Buzz Schmidt and makes available online, free of charge, the tax-return data filed by 1.5m charitable organisations, together with additional information. It has more than 400,000 registered users, and for a fee it offers detailed analysis of the data—such as which organisations do what in a particular area, how much a charity pays its chief executive relative to the average, and so on.
Mr Schmidt is now busy setting up similar services abroad. Last year GuideStar was launched in Britain, putting data online that had been sitting on paper in Charities Commission and tax-office cabinets, largely unlooked at, says Les Hems of the Institute for Philanthropy, the parent organisation of the British end of GuideStar. The institute was founded in 2000 to help foster charitable giving in Britain, not least by starting, and then spinning off, new organisations that solve particular problems. Britain’s Treasury gave it £2.9m, topping up £1m raised from donors. Now GuideStar is trying to secure continuing public funding, as well as fees from licensing data to organisations such as NPC. Other versions of GuideStar are planned in India, South Africa and Australia.
The Economist - Wealth and Philanthropy - Virtue's intermediaries - Feb 23rd 2006.pdf
From: The Economist
Virtue’s eBay
Nov 17th 2005
Businesslike approaches to giving are shaking up a cosy charity sector
This is an excerpt; the Full Article is available here as part of Economist.com.
Les Hems, director of research and development for GuideStar UK, says that the site initially met with hostility from the finance directors of several charities. Charities tend to dislike comparisons of their fundraising costs, because they vary so widely. Where giving is concerned, the theatrical maxim is reversed: those who work with children or animals do very nicely. Children’s charities come second only to medical-research charities in winning a share of national giving. And figures from the National Council for Voluntary Organisations suggest that the great British public prefers animals to old people by a ratio of 3:2. Charities working with HIV sufferers, by contrast, had high fundraising costs, until they managed to recruit celebrities to the cause. Now those working with unpopular groups, such as asylum-seekers, have the highest fundraising costs. ...
While GuideStar should bring more scrutiny to the workings of charities, more attention is also being paid to measuring their outputs. Here the pioneers are New Philanthropy Capital (NPC), a charity run by a group of former finance professionals, which models its reports into charitable sectors on the work of equity analysts.
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