From our Blog

Reflecting on the 2009 America's Giving Challenge

We are looking for energetic and talented college students with a passion for civic engagement and philanthropy to join us for the spring semester as interns at The Case Foundation. If you or someone you know fits the bill, please read on or forward...

Nov

2009

The "business end" of social innovation: Welcome to the Social Capital Market! Now how does it work?

Along with our partners at Causes and PARADE Publications, we're pleased today to officially announce the winners of the 2009 America's Giving Challenge. We're truly pleased with the results - more than 105,000 donations that helped to raise $2.1...

Nov

2009

by Josh Weissburg

Guest blogger Josh Weissburg is the Philanthropy and Innovation Project Manager at the Aspen Institute, where he works to identify models and measures of social change. He is also a co-founder and Director of Africa Operations at Renew LLC, an...

Nov

2009

With creative online giving campaigns, everyone’s a philanthropist

The sustainable nonprofit video strategy

As the end of 2009 draws near, nonprofits are standing at the ready with their year-end fundraising campaigns and are largely wondering the same thing: what impact will the tumultuous economy have on charitable giving? There are many schools of...

Nov

2009

by Michael Hoffman

Guest blogger Michael Hoffman, CEO of See 3 Communications, is a leading authority in online video for nonprofits and a long-time consultant to nonprofit leaders on online fundraising and outreach strategies. There is something magical about video...

Nov

2009

The hardest working mustache in nonprofits

by Eric Johnson

So I’m growing a mustache—for cancer. Participatory fundraising has become popular for very good reason. We run races, we walkathon. And—around here anyway—we grow mustaches. Movember = Mo(ustache) + (No)vember Movember is just like a walkathon,...

Nov

2009

The "business end" of social innovation: A look under the hood

by Josh Weissburg

Nov

2009

All Volunteer Force: From military to civilian service

by John M. Bridgeland and Mary McNaught Yonkman

John M. Bridgeland is President and CEO of Civic Enterprises, a public policy firm in Washington, D.C., and Mary McNaught Yonkman serves as Chief of Staff. Since the dawn of the 21st century, nearly two million Americans have served in our nation’s...

Nov

2009

Leaders in Action: Dr. Ana Steele of the Dalit Freedom Network

by Josh Tabb

Dr. Ana Aspras Steele is the Executive President of Dalit Freedom Network (DFN), an organization dedicated to bringing an end to the injustices perpetrated against the Dalit people of India. In the 110th Session of Congress, she led efforts that...

Nov

2009

Start your holiday giving with Halloween

by Elyse Berkowitz

Guest blogger Elyse Berkowitz is an intern at The Case Foundation and a senior at the University of Maryland. It’s officially November and as our sugar-highs wane from this past weekend’s festivities, it’s time to start thinking about next year....

Nov

2009

Why is it so hard to make people give?

by Greg Baldwin

Guest blogger Greg Baldwin is President of VolunteerMatch. Well, the easy answer is that it’s hard to make people give because people don't really want to. The logic is simple and compelling. People don't give because we are by our nature self-...

Nov

2009

What happens once we all become writers?

by Eric Johnson

November is National Novel Writing Month, in which people set out to write a novel in a month. The idea is just crazy enough that it works. Last year, more than 119,000 tried it, and 21,000 writers completed their goal of 50,000 words in the month....

Nov

2009

The "business end" of social innovation: If we build it, they will come - a cautionary tale

by Josh Weissburg

Oct

2009

Kiva & the illusion of person-to-person giving

by Eric Johnson

The past couple of weeks have seen drama for Kiva, the successful funder of international person-to-person loans—drama on the blogs, anyway. Bloggers criticized Kiva for misleading donors, of telling a persuasive story about its operations that wasn...

Oct

2009

SEO 101 for nonprofit organizations

by Andrew P. Jensen

Andrew Jensen is CEO & Senior Consultant for Sozo Firm, Inc., which provides web marketing efficiency consulting to nonprofit organizations and corporations nationwide. You’ve got a new website that’s user friendly and people like it. That’s...

Oct

2009

The "business end" of social innovation: An introduction

by Josh Weissburg

Oct

2009

PopTech! 2009: America Reimagined

This week on Social Citizens

As hundreds of social innovators from science, business, art and design descended upon the quiet seaside town of Camden, Maine last week, they came together to reach across sectors and disciplines to reimagine the impact of world-changing people,...

Oct

2009

BlogWorld 2009, perhaps we're no longer bowling alone

Excerpts from this week's conversations on Social Citizens, which explores the potential impact of individuals who are combining their use of digital tools and people power to make change in their communities and around the globe. How can we help...

Oct

2009

Jean Case joins Obama and Bush at Presidential Forum on Service

In her post, Are We Still Bowling Alone?, Jocelyn Harmon poses the questions: "Will online communities help to rebuild our faith and trust in each other? Better yet, will online communities help us to build the social and financial capital we need...

Oct

2009

Nonprofits and 2010 census: Ten questions, ten minutes, ten years of impact

Today at the Points of Light Institute’s Presidential Forum on Service in College Station, Texas, both President Obama and President George H.W. Bush will join together to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the vision of a thousand “Points of Light...

Oct

2009

by George Pillsbury

Next year, the federal government will count everyone in the country through the 2010 Census. If our communities are not counted, they will not get the resources or representation they deserve. Today’s guest blogger, George Pilsbury, is Founder and...

Oct

2009

Getting into the entrepeneurial spirit

by Elyse Berkowitz

Guest blogger Elyse Berkowitz is an intern with the Case Foundation. Walt Disney famously said, “If you can dream it, you can do it.” In communities around the world, social innovators and entrepreneurs are doing just that—dreaming big and...

Oct

2009

A Message from Marguerite Kondracke, President & CEO of America's Promise Alliance

This week on Social Citizens

Since we launched America's Giving Challenge, we have been delighted to have the support of some of the largest and most effective associations of the nonprofit sector. Organziations like Council on Foundations, Independent Sector and America's...

Oct

2009

America's Giving Challenge is off and running!

Oct

2009

Women who inspire us, thoughts from the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit

It's an exciting week at the Case Foundation ... not because of us, but because of you. That's right, because yesterday, we launched the 2009 America's Giving Challenge - the success of which rests entirely on the ability of individuals like you...

Oct

2009

Redefining "Interfaith"

by Rizwaan Akhtar & Mac Skelton

Rizwaan Akhtar, a Muslim, and Mac Skelton, a Christian, work with the Buxton Initiative, a Case Foundation partner organization that builds understanding among people of different faiths and worldviews through candid dialogue and authentic...

Oct

2009

by Ama Pomaa Boateng

Guest blogger Ama Pomaa Boateng is the founder and CEO of the Ghanaian High-tech Women (GHW), a non-profit organization which seeks to help women apply IT skills in the management of their businesses to facilitate the achievement of growth and...

Oct

2009

Video: Ask the Guru with Sarah Koch

How can nonprofits create a vibrant 2020? You decide.

Our final Gear Up for Giving Ask the Guru session before America's Giving Challenge launches took place today with Sarah Koch from Causes. We were excited to end our series with this session in order to give our audience a chance to ask an expert...

Oct

2009

Ask our Giving Guru: Beth Kanter on listening in a connected world

Given the enormous complexity and scale of today’s social problems it may seem tough to pull out the crystal ball and begin looking to the future for answers. With shifts in public policy, unstable funding environments, and a new wave of social...

Sep

2009

by Beth Kanter

Giving Guru Beth Kanter is the author of Beth's Blog: How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media, one of the longest running and most popular blogs for nonprofits. She is a frequent contributor to many nonprofit technology web sites, blogs, magazines,...

Sep

2009

Video: Ask the Guru with Holly Ross

Ask our Giving Guru: Holly Ross on social media metrics

We had another great Gear Up for Giving Ask the Guru Session yesterday with Holly Ross, Executive Director of NTEN. Not only were viewers enthusiastically asking great questions, but Holly got to quickly crowdsource a name for the NTEN penguin...

Sep

2009

by Holly Ross

Giving Guru Holly Ross is the Executive Director of NTEN, where she has spent more than five years leading the organization in finding ways to help their members use technology to make the world a better place. She is also editor of the book,...

Sep

2009

Video: Ask the Guru with Marnie Webb

It's Official - the 2009 America's Giving Challenge Launches October 7!

Thanks to all who participated in today's Gear Up for Giving Ask the Guru Session with Marnie Webb, co-CEO of TechSoup Global. If you missed the live session, you can still get her great advice from the video below. Here are some key...

Sep

2009

Ask our Giving Guru: Marnie Webb on the art of the follow through

We are very pleased to announce today that the Case Foundation, Causes and PARADE are joining together to present the 2009 America’s Giving Challenge, a national competition launching on October 7. The Challenge, which will be featured in an...

Sep

2009

by Marnie Webb

Giving Guru Marnie Webb is Co-CEO of TechSoup Global where under her leadership the NetSquared initiative is in its fourth year of helping nonprofits worldwide use innovative web tools to increase their reach and impact. A sought-after speaker and...

Sep

2009

Video: Ask the Guru with Allison Fine

As we wrap up the third installment of our Gear Up for Giving Ask the Gurus session with author and activist Allison Fine, we are thrilled with the thoughtful and strategic questions the audience continues to email, chat and tweet in. Below are a...

Sep

2009

Highlights from NCoC

Ask our Giving Guru: Allison Fine on managing your time online

Happy Constitution Day! As today marks the 222nd anniversary of the signing of the Constitution, we’re pleased to share with you some highlights from last week’s National Conference on Citizenship (NCoC). Perhaps the most notable difference between...

Sep

2009

by Allison Fine

Giving Guru Allison Fine is an author, activist and Senior Fellow at Demos: A Network for Change and Action. She has written extensively on social media for social change and the effects of new media tools on democracy and activism. Allison will be...

Sep

2009

Video: Ask the Guru with Katya Andresen

Ask our Giving Guru: Katya Andresen on the 6 most miserable mistakes of social marketing

Our Gear Up for Giving Ask the Gurus sessions continued today with more great advice for nonprofits who are learning to use social media for outreach, marketing and fundraising. Katya Andresen, COO of Network for Good and nonprofit marketing blogger...

Sep

2009

by Katya Andresen

Giving Guru Katya Andresen serves as Chief Operating Officer of Network for Good and is a well-known speaker, author and blogger about nonprofit marketing, online outreach, fundraising and social media. She has trained thousands of causes in...

Sep

2009

Remembering and serving on 9/11 - and all year long

by Michael Smith

On September 11, 2001 Americans (and the world) lived through an unthinkable tragedy. Eight years later, thanks to the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, 9/11 is a National Day of Service and Remembrance. This presidential designation will ensure...

Sep

2009

Video: Ask the Guru with Geoff Livingston

Autumn updates from Jean Case

Thanks to everyone who joined our first live Ask the Gurus session, during which Geoff Livingston shared his perspective on how nonprofit professionals and supporters can leverage social media for their cause. If you weren't able to join our first...

Sep

2009

Livestreaming from the National Conference on Citizenship

As the summer winds down and we gear up for what promises to be an exciting fall at the Case Foundation, I thought it might be useful to step back a bit and reflect on our work – both the wonderful opportunities that we encounter every day as we...

Sep

2009

by Allie Burns

The Case Foundation is proud to be the official online engagement sponsor of the 2009 National Conference on Citizenship (NCoC), taking place today at the Library of Congress. During this morning's session, our CEO, Jean Case, will moderate a panel...

Sep

2009

Ask our Giving Guru: Geoff Livingston on bridging between on and offline

by Geoff Livingston

Our first Giving Guru, Geoff Livingston, has spent more than 16 years as a public relations strategist in Washington, D.C. and has been dubbed a "local blogging guru" by the Washington Post. Now Is Gone, his book released in 2007, is an award-...

Sep

2009

Introducing Gear Up for Giving: Social Media Tutorials for Nonprofits

Five things to help you Gear up for Giving

We are thrilled to launch our Gear Up for Giving: Social Media Tutorials for Nonprofits initiative today. As mentioned in previous posts, Gear Up for Giving is a month-long series of trainings designed to help nonprofits understand how to best...

Sep

2009

Does Change Begin With Me? Our new survey says yes

We’ve seen a great response since announcing our Gear up For Giving Series earlier this week – but it’s safe to say, we've only just begun. Starting next Tuesday, we will be launching a full set of online tools and live streamed seminars aimed at...

Sep

2009

by Cynthia Gibson, Ph.D

Guest blogger Cindy Gibson is the Principal of Cynthesis Consulting, which specializes in public policy research and analysis, program development, strategic planning, marketing, and communications for nonprofit and philanthropic organizations...

Sep

2009

It's time to "Gear Up for Giving"