Citizen Leadership

To me, the most remarkable thing about President Obama’s decision to recognize Cuba diplomatically is that it does not represent as big a change as either the President or his critics suggest. We soon can have an “embassy” in Cuba where we have an “interests section” now. Well, that interests section is bigger than most of our embassies around the world, especially in countries with only eleven million people. The sign on the outside wall may change, and there may be more paling around with diplomats in Havana posted from other countries. But the essential differences will be minor. Continue reading at Chapman’s News & Ideas.

A few weeks ago, hundreds of philanthropists gathered for the Exponent Philanthropy National Conference in Washington, D.C. Founded in the 1990s as the Association of Small Foundations, Exponent Philanthropy consists of “donors, trustees, and philanthropic professionals who choose to give big by staying small, working with few or no staff to make the most of their resources.” Small philanthropy is Read More ›

Most of today’s philanthropists strive to meet the needs of their hometowns, and some of the biggest names in American philanthropy include among their multiple areas of focus a program dedicated to their local community. But today there is renewed attention in philanthropic circles to the serious value of targeted local investments where the impact can be seen among neighbors. Read More ›

For the 100th anniversary of America’s community foundations, David C. Perry of the University of Illinois at Chicago and Terry Mazany of the Chicago Community Trust have edited a volume of essays by community foundation leaders entitled Here for Good: Community Foundations and the Challenges of the 21st Century. It covers topics like the role of community foundations in facilitating collaboration among local stakeholders, Read More ›

Paul Schell, a former Mayor of Seattle and civic innovator, died unexpectedly this morning from complications after heart surgery. Paul is remembered fondly at Discovery Institute as a founding Co-chairman of the Board in 1990 (with Tom Alberg) and served for several years in that capacity. He was my long time friend, his daughter Jamie a god-daughter. Paul, born in Read More ›

Raw, vegan, gluten-free, paleo. In Seattle, where elimination diets abound, I’m a convinced and happy omnivore. I gladly eat fresh melons from Mexico (it helps the Mexican economy and consoles me on a rainy day) and I also shop at the farmer’s market for anything local they have on offer — maybe somebody’s artisanal chèvre cheese or heritage tomatoes. Our Read More ›

Raw, vegan, gluten-free, paleo. In Seattle, where elimination diets abound, I’m a convinced and happy omnivore. I gladly eat fresh melons from Mexico (it helps the Mexican economy and consoles me on a rainy day) and I also shop at the farmer’s market for anything local they have on offer — maybe somebody’s artisanal chèvre cheese or heritage tomatoes. Our Read More ›

Watch the video online here In a few minutes George Gilder manages to give the viewer of a Prager University video a tutorial in The Israel Test–an education on life as well as on the state of Israel. Over 150,000 people have downloaded it so far, a number that certainly eclipses the number of books of that topic that George Read More ›

Young Americans are getting involved in their communities in new ways. They join Giving Circles, participate in crowd funding campaigns, and use social media for good. They are also getting involved in philanthropy and service through their workplaces. A new study shows that millennials value employers that encourage volunteerism and giving. With funding from the Case Foundation, the research group Achieve surveyed 1,514 employees of more than 300 Read More ›