When looking at the modern philanthropist, one thing is quickly apparent: they are as diverse as the charities they have chosen to support. From a 78 year old blind man, to a 56 year old vintner, to a 34 year old heiress, their interests and charities vary considerably. The Philanthropy Workshop, an organization dedicated to philanthropy networking and education, launched a year-long study to try to better understand philanthropists' motivations and practices.
While the Workshop's study provided an extensive amount of information, it was only able to come to a few conclusions about today's philanthropists. Most don't define themselves as wealthy. Many are uneasy about calling themselves philanthropists and making donations. Most seek out information and philanthropy education. While they may not know exactly how to give, they were certain of why; they want to give to a cause of personal concern where they can make a difference.
A customized collection of grant news from foundations and the federal government from around the Web.
Here are the star companies that have succeeded in their corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs. The companies were gathered by Civic 50, a national initiative to survey and rank S&P 500 corporations on how they engage with the communities they serve and utilize best practices in their corporate cultures.