MacKenzie Scott's fuzzy criticisms of capitalism
By Bradley Doucet and Miguel Ouellette Montreal Economic Institute Allow us to join in the chorus of praise for the charitable giving of MacKenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who announced last month that she had given away another $2,739,000,000 to 286 organizations. Private philanthropy is part of what makes the world…
Some board members think their position gives them extra power and privileges
Jenny was in tears. As the executive director of her organization, she was at her wit’s end and said she was ready to quit. She confided in me that one of the directors was going directly to one of her staff members, telling him he would be fired unless he complied with the director’s request,…
Fewer Canadians (and fewer businesses) are in a position to give to charity, even as more of us need help from the sector
It didn’t take long for the federal government to help grieving families when an Iranian missile brought down a Ukraine passenger plane in January. There were 57 Canadians and 29 permanent residents among the 176 who died in the crash. Very quickly, Canada’s government set up a $1.5-million donation-matching program for a special charity created…
Calling it ’knowledge philanthropy’ rather than ‘pro bono’ makes me feel like I am giving, rather than giving something away
As an entrepreneur I get a lot of requests to give away expertise ‘for a good cause’. Many times I have to say no. However, I have started to intentionally incorporated knowledge philanthropy into my lifestyle portfolio (not my business portfolio). Here are some of the lessons I learned around how I say ‘YES!’ to…
Some schools in Liberia are well supplied with materials because of the power of one Canadian student asking a simple question
Teacher and motivational speaker Jack Canfield tells us, “Take the risk to ask for whatever you need and want. If someone says no, you are no worse off than when you started. If someone says yes, you are a lot better off.” Following Canfield’s principle can benefit us and others. This lesson was taught to me by…
What does a properly functioning board of directors look like and how can its members pull their weight?
If you’ve ever sat on the board of a non-profit or charity, sports organization or even a company, you’ve probably noticed that most meetings are boring. Usually one person, the president, runs the meeting using Robert’s Rules of Order. After minimal discussion, the board votes on agenda items, provided a quorum has shown up. Without…
Having a clear purpose helps organizations stand out from the crowd
One time, while presenting a brand strategy to a client, I could feel myself tearing up. After several years of uncertainty about their direction, they finally had clarity about their real value, and their offering to the market. Their excitement – mixed with joy and relief – was palpable. This new strategy, they said, captured…
Fostering collaboration rather than conflict, the Aga Khan builds bridges between people, religions and cultures to help the world’s most vulnerable
When your last name is Arab and you’re not a Muslim or terrorist, you defy a few Islamophobic stereotypes yourself. I’m Arab in name, but my father’s religion is Maronite Catholic – an early branch of the Roman Catholic Church. I was brought up Roman Catholic and indoctrinated in papal infallibility. So the idea of…
As he comes to Alberta, we should celebrate his unshakable belief in the values of pluralism, diversity and equality
Who is His Highness, the Aga Khan, a man who is celebrating 60 years of service to his community and the world? He is the spiritual leader of 15 million Ismaili Muslims, a significant number of whom call Canada home. He is a diplomat, social innovator, global humanitarian and someone with an unshakable belief in…
In a male-dominated, corrupt and violent political climate, Congolese women stand together to be heard as they change their country from within
Civil war has been going on since the mid-1990s in the Congolese region and as many as six million people may have died in the conflict. The rape of women, children and even men is common. The United Nations has a peacekeeping force on the ground and foreign aid workers are present. International consumer advocacy…