October 2007 Giving Carnival

PhilanTopic has learned that the question for the October Giving Carnival blog event, to be hosted by Arlene Spencer's Seeking Grant Money Today blog, is, "Are relationships everything in philanthropy today?"

What, pray tell, is a Giving Carnival? As Holden Karnofsky at the GiveWell blog explains, it's

a horrible name for [an exercise in which] the host chooses a topic, anyone who wants to writes/submits a post on that topic, and the host posts links to the ones he wants to.... It’s like a periodical, but with the advantage that it’s much more of a pain in the neck to read....

The concept was launched in January by Sean Stannard-Stockton's Tactical Philanthropy blog with a discussion of the debate surrounding the LA Times' coverage of the Gates Foundation investment policy. After a brief hiatus, it returned in July on GiveWell (“What charitable cause are you personally most passionate about?”) and moved in September to Gayle Robert's Fundraising for Nonprofits blog ("Predicting the Future of Fundraising").

Now it's Arlene's turn, and she's posted some questions to get us all thinking: If philanthropic relationships are not everything, what is critical to the success of modern philanthropy? How are relationships in philanthropy today different than in the past? How do modern relationships in philanthropy begin, and how are they maintained? Who or what do they matter for? What effect, if any, do philanthropic relationships have on the causes they serve? Are there situations in which funders or grantseekers should recuse themselves from a relationship? etc. etc.

Feel free to pose and answer your own questions. To be included in the group event, all responses must be e-mailed to Arlene by October 15, 2007.

Arlene is also looking for a volunteer(s) to host the November Giving Carnival. E-mail Arlene if you'd like to take it on (you must have a blog in order to host a carnival).

-- Mitch Nauffts