FORA.tv's 'Giving' Channel

In a YouTube world where more and more people are famous for...well, nothing, it's refreshing to come across a site like FORA.tv.

The word fora is the plural form of the Latin word forum ("the public square or marketplace of an ancient Roman city forming the center of judicial and public business"), and that's what FORA.tv provides -- a public online forum for discourse, debate, and discussion of the world's most interesting political, social, and cultural issues, with viewers invited to join the conversation.

Aggregated daily from public venues around the world, the content on the site is organized into channels -- Politics, Business, Tech/Science, Culture, The World -- and sub-channels. Our favorite, of course, is the Giving Channel, which is executive produced by nonprofit blogger Lucy Bernholz and presents "provocative, pragmatic, and inspiring discussions about the changing nature and roles of philanthropy in our global society."

One of those interesting discussions took place in April at the New School here in New York City. The fourth installment in the school's annual Philanthropy Today series, the panel discussion featured Andrea Soros Colombel, daughter of George and president of the Trace Foundation, which works to support the continuity of Tibetan culture and language; Abigail E. Disney, grand-niece of Walt and founder and president of the Daphne Foundation, a progressive social change organization which supports programs that address the causes and consequences of poverty in New York City; and Peter G. Peterson, senior chairman and co-founder of the Blackstone Group and founder of the recently launched Peter G. Peterson Foundation, which works to increase public awareness of the nature and urgency of key challenges threatening America's future. Clocking in at a little over an hour and touching on a dozen topics, the Webcast of the discussion (below) is a stimulating look at three very different but equally passionate philanthropists.

00:20 New Face of Philanthropy
05:36 Origin of Foundation Names
07:56 Foundation Giving vs. Philanthropic Giving?
10:17 Meaning of Having Enough
13:15 'America’s Future is Imperiled'
17:34 Daphne Foundation’s Focus on New York City
20:10 Community Orientation
23:32 Youth Engagement
28:48 'Political Giving is Corrupt'
32:25 Personal Passions and Philanthropic Giving
39:59 Accountability and Due Diligence of Foundations
44:13 Caution Getting Political
47:24 Giving to Spend Out?
51:45 International Giving and Tax Deductions
54:12 Ensuring Money is Used Well
57:15 Other Worthy Organizations

-- Regina Mahone and Mitch Nauffts