Giving Is Not Just For The Very Rich: A How-to Guide for Giving and Philanthropy

by Susan Aurelia Gitelson

Overview

A valuable resource for you, Giving Is Not Just For The Very Rich is an inspiring, easy-to-use guide which gives you numerous creative ideas on how to reap the many benefits of giving. It's all about your feeling connected to worthwhile programs, achieving a sense of purpose, and deriving immeasurable pleasure from helping others. Dr. Susan Aurelia Gitelson offers you reasons to give, considers values and concerns, and advises you how to give wisely. She presents you with examples from the wealthiest donors, innovative givers, social entrepreneurs, celebrities, government officials, nonprofit professionals, volunteers, and social media networkers. To help you zero in on major areas for your giving, she reviews religious philanthropy, education K-12, higher education, science and health, arts and culture, sports, multipurpose umbrella organizations, awards, and international aid. Finally, she shows you how to evaluate charities, make choices, and realize your commitments.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781468111040
Publisher:	CreateSpace Publishing
Publication date:	06/29/2012
Pages:	178
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.38(d)

About the Author

Dr. Susan Aurelia Gitelson has been President of International Consultants, Inc. and has been consulting for international business, educational, cultural and other institutions.

Dr. Gitelson has been Co-Chair of the Dean's Council of the Columbia School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA). She was also a National Vice President of the American Friends of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and remains a member of the International Board of Governors of the Hebrew University and the Board of the Harry S. Truman Research Institute on the Advancement of Peace at the Hebrew University. In addition, she is a member of the Board of Advisers of the National Committee on American Foreign Policy. Currently she is also a member of the Board of Overseers of the Museum of Jewish Heritage/A Living Memorial to the Holocaust. Previously she had been on the advisory boards of the Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies at the City University Graduate Center and the Center for the Study of the Presidency. In addition, she has supported the Columbia SIPA Gitelson Policy Forum, the Gitelson Peace Publications of the Truman Institute, and many other programs and awards at Columbia University, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the City University Graduate Center, the Center for the Study of the Presidency and other institutions. Her books and articles have been published on four continents. Columbia University awarded her its prestigious Alumni Medal for Distinguished Service.

Dr. Gitelson received her B.A. from Barnard College and her M.I.A. and Ph.D. from Columbia University. She was a trainee at the Rockefeller Foundation. In addition, she was an assistant professor of international relations at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Subsequently she headed several small international business firms for many years, where she used her earned income to sponsor cultural and educational programs.

She is the author of Giving is Not Just For The Very Rich: A How-to Guide for Giving and Philanthropy, and Multilateral Aid for National Development and Self-Reliance. In addition, she co-edited Israel in the Third World with Michael Curtis.

Dr. Gitelson is listed in Who's Who in America, Who's Who in the World, Who's Who in Finance and Business, and other biographical directories.

Editorial Reviews

Gitelson (Multilateral Aid for National Development and Self-Reliance, 1975) draws upon her extensive background working with various international organizations to create an accessible, encyclopedic reference volume for average citizens interested in contributing to the greater good. Straightforward prose, a handy table of contents, and worthwhile statistics and examples will help potential donors realize that no contribution is too small and that any amount of giving can bring happiness to the lives of all involved. The book is broken down into numerous categories, ranging from an examination of celebrities' charitable giving to an overview of the major areas of philanthropy, such as religious groups and higher education. The final section contains a helpful guide instructing readers how to identify reputable charities, how to choose organizations that are in alignment with one's own passions and how to ensure that donations are properly utilized. Generally, this book works best as a reference guide as opposed to a pleasure read; more than half the content consists of a list of organizations and a rundown of what they do, in addition to an accounting of famous or wealthy philanthropists and which groups they support. In fact, despite the book's title, most of the philanthropic examples cited are drawn from top-level donors. The material could be better organized, perhaps with an alphabetical listing of the different types of charities followed by a description, rather than compressing them into paragraph form. Although much of the same information already exists on sites devoted to philanthropy, some readers will appreciate that Gitelson compiled it into a single, comprehensive source. Websites are included for many of the charities to help with further research. Readers with even a passing interest in charitable giving will find this guide to be an informative, go-to resource on how to get started.

Kirkus Reviews