From incorporating celebrity endorsements to employing social networking tactics, nonprofit organizations are experimenting with new ways to raise funds online and limit their reliance on more traditional appeals, reports The Chronicle of Philanthropy. Read more.

Employees of British company Xyratex convened in Sacramento, Calif., to put together prosthetic devices as part of a “philanthropic team building" exercise devised by California firm Odyssey, reports The Kansas City Star, noting that such efforts are becoming increasingly common in the corporate world. Read more.

The pan-Asian group of women comprising the New York City-based Asian Women Giving Circle is focused on raising money to support local artists working for the greater good, while also raising awareness of a community not often associated with philanthropic efforts, reports AsianWeek. Read more.

The Seattle Biomedical Research Institute was inundated with inquiries from potential volunteers after announcing plans to conduct vaccine research on humans exposed to malaria in newly created Human Challenge Centers, reports the Seattle-Post Intelligencer. Read more.

A new study published in Science magazine indicates that giving money to others elicits a greater sense of contentment than purchasing things for oneself, reports The Mercury News. Read more.

Andrea Christie Pizziconi, the 28-year-old principal of urban development company Christie Co., discusses her idea of locating quality public schools in private commercial buildings throughout the U.S. and Africa in BusinessWeek's Entrepreneur's Journal. Read more.

Interfaith Youth Core leader Eboo Patel discusses in Newsweek magazine how New Orleans native Dr. Kyshun Webster overcame his difficult childhood to eventually found nonprofit Operation REACH. The organization, which focuses on youth education, has been working with Interfaith Works to ensure the participation of individuals from a variety of religious backgrounds. Read more.

Today's youth are increasingly aware of global issues and are more connected to those issues through technology, writes The Wichita Eagle, and Web sites such as Disney's Club Penguin are teaching young people how to move from "awareness to action." Read more.

Inspired by Hoops for Hope, the charitable brainchild of Arizona teen Austin Gutwein, four students at Memorial-Spaulding Elementary School in Newton, Mass., launched a free-throw fundraising campaign to help support AIDS relief efforts in Zambia, reports the Newton TAB. Read more.

Christians, Jews, and Muslims gathered at a Lutheran church in Schaumburg, Ill., to participate in a discussion of their shared patriarch inspired by bestselling author Bruce Feiler's "Abraham: A Journey to the Heart of Three Faiths," reports the Chicago Tribune. Read more.

Teen TV talk show producer W. Rachel Chery is just one of 16 fellows to date to benefit from Mount Wachusett Community College's Community Builders program, which was established two years ago to support efforts that "benefit the community," reports the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. Read more.

Duke University junior Josh Sommer has dedicated himself to gathering support and awareness for the rare form of bone cancer he was diagnosed with freshman year -- as an active researcher and as co-founder of the Chordoma Foundation, reports ABC News. Read more.

Meet Contribute magazine's Tech 10 list of advocacy leaders, who are successfully using the power of the Internet to innovatively effect change locally and globally and, in the process, to redefine philanthropy, reports MSNBC. Read more.

By backing risk-taking scientists and researchers traditionally overlooked for much-needed grant money, the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation is hoping to accelerate the pace at which groundbreaking cures can be identified and put to use, reports the San Francisco Chronicle. Read more.

In addition to celebrating their individual faiths each week, members of the Santa Clarita Valley Interfaith Council meet once a month to learn about each other's faith and host community events to raise religious awareness, reports The Signal. Read more.

Baby Boomer and Gen X women are making their mark in the world of philanthropy, reports the Traverse City Record-Eagle, and whether donating $200 or $4 million, they are interested in solving problems and contributing to charities and causes that bring about change. Read more.

Today's youth are increasingly aware of global issues and are more connected to those issues through technology, writes The Wichita Eagle, and Web sites such as Disney's Club Penguin are teaching young people how to move from "awareness to action." Read more.

If your level of charitable giving has moved from the hundreds or thousands to the millions of dollars, explains The Motley Fool, then it's time to consider such mutually beneficial alternatives as giving stock to charity, establishing a charitable annuity or trust, or creating a family foundation. Read more.

In a collection of stories about people who have learned to turn their careers into "vehicle[s] for positive change," career counselor Melissa Everett demonstrates how all Americans can put their skills toward community good and global change, reports Voice of America. Read more or hear more.

While two-thirds of Americans donate to charities each year, the one-third who don't fluctuates annually due to major life events like divorce and illness, reports The Plain Dealer. And although those who do give regularly give more on average, education and income also affect patterns and levels of giving. Read more.

When businesses work to align their missions with local needs, they are able to solve problems and improve communities, reports the Minnesota Women's Press, and Smart Women founder Jane Hellwich is a prime example of creating socially responsible--and profitable--products. Read more.

The combined efforts of Muslims and Jews in the United States are working not only to strengthen the relationship between these two "often alienated faiths," but also to create a worldwide model for religious understanding and cooperation, writes Reuters. Read more.

By raising one nickel, dime, or quarter at a time, students are turning their "drops in a bucket" into clean water for Kenyan villages, and in the process they're learning that small donations can amount to big change for the health and education of children in developing countries, reports the Star Tribune. Read more.

A few spare parts is all it takes to repair abandoned motorcycles scattered across Africa's deserts, writes the Times Online, and by providing these parts and recruiting states and nongovernmental agencies to maintain these bikes, Riders for Health has secured viable transportation for families desperately needing to reach medical care. Read more.

Using Moses as their guiding prophet and the shared act of breaking fast as a springboard, a group of Emory University's Muslim and Jewish students met at the school's first interfaith event to discuss the meaning behind their respective fasts and to better understand each other's faith, reports the Emory Wheel. Read more.

Perpetual rivals Duke and the University of North Carolina may finally have found some common ground, reports The Chronicle, thanks to the efforts of a 2006 UNC graduate who has created SEEDS (Social Entrepreneur and Enterprise Development for Students) to encourage entrepreneurial collaboration between the two universities. Read more.

"Find your passion and give," says Patsy Woods Martin, director of the Austin, Texas, "I Live Here, I Give Here" initiative, which aims to move the city to the top of the nation's charitable giving list by helping community members better understand local needs, reports KVUE-TV. Read more.

Funding charter schools, paying for caseworkers, and applying expertise to job-training programs are just some of the ways that one group of Dallas residents has pooled its resources to support a variety of philanthropic causes that otherwise would lack needed "cash and business advice," reports the Dallas Morning News. Read more.

David Bornstein understands How to Change the World (2007), and he discusses the power of social entrepreneurship in an interview on Seeds of Growth.com in which he explains that being successful doesn't mean getting rich -- it means "you change the world." Read more.

Community foundations are becoming an increasingly attractive option for many donors, surpassing independent and corporate foundation levels of giving with a record $3.6 billion in 2006 and an estimated increase in donations of 13.2 percent, according to a report released by the Foundation Center. Read more.

Amherst students will better understand the impact their actions can have both in their community and around the globe, reports the Amherst Bulletin, thanks to volunteer opportunities offered on campus through its new student Center for Community Engagement. Read more.

Millions of children die each year because they lack inexpensive medicine and basic medical care, reports The Tennessean, and former Senator Bill Frist is taking the lead as chair of the Save the Children global initiative to "challenge political attitudes" and fight child mortality. Read more.

As a former foster child, Annica Trotter understands all to well what it takes to successfully transition from the foster system to adulthood, writes USA Today, and she puts her firsthand experience to use in the Aging Out Initiative to guide other youth as they move toward independence. Read more.

By changing the question from "Can it be done?" to "How will we be the first to do it?," incentive prizes drive entrepreneurs to pursue solutions in a timely fashion, writes Peter Diamandis in The Huffington Post." Read more.

From singing Christian songs to chanting Hindu prayers, Canadian students are learning to embrace multiple faiths thanks to the Multifaith Ceremony project, which engages students in interfaith dialogue and expands their understanding of various faiths, writes the Toronto Star. Read more.

One out of every 10 cancer patients was uninsured in 2003, making limited access to care the greatest hindrance to cancer prevention, reports the Union-Tribune, and to address this growing problem, the American Cancer Society has devoted its entire $15 million advertising budget to the "consequences of inadequate health coverage." Read more.

After completing graduate school with a degree in business, some young business managers-to-be are turning down six-figure salaries in favor of gaining real-world global experience for as little as $30 a day, writes Business 2.0 magazine. Read more.

Through online collaboration and individual donations of as little as $25, some $10 million in micro loans have been issued to aspiring entrepreneurs in developing nations, with most loans averaging $650 and achieving an admirable 99 percent payback rate, according to Yahoo! News. Read more.

In an effort to establish a life span for their work and pay out funds more quickly, today's foundation leaders are taking important steps to define goals, solicit feedback, and ensure the efficiency and impact of their work, writes Phil Buchanan, president of the Center for Effective Philanthropy, in an opinion article in the The Seattle Times. Read more.

Whether it's preserving a community asset or identifying and addressing an area's problems, community foundations provide lasting means to unite local leaders and work toward solutions that enhance the best aspects of a community, writes Blueprint Research & Design, Inc. president Lucy Bernholz in the San Francisco Chronicle. Read more.

Children as young as three years old understand the concept of generosity, and by encouraging young children to donate a portion (usually 10 percent) of their allowance to a cause of their choice, they learn the importance of -- and a lifelong appreciation for --the value of giving, reports The Ledger. Read more.

Savvy entrepreneurs are finding that they don't have to sacrifice making money to participate in "constructive change," reports the Toronto Star. Instead, they're spearheading projects that are socially and environmentally responsible, as well as profitable. Read more.

A recent study by the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University reveals that less than one-third of all Americans' nonprofit donations go directly to meet the needs of the nation's poor, with the rest funding religious organizations, schools, hospitals, and the arts, reports The Record. Read more.

The opportunity to work side by side on a shared community project united Jewish, Muslim, and Christian Peace by Piece participants, but in the process, this Baltimore interfaith building project created other opportunities for them to "learn about the places where [they] differ," reports the Denver Examiner. Read more.

In an opinion column in the New York Daily News, former U.S. secretary of state Colin Powell, who grew up in the South Bronx and remembers the influence of his teachers, calls on all Americans to complete their mission of raising children with the Five Promises: "caring adults, safe places, a healthy start, effective education, and opportunities to help others." Read more.

Some 700 million people in the developing world suffer from easily corrected eye problems that limit their ability to work, writes the International Herald Tribune, but thanks to the Scojo Foundation's new microfranchise program these individuals are receiving eye exams and corrective lenses that cost between $3 and $10. Read more.

L'Itineraire, a charitable organization that helps the homeless re-engage in society, is the first beneficiary of Montreal's newly refurbished parking meters, which are being used to raise awareness and generate income for the city's nonprofit organizations, writes The Chronicle Journal. Read more.

As summer interns tasked with soliciting proposals and awarding $50,000 worth of grant money to area youth programs, teens in the North Hills region of Pittsburgh, Pa., are learning the value of helping others, which ideally will inspire them to carry philanthropic ideals into adulthood, reports the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Read more.

Recipients of loans from nonprofit microfinance organizations such as Chiapas, Mexico's Al Sol are turning things around for themselves and their families as they expand profitable businesses, writes The Dallas Morning News, and although microfinance often relies on donor funding, these loans average repayments better than 97 percent, which may encourage conventional banks to participate in similar programs. Read more.

A three-day basketball camp held in Israel provided a venue for Arab and Jewish teens to connect on the court and, in the process, discover that they have much in common and can "overcome[e] bigotry and hatred with clean sportsmanship," reports CBN News. Read more.

Known for their activism in the 1960s, today's baby boomers aren't slowing down but are redirecting their efforts toward volunteerism and "harass[ing] the legislature," writes the Rocky Mountain News, noting that recent survey results reveal many will continue working and dedicating their time to local causes. Read more.

America's long tradition of giving has reached an all-time high according to new findings from the Giving USA Foundation, reports the U.S. State Department, with 2006 charitable donations topping $295 billion and more than 83 percent coming from individual donors. Read more.

"If it's giving at your capacity, it is philanthropy," says Raising Change president and CEO Kathy LeMay, who has been working to help donors at all income levels connect to causes in which they feel invested and make a greater impact for a longer time, writes the Valley Advocate. Read more.

In the hopes that Jewish and Christian students may come to better understand their own and each other's faiths, a new program sponsored by a group of Israeli schools is bringing together students to read the Bible and the New Testament, as well as visit synagogues and churches, reports Ynetnews.com. Read more.

Nearly 1,000 mentoring hours per student have turned around behavior and attendance problems at Bethune Middle Academy, reports The Shreveport Times, where a women's group donated more than $100,000, volunteered its time, and opened a resource center. Read more.

Online lenders can more easily connect to one another and to the entrepreneurs they support, writes onPhilanthropy, through growing networks like Kiva and Facebook, which may change the face of charity as we now know it. Read more.

With equity loans from Johannesburg, South Africa-based microfinance organization Blue Dot Housing, which recently received backing from international development cooperative Oikocredit, residents of some of the city's poorest regions are now able to generate income and pull themselves out of poverty, reports the Anglican Journal. Read more.

Wealthy would-be donors are turning to advisors for suggestions and information about how best to donate their money in the hopes of being responsible in their charitable giving and to determine "their giving potential," explains the Christian Science Monitor. Read more.

A student committee from local schools reviews and selects youth-based organizations for $2,500 grants bestowed by Loudoun County, Va.'s Rust Family Foundation, which is working to teach area students "how to practice philanthropy," writes The Washington Post. Read more.

Continuing the interfaith dialogue that began shortly after September 11, Detroit's religious leaders work to teach religious tolerance to youth through a documentary film project and workshops that highlight the shared origins of Islam, Judaism, and Christianity, reports Voice of America. Read more.

Thanks to online charity sites, individuals can more easily donate small amounts that are pooled into larger sums to benefit charities of their choice, writes the International Herald Tribune, but givers are advised to investigate an organization's track record to ensure that their money is being wisely spent. Read more.

Increasing federal aid for nutrition programs by $10 to $12 billion could make the greatest impact on the "cost of hunger," reports USA Today, noting that some $90 billion currently goes toward charitable donations, health care, and reduced productivity. Read more.

Fercan Kalkan, a Turkish businessman living and working in Bryan, Texas, has transformed his lifelong dedication to cross-cultural communication into the establishment of a new local cultural center that will enable people of all faiths to explore their similarities and differences, reports The Bryan-College Station Eagle. Read more.

Using basketball as a unifying force, Atlanta Hawks co-owner Ed Peskowitz created an Israeli-based basketball tournament in which players from 30 universities around the world participate, reports USA Today, encouraging friendship and understanding among the 17 nations represented. Read more.

The death of his two-year-old son spurred Steward Leonard, Jr., the chief executive of a Connecticut grocery store chain, to turn his grief into action by starting a foundation to support children's health and education, serving as an example for other wealthy 40- and 50-somethings who are now acting to leverage their wealth, reports Forbes.  Read more.

Recent research indicates that the brain responds to the idea of generosity by activating an area typically stimulated by thoughts of food or sex, reports The Washington Post, suggesting that "morality has biological roots." Read more.

When rural towns look to address the needs of their small communities, they often rely on contributions from concerned residents to support local foundations, which combine these smaller endowments to fund everything from school trips to cemetery cleanups, reports The Christian Science Monitor. Read more.

Without concern for "past performance or issues," a small Bronx bakery hires the homeless, immigrants, and ex-cons and gives them work and training opportunities, reports Business Week, providing a model for businesses that are profitable and socially conscious. Read more.

From a small nonprofit working with few resources and little recognition to one of the world's largest nonprofits in the global health arena, the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH) has expanded its efforts to address the health needs of the global poor, in large part, writes the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, due to millions of dollars from the Gates Foundation. Read more.

As billions of charitable dollars are poured into biomedical research, today's "gigaphilanthropists" are filling government and industry gaps, reports Nature, and while this funding enables researchers to "take financial and scientific risks unthinkable with tax-payers' dollars," it leaves these researchers accountable to their benefactors. Read more.