Notices

We Make A Life By What We Give
Richard B. Gunderman
Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press, June 2008. 130pp. Hardback. ISBN 978-0-253-35076-3  http://iupress.indiana.edu   $24.95

The author of this book is not a typical writer on philanthropy; Gunderman is a professor of paediatrics, radiology and medical education, as well as associate professor at Indiana’s Center on Philanthropy. It is therefore not surprising that his book differs from most in the field of philanthropy in several ways. It is not a history of philanthropy, nor does it focus on fundraising or the management of philanthropic organisations. Instead, Gunderman explores the ethical core of sharing and highlights its importance both for those who give and for those who receive. The book contains 22 short essays, described by the author as “invitations to ongoing dialogue” with tantalising titles such as ‘The seven deadly sins’, ‘Materialist philanthropy and ‘Who is expendable?’.

Your Chance to Change the World: The no-fibbing guide to social entrepreneurship
Craig Dearden-Phillips
London: Directory of Social Change in association with the School for Social Entrepreneurs, April 2008. 176pp. Paperback. ISBN 978-1-903991-93-0 http://www.dsc.org.uk £14.95

The author, a successful and award-winning social entrepreneur, says this is the book that he wishes had been available when he embarked on his first social enterprise. It draws on the experience of 25 social entrepreneurs and provides inspiration and encouragement to potential change-agents, as well as more prosaic advice including how to write a business plan and keep on top of finances. Written in a lively and honest style – the failure of some of Dearden-Phillips projects are discussed upfront – this book is a practical guide for people feeling the urge to take action but in need of a helping hand to get started.

Giving Well, Doing Good
Amy A. Kass (editor)
Bloomington, Indianapoliss: Indiana University Press, April 2008. 520pp. Cloth. ISBN 978-0-253-21955-8. iupress.indiana.edu $19.95

This book is a sequel-of-sorts to Kass’ highly successful first edited anthology of writings about philanthropy, ‘The Perfect Gift’, which gained sales outside the usual academic audience. This volume includes a selection of readings from the classics to the contemporary, and its breadth encompasses political speeches, foundation documents and the words of poets and novelists. The extracts are organised within five themes: goals and intentions; gifts, donors, recipients; bequests and legacies, effectiveness, accountability; and philanthropic leadership. It is the sort of book that can be dipped into for inspiration and stimulation.

Volunteers: A Social Profile
Marc A. Musick and John Wilson
Bloomington, Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, Feb 2008. 680pp. Cloth. ISBN 978-0-253-34929-3. iupress.indiana.edu $39.95

This comprehensive book is described as “an eye-opening portrait of the volunteer in contemporary society”. At nearly 700 pages in length, it is certainly an exhaustive portrait that seeks to meet the information and reflective needs of both practitioners and scholars. Musick and Wilson review the known research on volunteering and present the findings of their own investigations. The authors offer new insights into volunteer motivation, the social context of volunteering, historical trends and cross-national differences in volunteering. The final section reflects on the relationship between volunteering, citizenship and pro-social behaviour. The book concludes with over 50 pages of references, which makes it a particularly useful addition to any researcher’s bookshelf.

Digital Giving: How technology is changing charity
Richard C. McPherson
Lincoln, NE: iUniverse, 2007. 108pp. Paperback. ISBN 978-0-595-44255-3. www.iuniverse.com $13.95

The UK’s fundraising guru, Ken Burnett, says of this book, “I’ve seen the future; it’s previewed in Digital Giving. You can either be scared or ignorant of what’s coming, or learn how to love and use it”. This book is obviously aimed at people who choose the latter option, helping charity leaders to understand and harness the potential of new technologies to increase their income. It is written in a highly accessible, if obviously pro-geeky, style. The reader is warned that technology “never turns back” and that they need to know the answers to two key questions: what are the big technology trends affecting charity and how can organisations embrace them to increase public support? For anyone who feels they need to know the answers to those questions, an hour or so reading this book could do the trick.

Philanthropists without borders: Supporting charities in developing countries
Cathy Langerman and Sylvia Rowley
London: New Philanthropy Capital, March 2008. 88pp. Free download available

This report argues that donors face a number of barriers when giving internationally due to the lack of independent information on charities operating in developing countries and the vast scale of human suffering and environmental degradation, which can be overwhelming and off-putting. This report presents an overview of the current state of international giving and aims to help donors tackle some of these barriers to funding overseas. It contains interesting statistics including the fact that UK donors gave over £1 billion to international causes in 2006 and that 16% of civil society income in developing countries comes from philanthropy. This report also includes overviews on the areas of education, health and microfinance, gives examples of successful funding overseas and provides potential donors with a framework for thinking about their international giving.

Violence against women: Hard knock life
Justine Järvinen, Angela Kail & Iona Miller
London: New Philanthropy Capital, April 2008. 132pp. Free download available

This report on violence against women shows donors that there are proven ways to keep women safe and help women recover from abuse. It provides startling facts, for example, that a woman is more likely to be sexually assaulted than she is to get breast cancer, that two thirds of women in prostitution started before they were 16 years old and that 3,000 forced marriages take place in the UK every year. The report concludes that private donors can make a huge difference in this sector by working with vulnerable girls who might grow up to become victims, by changing public attitudes about the issue of violence against women and by supporting charities that provide specialist services for victims and help to keep them safe, including counseling and support through the justice system.