Tag: philanthropy

The Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes is one of the largest diabetes institutions in the world. Located in Aurora, Colorado, the Center specializes in type 1 diabetes research for both children and adults. Through the Center, treatment is provided to pediatric and adult patients through the use of clinics.

The Center also focuses on educating families and patients about type 1 diabetes and its treatment. The center also focuses on education for medical professionals. Physician assistants and medical students can choose elective rotations at the Center.

In 1978, the center was funded by Marvin Davis and opened in 1980 in Denver. The center is supported by the Children’s Diabetes Foundation, which was founded in 1977 by Barbara and Marvin Davis. In 1980, the Center opened at the Ninth Avenue campus in Denver and moved in 2005 to the Anschutz Medical Campus, where it’s still located.

Barbara and Marvin Davis were inspired to start the Foundation and Center after their daughter Dana was diagnosed with diabetes when she was seven years old. Though the Davis’ had the money to get the proper care for their daughter, there was no way to cure her disease. After seeing how diabetes affected Dana, Barbara wanted to create a center where no one would be denied care.

The Center provides care to 80 percent of children in Colorado with type 1 diabetes, and 2000 adults living in the Rocky Mountain Region. Since it was founded, the Foundation has raised almost $100 million to support diabetic research and treatment.

Donations to the Foundation go directly to supporting care and research at the Center. Currently, the Center is working on 81 research projects that are aimed at increasing knowledge about diabetes and its effect on the body.

One current research project at the Center is stem cell researchers making insulin-producing beta cells that are derived from human stem cells. The Center is one of only a few labs in the world that are capable of this.

One of the Foundation’s largest fundraisers is the biennial Carousel of Hope Ball. Founded in 1978, the event is black-tie and invitation-only. In 2017, the 31st Ball was held and raised $1.65 million and featured a performance by Lenny Kravitz.

Charity versus Philanthropy: What’s the Difference?

By Jimmy Lustig

On July 24, 2018

In Blog, Jimmy Lustig, Philanthropy

Often, the words charity and philanthropy are used interchangeably. Both have to do with giving and helping others, so it’s easy to conflate the meaning of the two words. But, the two words have distinct meanings and deal with different areas of world change. To put it in simple terms, charity is giving, while philanthropy is doing.

Charity is a short-term response focused on relief and rescue. It addresses an immediate need for a community or a cause, such as food, shelter and medical care. Giving a meal or a coat to a homeless person would be charity, not philanthropy. While it’s addressing a need and is necessary, it doesn’t tackle the root issue.

Philanthropy focuses on finding a long-term solution to a problem. Philanthropy aims to solve problems, instead of providing temporary fixes to them. Philanthropy is a more strategic plan of giving that’s built around past success and has a strong focus on the community. While charity often only benefits one or a few people, philanthropy aims to reach a much broader group of people. By tackling the societal roots of these problems, philanthropy seeks to change the world in the long-term.

Another common misconception is that only the rich can be philanthropists. While those with money can tackle larger humanitarian issues, like donating money to build a new hospital wing, everyone can be a philanthropist. Everyone can make changes in small ways with some planning. Speak to the people in your community and learn what their needs are. Then, learn how to use the skills and resources you have to contribute to a solution to those needs.

This is not to say that charity is useless or should be done away with; it solves a purpose and gives us a chance to make small impacts on others. Both charity and philanthropy are necessary, and one isn’t better than the other. Another way to look at it is that philanthropy and charity are two different approaches to solving the same problem. They’re overlapping strategies that both are vital to the nonprofit sector. The two work in tandem with each other and the hope is that the practice of philanthropy eventually eliminates the need for charity.

An example of how the two work together can be seen in dealing with addiction. Philanthropy may fund a study that looks into risk factors of addiction or provides preventative education that works to prevent people from becoming addicts in the first place. These are long-term strategies, and ones that may take years to make any difference in addiction rates. A charitable organization would deal with the right-now of drug addiction, perhaps in the form of starting a detox center, to handle the immediate need.

How to Make the Most out of your Donations

By Jimmy Lustig

On July 11, 2018

In Blog, Jimmy Lustig, Philanthropy

In 2017, Americans donated $410 billion to charities, up 5 percent from 2016. Donating to charity not only helps others, it also helps you feel good about yourself and the positive impact you’re helping make. Here are three things to consider to make the most out of your charitable donations.

Do your research

Unfortunately, there are a lot of organizations that don’t actually give the money they receive to the groups they promise to help. In order to avoid getting scammed, do research into different organizations before actually donating any money. There are organizations that make the research process easier, one is Charity Navigator.

Charity Navigator serves as a charity watchdog that evaluates over 9,000 charities. They determine what percentage of donations the charity receives go towards program expenses, administrative expenses and fundraising expenses. Based on the financial breakdown, they score the charity out of 100.

Knowing where a charities money goes can help you make smarter decisions about who you choose to support. The point of donating is to help others, so making sure your money is actually going to those causes are important.

Choose what you want to donate

Many charities accept more than just money. Look for toy or coat drives in your neighborhood to get rid of gently-worn items you no longer use. Clean out your closets and consider donating all of the items you haven’t worn in a year. Homeless shelters, libraries and hospitals also often accept item donations.

Some organizations, like animal shelters, have lists of items they accept in lieu of monetary donations. Shelters and food banks accept shelf-stable food items. Or, you can volunteer your time at a soup kitchen or other organization that’s important to you.

Keep your receipts

While donating to charities is about the benefits it offers to others, there are benefits for yourself as well. There are tax deductions you can claim when you donate money to most charity. Depending on the tax bracket you’re in, you receive money back from your donation when you claim them during taxes.

Don’t Just Donate Your Money — Donate Your Time Too

By Jimmy Lustig

On June 29, 2018

In Blog, Philanthropy

When it comes to helping others, there are many ways you can get involved. The most obvious one is to donate money. But, donating your time is just as valuable if you don’t have the money to spare or want to see your impact first-hand. Nonprofit organizations rely on the generosity of others to keep running, as many only have a small number of full-time staff.

While giving monetary donations is helpful to organizations, when you donate your time you get to see your direct impact. Sending off a check every month doesn’t have the same feeling as giving up a few hours of your day to be spent helping others. When you donate your time to organizations, it’s an instant mood-booster. The knowledge that you’re helping others and making their lives better, in turn, makes you feel great.

Volunteering your time not only makes you feel happier, it also helps to give you a sense of purpose. Supporting organizations that are working towards goals that you feel passionate about help you to feel directly connected to the impact they’re making. If you feel you have a moral duty to help others, giving your time is one of the best ways to fulfill that duty. In some organizations, like a soup kitchen or an after-school program, you’ll get to work directly with the people you are helping and see first-hand the impact you are having on the lives of others.

Giving your time may also inspire others in your life to do the same. When your friends and family see how fulfilled you are after spending a day volunteering, they may feel a stir to do the same. Speak to the people in your life about how important it is to give back, and they may feel compelled to do so as well. Another way to get others involved with the organizations you care about is to make it a family affair. Set aside one day a month where your whole family spends time volunteering at a local organization.

If you don’t have the extra time to give to an organization, but want to feel more involved than just sending money, consider making item donations. Many organizations have lists of supplies they accept for donations, like cat and dog toys and food for an animal shelter. While you’re still helping the organization in the same way as a monetary donation would, it feels a little more personal and like you’re having a direct impact.

Jimmy Lustig is an active philanthropist. He and his wife created the Lustig Family Foundation.

Tag: philanthropy

Nonprofit Spotlight: The Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes

Charity versus Philanthropy: What’s the Difference?

How to Make the Most out of your Donations

Don’t Just Donate Your Money — Donate Your Time Too