Philanthropy

It's the season for giving. But given this economy, you might think that only those with big bucks can do philanthropy. Commentator Matthew Bishop urges us to think again.

Sherman Wilburn of Minneapolis has often given his time and money to others in need. Now he finds himself asking for help. He talks with Kai Ryssdal about the difficult times facing him and his family.

Donors to charities get satisfaction from thinking their money is going to a particular person or project with which they then have a special relationship. But those relationships sometimes aren't so special. Ashley Milne-Tyte reports.

Decades of violent conflict in Afghanistan have left much of the country homeless, hungry and jobless. Greg Mortenson is trying to address those problems by building schools there. He joins Kai Ryssdal to talk about his efforts.

The overhead ratio is commonly used when deciding whether or not to donate to a particular charity. But judging activity versus administrative costs may not be the best way to determine a group's effectiveness. Ashley Milne-Tyte reports.

A lot of charities have had to get together to survive. Kai Ryssdal has the story of two AIDS support groups that have joined forces.

Philanthropy consultant Lucy Bernholz talks with Kai Ryssdal about the top charity-related buzzwords of 2009, a year in which she says necessity was the mother of social innovation.

The documentary 'The New Recruits' follows young capitalists as they try to sell goods and services in developing countries. Seth Kramer, a producer of the film, and Heidi Krauel, one of the capitalists, talk with Kai Ryssdal about the documentary.

A food pantry in Philadelphia has found a new way to distribute its goods to the hungry. Designed like a 7-11, clients can walk through the store with a grocery cart and accumulate whatever will fit in the basket. Joel Rose reports.

Food pantries have seen demand at record highs this year while donations have dwindled. But some help has come from people who, instead of donating money, have provided the fruits of their labor. Caitlan Carroll reports.