By Nicole Alvarado
Intern
Petrus Development
 
Despite a drop of 3.6 percent from last year's total charitable giving, optimism continues to run high among experts and organizations. Sponsors of the Giving USA annual report believe that the level of giving in 2009 is actually good overall, as they had expected giving to be down even further. The fiscal year still saw almost $304 billion of charitable giving, which is no ignorable sum. Donations to religious organizations dropped 0.7 percent, but remain the largest share of contributions overall. Philanthropic gifts to education dropped 3.6 percent, the most out of all the categories.
 
Even though 2009 represents the worst recession since the Great Depression, with one of the biggest stock market drops in years and highest unemployment rates in decades, that doesn't mean it's time for non-profits to throw in the towel. In fact, now more than ever, More...

   
By Paul Breaux
Managing Partner, SBS Partners

In Part I of Leading Change through Teams, information on the need to understand the development, structure and process of teams to create positive, effective change was discussed. The three common constraints that most often cause teams to fail in achieving the vision and goals set before them were explored in detail.

Leaders often misunderstand why they are not achieving the results they want through the teams they create. In review, the three most common reasons that prevent teams from accomplishing the goals set before them are:

1. The disease of me. More...