The blog posts below are Bret Bicoy’s ramblings, rantings, and musings on philanthropy as excerpted from his published works. He writes regular columns in the Peninsula Pulse and Door County Living, as well as for other publications from time to time.
Thanksgiving and American Exceptionalism
Nearly 400 years ago, over 100 passengers boarded the ship Mayflower and set sail for the “New World.” Their destination was the mouth of the Hudson River, but two months of sailing over perilous seas blew them farther north than anticipated. The Mayflower ultimately dropped anchor in December near Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Unprepared for the…
Latin and the Transformative Power of Volunteerism
Respect. Civility. Good manners. Valerie Haas expected that her students embody these values. It’s been more than 40 years since I first walked on the campus of ‘Iolani School and met Ms. Haas, but I’m still too intimidated to refer to her as anything other than Ms. Haas. She taught Latin, a subject which is…
Keeping Our Disputes From Becoming Disdain
Some 35 years ago I was a college intern in the U.S. Senate Radio TV Correspondents Gallery. In those pre-digital days, my job was to take notes on what Senators said on the floor and post them so reporters could decide if something newsworthy had occurred that warranted further scrutiny. On one occasion I recall…
A Nonprofit’s Most Important Relationship
A few months ago, I wrote about the modest, but strategically important differences between nonprofit leaders who serve as a president and CEO versus those who are an executive director (“Understanding Nonprofit Titles,” March 9 issue of the Peninsula Pulse). More recently, I’ve been asked to comment on the roles of a charity’s board chair…
A Dangerous Concentration of Risk
As civic participation of all kinds continues to decline, so has the number of people who make contributions to charity. Over the past decade, the total number of folks who give has decreased by an incredible 19%. And according to the “Giving USA 2023: Annual Report on Philanthropy for the Year 2022” from Indiana University’s…
The 5 T’s of Charitable Giving
Although I generally try to avoid using pithy catch phrases to oversimplify a concept, I have to admit that the so-called 5 T’s of charitable giving really do provide a good summary of the ways in which people can give to charity and thereby support the community they love. The 5 T’s of charitable giving…
Understanding Moral Hazard
If we feed a man who is hungry, we are removing his incentive to work. If we treat a sick patient who is uninsured, we are rewarding those who fail to plan for their future. If we offer free prenatal care to the young and unwed, we are enabling and encouraging teenage pregnancy. I’m not…
Understanding Nonprofit Titles
In about 80% of nonprofit organizations, the highest-ranking paid staff person is the executive director. For most others, it’s the CEO or the president & CEO. In the charitable world, we often use these titles interchangeably, with little thought to the distinctions among them. However, every year or two, some local charitable board begins contemplating…
When Free Markets Fail
People are often surprised when they hear me say that a market-based solution to a problem is usually the best one. I suppose I can understand their surprise. From the first recycling drive I helped organize in the 3rd grade to my current role at the Door County Community Foundation, I’ve spent nearly all my…
Insights on Giving in Affluent Households
For nearly a decade, the Bank of America Study of Philanthropy: Charitable Giving by Affluent Households has been conducted in partnership with the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. It is the most comprehensive, longitudinal study of the giving habits of America’s wealthy families. The 2021 version of the study was recently released, offering…
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