The Novus Society

????New Podcast?Episode???? On?episode?59?of?the?Giving?Ventures?podcast,?DonorsTrust?Vice President Peter Lipsett talks?with?our own Lawson R. Bader,?president and CEO of DonorsTrust, and Christie Herrera, president and CEO of Philanthropy Roundtable?about trends in philanthropy and threats to giving. Specifically, their conversation touches on ... ??the?politicization of philanthropy since Citizens United v. FEC; ??the shift in the way Americans are engaging in philanthropy; ??and the way proposed IRS regulations around donor-advised funds would 'kneecap' giving Tune?in?to?discover?what?the?team?at?DonorsTrust and Philanthropy Roundtable are doing to ensure conservative and libertarian givers can donate to the people and causes they love for years to come.

This time last week, I was at American Enterprise Institute for a panel on “Getting Education Right: A Conservative Vision for Improving Early Childhood, K-12 and College,” a book by Frederick Hess, director of education policy studies at AEI, and Michael McShane, director of national research at EdChoice. The panelists included National Review Editor Ramesh Ponnuru; Matthew Continetti, director of domestic policy studies at AEI; Ian Rowe, co-founder of Vertex Partnership Academies and senior fellow at AEI; and Aimee Guidera, Virginia secretary of education. Great conversation. — Ramesh made an important point about the more than 90% of students that will remain in public schools after others opt for micro-, private or home- school options and the need to make sure we’re not forgetting about public schoolers even as education-freedom proponents advocate for and succeed on the ESA front. — Matt had insightful analysis, as always, and gave a historical framework of the ed-policy issue, as well as differentiating between content-based advocacy (what’s the curriculum?) and alternatives advocacy (vouchers, ESAs, charter schools, etc.) and noting some may regret veering away from an emphasis on content-based advocacy. — Ian discussed the importance of teaching and incorporating into curricula the four cardinal virtues: courage, moderation, wisdom and justice and cautioned against the dangers of addressing failing schools by lowering standards across the board and how this serves no one, especially students. — Aimee eloquently championed the importance of early childhood education and home-based options in education, as well as stressing the need to give students a solid education early on so we’re setting students up for success when they face the rigors of college or university life and aren’t weighed down by debt on a degree they didn’t complete. Inspiring panel! Thanks for the invite, Steve Holwerda ??

?? Meet?Alexander?McCobin??? Born?and?raised?in?Pennsylvania,?Alexander?grew?up?in?the?Appalachian?mountains.?His?great?grandparents?were?part?of?a?coal-mining?community. So,?naturally,?he?was?raised?to?believe?in?the?virtues?of?hard?work?and?perseverance, and?carries?those?virtues?into?his?vocation?as?a?liberty-loving entrepreneur. During?his?senior?year?of?college?at?the?University?of?Pennsylvania,?Alexander?co-founded Students For Liberty, a?nonprofit dedicated to educating, developing, and empowering the next generation of leaders committed to a free society. When?he?stepped?down?as?president,?the?nonprofit?was?a?multi-million-dollar?organization?with?more?than?2,000?student?groups?nationwide. Now,?Alexander?helps?invest?in?and?incubate?for-profit?and?non-profit? endeavors?whose?leaders?are?committed?to?the?ideals?of?liberty. He?also?puts his?money?where?his?mouth?is?and?invests?in?liberty-loving?nonprofits?using?his?giving?account?with?The Novus Society?at?DonorsTrust. Learn?more?at?the?link?in?comments?about?Alexander?McCobin?and?how?he uses his giving account??? #charitablegiving #liberty #conservative #libertarian #DAF #givingback

Great piece from our friends at the Center For Civil Society, all about ways philanthropists can create thriving communities. "Weakening social bonds have left many of our neighborhoods and civic communities fragile. Healing these social bonds, and the social capital they create, must be a particular focus for involved citizens and donors." ?? Lead with values-based approach. ?? Focus on hiring locally. ?? Offer more than just material support. ?? Create community progress reports. ?? Build indigenous capital. Which recommendation is your favorite? Let us know in the comments ??