SAN ANTONIO, Texas, Nov. 22, 2006
Charity As An Investment Goes A Long Way
Growing Trend In Philanthropy Is Performance-Based Donations
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Play CBS Video Video Philanthropy At Its Best People who view their donations not only as gifts, but as investments, represent a growing trend in philanthropy. Anthony Mason reports on a company that advises people on their donations.
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Because of the Aminis' contribution, the women at the Rwandan soap factory have been able to increase their production 50 percent in the past year. (CBS)
But they didn't want to just write a check.
"I want to see the numbers. I want things to make sense. I want them to be sustainable," Rex says.
They are part of a growing trend in philanthropy — people who view their donations not only as gifts, but as investments.
In Rwanda, an impoverished African country where most people make less than $2 a day, the Aminis helped a group of women expand a soap-making factory. But first, they made sure the money would be put to good use.
"We had no earthly idea how much things should cost," Rex says. "How are we going to demand accountability? And Geneva Global provides all that."
Geneva Global is a for-profit company that offers independent philanthropy advice.
"Investment advisors for international philanthropy is not our tagline, but it's actually a good description of what we are," says Steve Beck, CEO of Geneva Global.
Their average donor gives hundreds of thousands of dollars. For about a 15 percent fee on top of that, Geneva Global helps find worthy charities and then provides clients like the Aminis detailed analysis of them.
"And then we track the results along the way, much the way people track their investments," Beck says.
That includes telling them when their investment is a bust, which happens in nearly 20 percent of the cases. It's called "performance-based" philanthropy.
"I think these women are very invested in growing this project," Deborah says of the women at the Rwandan soap factory. She adds that she's "absolutely" willing to be invested.
Because of the Aminis' contribution, the women at the Rwandan soap factory have been able to increase their production 50 percent in the past year and hire more workers.
And seeing those results have made the Aminis even more generous. Their latest gift: a new school. Their charitable investments may not have brought them a financial profit, but the Aminis are seeing much deeper rewards.
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The secrets of tennis legend 
My organization, Children of Grace, works with 500 AIDS orphans in Uganda. We provide school fees, medical care and HIV/AIDS education as well as work on projects to enhance the school learning environment.
On this Thanksgiving day I am very thankful for all the wonderful, faithful donors that provide support for our orphaned children. Together, we are changing the world, one child at a time. .
Mary Ann McCoy
Children of Grace
www.children-of-grace.org
mamccy@yahoo.com
My comment is specific toward "hands on' giving and demanding results. When I graduated from seminary in 2002, I was led to the same direction by God, and so established Shiloah Ministries Inc. Our website will tell a lot more http://mooibroek.home.mindspring.com
Katie in just a short four years, we have been funded to build a church, a home for a widow, and now a Christian Day School for children who on the average can only give 25% of the cost of education - and we have 400 of them with a quarter being orphans. Please contact me and I would love to have you come. I am leaving for Uganda on Friday for three weeks to bring gifts equipment for the school and install a new President (Ugandan)
God bless you and have a great Thanksgiving with the CBS staff.
Rev Dr Joseph Mooibroek
Shiloah Ministries INC
509 Riviera Drive
McKinney, Texas 75070
501 (C)(3) corporation
469-952-2332
It would cost nothing to stop the genocide of West Papua and the US funded racial cleansing of our WW-ii Melanesian Allies.
West Papua Information Kit http://fandom.net