Download Philanthropy Annual PDF - Foundation Center

Top
Stories
in the
...the year had
more twists
and turns than
a novel by
Dickens...
From Philanthropy News Digest
The year opened with the global economy in crisis, a Wall
Street scandal hanging over the world of philanthropy, and a new
president — the first African American chief executive in the nation’s
history — in the White House. By year’s end, the economy seemed
to be on the mend, the bonus train was steaming ahead for some, and
Congress was moving toward passage of an historic healthcare bill
that promised to dramatically reduce the ranks of the uninsured. In between,
the year had more twists than a novel by Dickens, as the United States began to
wind down one war while escalating another; the stock market fell to 12-year
lows, then roared back with startling swiftness; and ordinary Americans struggled
to hold on to their homes, their jobs, and their hopes.
As the year comes to a close, the editors of the Foundation Center’s Philanthropy
News Digest (PND) look back at some of the important philanthropic stories and
personalities of 2009, and look ahead to the start of a new year and decade certain
to bring their share of challenges, surprises, and as yet undreamed-of opportunities.
2 | Philanthropy Annual 2009