strange & fascinating world of philanthropy and nonprofits

scattered thoughts:

1.  i realized that charitable institutions have to file financial statements just like businesses.  checked out EDF's just for kicks.  fascinating facts:

the president makes $400,000+.  their biggest program area is climate change (based on operating expenses).  It's almost 3x's as big as their next largest program area, oceans.  40% of expenses are covered by grants and they re-grant $10m.  they pay outside consultants to do all kinds of analysis.  they have a separate $10m "action fund" that looks like it's for lobbying and litigation.

it's like the difference between looking at someone in person and looking that their x-rays. 

2.  a nice essay by princeton's provost, explaining why people should give to princeton, even though its endowment is already at $16b.  it didn't convince me, but it was super lofty and made me feel excited about the intellectual endeavor :)

3.  money is tricky.  you get some, you give some.  if you're mr. rockefeller or mr. stanford, you get a lot by being a robber baron and then you give a lot.  100 years in the future, people are still drawing on that pot of money.  it's like immortality.  and it's good and bad.

4.  i wrote a letter thanking paul volcker because i am, apparently, a "nomura securities fellow."  yah, former chairman of the fed!  thanks to bankers, i have a free education.