When Philanthropy Meets Advocacy When looked at from a distance, philanthropy and advocacy are two sides of the same coin. Both have a primary focus on helping other people and pushing for social change, though the two types of people go about that change in a different way than the other. While advocates are more likely to be out on the street physically protesting for change, philanthropists are more likely to donate time, money, or resources to organizations of their choice to push for the same change. The goals of both groups intersect in such a way that one cannot accomplish their goals without the other, and in this day and age, the line between philanthropists and advocates has blurred considerably. Why has this happened? In a way, it’s always been like this. With the ever-increasing pattern of social injustices getting caught up in politics and becoming topics of debate rather than a means for change, it’s taken the development of programs specifically designed in the name of reformation to implement any sort of change. Philanthropists engage with the larger public and politicians to assert changes in public-interest values and policy reforms by building grants, fundraisers, and businesses in a way to reflect these new values. Even if they don’t refer to themselves as such, all of this is a form of advocacy and, therefore, makes philanthropists advocates. To get even close to accomplishing their goals, philanthropists need to answer the same questions that advocates do: how can change be made? What obstacles stand in the way of this change? Who needs to join in this battle to overcome the obstacles and ensure a better status quo? The answer to all of these questions lies in the tactics that advocates use to address these questions. Research, sets of ideas, polling, lobbying, strategy planning, and media diversity are only a few of these tactics. Since philanthropists and advocates frequently cross paths while answering the above questions, working with one another only strengthens the effectiveness of said tactics; as the saying goes, two brains are better than one. Collaboration between donors and advocates ultimately leads to dynamic partnerships between individuals and organizations alike, which in turn provides more flexibility to each group since what advocates lack, philanthropists often have, and vice versa. Should you truly want to see a change in the world, keep your mind open to cooperation with other groups—it’s likely you overlap more than you could possibly know.
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Buying vs. Leasing Business Equipment Buying and leasing are two completely different methods of acquiring the resources you need for your business. There’s no surefire way of telling you exactly which direction you should go, as each business is different and has different end goals. If you need equipment that should be upgraded every few years, for example, leasing would be in your best interest. On the other hand, if you need long-lasting and durable equipment, buying would be your best bet. So what exactly should you be looking for when comparing buying and leasing? Let’s take a look at some of the advantages and disadvantages of both paths.
Leasing Pros: The most appealing part of leasing business equipment is that the initial expense of the equipment is smaller than buying the equipment. As there’s rarely a downpayment for these leases, you’re likely to save money if you’re tight on capital rather than outright buying it. This can be considered a business expense, so by leasing your equipment, your payments can be deducted from your taxes. The terms of these leases are usually rather flexible, which will especially help if you have bad credit or are tight on cash, and if you need to upgrade your equipment frequently, you can easily do so once your contract ends. Cons: Though the initial expense may be low, the overall cost you pay toward your lease will exceed what you would have paid if you’d bought the equipment at the beginning. You don’t own the equipment, which can put you at a serious disadvantage unless the equipment becomes obsolete by the end of the lease, and even if you have no use for the equipment anymore, you still have to pay over the entire lease term. Some companies may allow cancelations, but that usually comes with a large termination fee.
Buying Pros: Once you buy something, it’s yours. If what you’re buying isn’t likely to become outdated and will have a long lifespan, having full ownership of the equipment is a huge plus. Not only that, but buying your equipment will let you fully deduce the cost of some newly-purchased assets in your first year, thanks to Section 179 of the Internal Revenue Code. If your equipment isn’t eligible for that, you can still receive tax savings via depreciation deductions. Cons: Unlike leasing your equipment, the initial expense will be much higher if you buy it outright rather than leasing it. For those who are tight on cash, this alone makes buying equipment impossible, as they can’t afford the cost. They could borrow money, but that would require a downpayment and affect your line of credit. Additionally, equipment that may be 2
high-end today could end up severely outdated in a few years, which would lead to the purchase of more expensive equipment to keep up with the technological advancements. For some, this is fine and reasonable, but for others, the overall cost isn’t practical in the long run.
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Black Lives Matter Organizations You Can Donate To Since the death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, protests have appeared in at least 140 cities across the United States of America. Floyd’s death, which happened while in police custody, makes him one of the many black Americans who have died because of misconduct and violence in the justice system. While thousands of Americans (and millions of people globally) take to the streets to peacefully protest against the deaths of Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, and more, going out into the crowds isn’t the only way people can support the Black Lives Matter movement sweeping the nation. There are plenty of ways to take action, including signing petitions, contacting your Senators and state officials, and donating to the various Black Lives Matter organizations that exist. Here are a few of those organizations you could donate to—every dollar counts. George Floyd’s Family: Philonise Floyd, George Floyd’s brother, created a GoFundMe page not only to help cover the funeral and burial expenses but also to support the Floyd family during this difficult time. You can find the GoFundMe page here. The NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund: Founded in 1957 by Thurgood Marshall, the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund exists nationwide to not only stand up for racial justice but also investigate into murders with police involvement. Its mission statement is on its donation page: “Donate today to help us win landmark legal battles, protect voters across the nation, and advance the cause of racial justice, equality, and an inclusive society.” Dignity and Power Now: Dignity and Power Now, or DPN, is a Los Angeles based organization aiming to help incarcerated individuals, their families, and their communities. Since 2012, DPN has created and offered programs with a clear focus on activism, health and wellness, and leadership. You can support them by donating through PayPal. The Okra Project: The Okra Project focuses particularly on assisting black transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals by bringing them fresh, healthy, homecooked meals, as well as other resources when they’re able to—all at no cost to the individuals being helped. Donations are used to buy the supplies needed and pay the black trans chefs who make the meals for others. Each session is estimated to cost the Okra Project about $90, so every donation counts. You can support them however you can on their website.
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How to Support Your Employees Remotely As we head into June and the COVID-19 quarantine largely remains in effect, there’s no doubt that the state of the world has taken its toll on the vast majority of people. This vast majority may include your employees, and it’s harder to tell whether or not they’re doing okay with people working from home. It’s also hard to be there for them and support them when your only form of communication is Zoom or Skype; video conferencing doesn’t help quite the same way that face-to-face interaction does. Until things can go back to normal, as a boss, it’s important to support your employees however you can. Whether this is through engagement as a team or speaking one-on-one, providing a support system will not only help your team get through this pandemic healthily, but also bond everyone together to be closer than they may have been before. How should you go about doing that? 1. Define your goals for remote work. If you haven’t done so already, having clear goals set for your team to follow will set them up for success and help them work faster than those without goals. 2. Keep communication flowing. Communication is more important now than ever before. Since there’s no longer an office, you can catch someone at and speak with that way, prioritizing employee communication and engagement is critical to effective work strategies. This includes video conferencing, emails, phone calls, and any other way you may communicate with one another. 3. Check in with your team frequently. This will help combat any disconnection that may overlay your team due to the lack of face-to-face interaction. If you wait for your employee to come to you with a problem, it may be too late to fix said problem. Rather than letting that happen, reach out and offer yourself up to help where needed. 4. Empower your employees. Let your team have their voices heard. Allow them to be involved in the decision-making process and offer their ideas to the team as a whole. This will boost their sense of empowerment and, consequently, engage them with their work more effectively as a result.
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