News
Fundraising executive heads MEDA engagement staff David Warren has been appointed the new chief MEDA engagement officer (CMEO), overseeing the departments responsible for engaging supporters, securing private financial contributions, managing the organization’s brand, and expanding awareness of MEDA. “He brings a wealth of experience in fundraising, branding and marketing that will serve us well as we face the challenges of rapid growth in the coming years,” says MEDA president Allan Sauder. Warren succeeds Sid Burkey, who will rejoin MEDA’s board of directors to complete the term he interrupted to become the first CMEO two
fundraising and management, he most recently was VP of core markets and philanthropic planning at Everence Financial Advisors, where he was responsible for 110 financial planners, banking staff and other support staff across the U.S. Warren has also been an adjunct faculty member (teaching psychology and marketing) at Messiah College, Grantham, Pa. He is president of the Susquehanna Valley Planned David Warren
Survey shows preference for gradual retirement
years ago. Warren has a bachelor’s degree in business and a master’s in clinical psychology. A certified fundraising executive with 15 years’ experience in
A Canadian survey shows three-quarters of workers plan to transition into retirement over time, rather than stopping work suddenly. This is particularly true for people aged 18 to 39 (76 percent) and 40 to 64 (66 percent), while more than one-half of those aged 65 and up said they planned to retire gradually. “The traditional notion of retirement — of packing up your office at the end of your last day and completely changing your life — is ending,” says an official with Desjardins In-
Why are the poor more generous than the rich? Those who study philanthropy are often puzzled by who gives the most — percentage-wise — to charity in America. The people who can least afford to give are the ones who donate proportionally more of their income, writes Ken Stern in The Atlantic (“Why the Rich Don’t Give to Charity”). “In 2011, the wealthiest Americans — those with earnings in the top 20 percent — contributed on average 1.3 percent of their income to charity. By comparison, Americans at the base of the income pyramid — those in the bottom 20 percent — donated 3.2 percent of their income.” Adding to the confusion: most lower-income givers, unlike middle-class and wealthy donors, can’t get a charitable tax break because they don’t The Marketplace July August 2013
Giving Council and serves on the boards of the Central PA Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Philhaven Behavioral Health, and Grantham Brethren in Christ Church. “I look forward to creating more awareness for MEDA and to encouraging a new generation of supporters to join us in this important work,” says Warren, who will be based in MEDA’s Lancaster, Pa., office. ◆
itemize deductions on their income-tax returns. Research suggests that “exposure to need drives generous behavior,” concludes Stern. Those who themselves struggle to meet daily basic needs are more likely to have empathy for others in the same boat. Conversely, affluent people who surround themselves with other wealthy folk may be less likely to empathize. “It seems that insulation from people in need may dampen the charitable impulse,” according to Stern. Such insulation can be offset by exposure to poignant messages about need. In one sample, when wealthy people were exposed to a sympathyeliciting video on child poverty, their sense of compassion rose to become almost identical to those who were poorer. ◆ 22
surance, which commissioned the survey. “Smart organizations will support this change in their workplaces to help address the huge pressures that will be created as Baby Boomers make this shift.” Facilitating gradual retirement will benefit both companies and employees, the official says. “Supporting the most experienced, knowledgeable staff to remain in the workforce in a transitional way allows employers to take advantage of their strengths, while they mentor younger workers who bring new skills and energy. Demographic patterns will soon create a critical shortage of experienced workers that transitional retirement can help address.” The survey found that financial standing wasn’t a big factor in wanting to retire gradually. Even those with excellent, very good or good financial security were as likely to prefer this method as those whose financial security is fair or poor. (Canadian HR Reporter)
