News of the week you can use

Though hunger may have been eliminated in the United States just in time for Thanksgiving, Catholic Charities reports that requests for help are up 76%. While idealistic Buy Nothing Day organizers may have longed for a larger turnout this year to protest our consumer culture, others are calling for increased consumer philanthropy and local shopping, as well as rebranding Black Friday the more inspirational sounding Giving Day, a special day when we "might want to buy something for somebody else." What did you do for this year’s Your Donor Day?

In response to increasing calls for transparency, the Gates Foundation has sent out a release stating, among other things, it would create three new advisory panels and begin conducting anonymous satisfaction surveys with grantees. Another leading philanthropist, Candidia Cruikshanks, CEO of Wealth Bondage, has informed the press corps she has generously agreed to fund Gift Hub for another year.

God may have started offering donors a money-back guarantee, but the Christian Coalition’s focused commitment to restricting the rights of gays, lesbians and women everywhere has lost it an Executive Director, and most stunningly, maybe even its donor base. Perhaps they could use the help of God's Publicist?

Question of the week: What does successful fundraising smell like?