Similar to John D. Rockefeller in the last century, business leaders like Bill and Melinda Gates, Warren Buffet are leading a new age in philanthropy to help combat some of the world’s most pressing obstacles.

Viral crowdfunding campaigns can spread like wildfire, especially when it's for a good cause. In Chicago, Joel Cervantes Macias spotted an 89-year-old man selling Mexican ice pops on the street. Since the man looked too old to be working and Macias had little cash to give him, he decided to post his photo on the charitable crowdfunding page, GoFundMe. While the “Relief for Fendicio the paleta man” campaign had a goal of $3,000, it quickly went viral and achieved $300,000 in funds.

The dramatic shift to distance learning in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic challenged the mindset, knowledge and skills of every teacher across the globe. Skills that were once thought to be nice additions to our careers now became “must-haves” as digital integration took shape.

Since the last century, philanthropy has served as a restorative tool for the public image. Traditionally, public philanthropy was dominated by men and their wives were rarely involved but commemorated.

However, that has changed in the past decade. Donations that celebrate the donor have become increasingly questioned. Donors today work more collaboratively as active partners and on a global scale. Today’s emerging philanthropists want their efforts and aspirations to speak for themselves. Two women, in particular, who have harnessed their philanthropic roles and have represented this major shift are Melinda Gates and MacKenzie Scott.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is one of the most notable nonprofit organizations in the world. Now the second-largest private foundation of its kind, it remains spearheaded by Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, and Melinda Gates and holds $49.8 billion in assets. Today, it remains a leader in venture philanthropy in the way it seeks to apply business techniques to giving at a large scale.

We want our children to become kind, ethical, responsible, upstanding citizens. As parents, guardians and adults, we’re responsible for teaching and mirroring positive social behaviors to our kids. But as many of us become aware of, rethink and recommit our time to important social causes across the world, we may need guidance on how to teach our children the rules of philanthropy.

For years, philanthropy was defined as the donation of money to nonprofit organizations. However, that trend has changed in today’s era as philanthropy evolves to the current giving platform and less industry-driven.

Philanthropy has undergone a significant shift over the past several years, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Today’s donors see the rise of alternative forms of social impact organizations shifting the traditional modes of giving and impact investing — an indicator that there was needed transformation in traditional philanthropy practices.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on our global social and economic infrastructures. The World Bank predicts that the pandemic will force 88 to 115 million people into extreme poverty across the globe by 2021. It has also hindered current financing levels and the resources needed to meet the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals’ $2.5 billion annual financing gap.

Modern philanthropy has come a long way over the past decade. Since its mainstream adoption in the 19th-century, philanthropy has been a significant source of income for religion, healthcare, the arts, and education in the United States. Today, the philanthropic sector is valued at $449.64 billion and profoundly impacts everyone’s lives in some form.

Impact investing has become an area of great interest among donors, venture capitalists and investors across the globe. In the United States alone, environmental, social and governance investing (ESG) accounted for $12 trillion of assets. According to a report from the Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment, climate change was the most prominent asset.

Creating a nonprofit can be a rewarding way to give back to your community and help people in need. Forming a nonprofit requires commitment and it’s essential to understand the process involved in developing your organization before moving forward with the project.

Establishing and sustaining an active nonprofit can take years of determination and developing a coherent strategy. It’s best to be as prepared and knowledgeable about where you can find support and resources to help your nonprofit startup thrive.

Social injustice is one of the leading conversations in our world today. With attacks on civil rights in recent years, there’s now a heightened focus on the lack of equality in the very systems that make up the foundations of our society. Education is one such foundational system where inequity persists.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation operates by the belief that every human life is equal and valuable. The organization is inspired by the innovative work that can help everyone across the globe lead healthier, happier lives. One of the foundation’s main focuses is on public health and giving those affected by poverty or hunger an opportunity to support themselves. By sharing valuable resources, the foundation aids these people for success.

In 2010, Bill and Melinda Gates, partnering with Warren Buffet, announced The Giving Pledge. The initiative joined together 40 of the world’s wealthiest people in a commitment to donate at least 50% of their wealth upon their death or throughout their lifetime with the goal of using that money to support some of the world’s most pressing challenges.