ICTworks by Inveneo

The New York Times has put out its annual section on Giving, which focuses on charities, mostly in the US, and on the entire philanthropy sector. This generally includes international aid and other government efforts, but in a worldwide economic downturn, this year's focus is mainly on opportunities and responsibilities within the US. (For example, one article discusses the efforts within the new Office of Social Innovation at the White House, which deals mainly with domestic nonprofit work and volunteerism. No mention of USAID's new administrator or really any of the philanthropic efforts in Africa or the Global South.)

It's not the most exciting rundown I've seen. In fact, it got a pretty harsh critique from a media blogger, who agreed that it's pretty ho-hum.

This is was a great opportunity to share insights into the American donation industry to the rest of the world... and the NYT missed out.

What do you think? See also the Wall Street Journal's Philanthropy Section, which leads with the provocative title "What's Wrong With Charitable Giving - and How to Fix It." Why did the WSJ do a better job? Charities and grants and foundations are about more than just money... so why did a money-focused newspaper do such a better job?

Interesting site you might want to check out:

Venture Capital and Private Equity in Africa: Connecting investors and entrepreneurs

VC4Africa.com and Appfrica.org are announcing a formal partnership to mobilize and support the venture capital community of Africa. The new partnership aims to leverage their combined vision, resources, and networks in an effort to connect aspiring entrepreneurs in Africa with the skills, knowledge and connections needed to develop, grow and scale their business. More importantly, the partnership aims to promote social entrepreneurship by making it easier for the entrepreneurs to find the investors who may be looking for them.

http://www.vc4africa.com/