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Enviromental sustainability is shifting from an abstract philosophy to a mission for more corporations and private individuals. PricewaterhouseCoopers analyzes 57 industry sectors and 367 companies to identify leading companies and practices. The research points to a statistically significant correlation between corporate commitment to sustainability and positive financial performance.

New breed philanthropists want their charitable activities to run with the same vigor as their business empires. This article from Credit Suisse gives several examples, including the Sainsbury retail dynasty's philanthropic model, which channels packages of support through specialized trusts.

Much homelessness need never occur in the first place. Long-term action by charities to address underlying problems such as substance misuse and child abuse helps to reduce the pool of people acutely vulnerable to housing breakdown. More targeted responses—giving advice on housing, for example, or working with groups at particular risk (such as prison leavers)—are relatively well evidenced, and could be extended and replicated.

Socially responsible investing lets investors use their investment capital for advocacy – to advance a social cause or a values-driven position. In this paper, the Threshold Group defines SRI, shows how it fits into wealth management and provides points for families to consider in exploring whether to consider this approach for their investment portfolios.

This report by New Philanthropy Capital discusses the potential for and challenges associated with cross-border philanthropy, not least prioritizing the issues and countries that deserve attention and selecting qualified intermediaries.

A health and education exclusion trust may offer a way to preserve assets for younger family members and avoid harsh generation-skipping taxes, while still contributing to charity. In this article, Mela Garber of Anchin, Block and Anchin explains how a HEET can be a useful and effective estate planning tool that benefits family and a designated charity while shielding wealth from GST and gift taxes.

Social entrepreneurship cuts across disciplines to tackle social, economic and political issues and create sustainable change for the greater good. This issue of Global Giving Matters takes an in-depth look at this approach, reporting on the challenges that social engineers face and the opportunities for philanthropists to move the field forward.

Donating appreciated securities to charities may provide tax advantages over making cash donations by reducing capital gains taxes. This report from Fidelity Investments explores the issue, providing assistance in calculating tax savings and explaining how a donor advised fund can reduce paperwork to make these donations easier.

Wealthy families struggle to find advice needed to launch a philanthropic foundation or to select charities to which to donate, according to a survey of wealthy individuals and family offices in Europe by U.K.-based New Philanthropy Capital. Other challenges include finding ways to network with other donors and measuring the success of donations.

Family businesses are most at risk for financial troubles based on a lack of formal succession planning and preparation, and on family business owners' personal financial issues, according to MassMutual Financial Group's 2007 American Family Business Survey. The survey also found that family businesses are growing in jobs and revenues, and often with women leading that growth.