The conference will be limited to the first 500 people to register. Skeptics have questioned whether the event has made a real difference. Powell acknowledged the concern. Powell has taken the helm of a new nonprofit organization, America's Promise, which will continue to seek pledges of help from corporations, civic and charity groups, and community leaders. Since the Philadelphia summit, which was attended by 140 community delegations from around the country, Powell said 26 new localities have agreed to drum up local support to reach specific volunteerism goals.
Personal example is another powerful motivator.
And a request from an acquaintance is rated the fundraising tactic most likely to succeed. Finally, optimism appears to be an underrated motivation for giving. They see a problem, and their response is to figure out a way to fix it. The publication includes chapters on revenues from earned income, engaging corporations, venture capital, microcredit programs, and debt conversion, among others, and uses international case studies to illustrate each concept. Begun in 1994, it currently has a membership of more than 340 citizen organizations, private foundations and corporate funders in 77 countries.