Philanthropy for the love of sports

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Games and sports provide opportunities for the youth to mingle with other kids and get some exercise. Outdoor play should not be deprived from kids but rather encouraged among them. Engaging in games and sports not only contributes to a fulfilling childhood but also helps in developing a healthy body and mind.

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The Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks sees the importance of physical activity, which is why it partnered with humanitarians, including Alex von Furstenberg, Ali Kay, and The Diller – von Furstenberg Family Foundation, for the refurbishment of existing outdoor basketball courts in LA. Selected courts will benefit from the tie-up since it will sponsor and manage several court repairs and upgrades. The restoration of such courts will depend on the individual site-specific needs, which include improvement of goal posts, replacement of glass backboards and goal rings, and installation of asphalt court surfaces. The selection will be based on the courts’ usage and need for enhancement.

The organization understands that these basketball courts play a formidable role in inspiring the youth to get healthy, get smart, and get social.

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Business maven Alex von Furstenberg’s advocacy to help the youth through sports has been evident throughout his career. Find out more about his humanitarian efforts at AlexVonFurstenberg.com.

Heart of Los Angeles: College access to underserved kids

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What used to be a luxury reserved exclusively for the rich is now a right that everyone deserves to have—education. The Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA), an organization providing underserved youth with exceptional programs in academics, arts, and athletics, believes that kids belonging to low-income families should get an equal opportunity in attaining a college education from top-tier institutions.

HOLA attests that such kids have a low representation at top colleges and universities in the US but are overly represented at public access two-year schools. There are several reasons why it is such a struggle for underprivileged youth to get through elite colleges, and topping the list is the fact that low-income families can’t afford the cost of applying to more than one college. Kids also often face the pressure from their parents to stay local, or worse, to skip college. Moreover, the lack of outside support causes teens to not have a better understanding of their abilities and talents. Hence, they wouldn’t know what their choices are in college, which sometimes results to the decision of not going to college at all.

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HOLA understands that intervention is indicative of significant worth for all kids to have a bright future. It firmly values the need to strengthen more nationally recognized programs that exercise efforts of putting low-income youth in selective colleges. The organization appeals to these colleges to readdress their application and admission processes in order to widen their doors to low-income youth.

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Philanthropist Alex von Furstenberg’s advocacy to help the youth get access to education has been going on for years as evidenced by his support for the Heart of Los Angeles, among other organizations. Get to know more of his humanitarian efforts on this Facebook page.

Giving is an investment

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Many people believe that money is the root of all evil because it tests the limits of humanity. However, money is just a tool, and in the right hands, it can be a source of hope—an investment to a better future.

This thought might be what runs in the minds of those who have given away a significant portion of their hard-earned money to different causes, from saving rainforests to fighting drug abuse. These people view money as more than just a means for them to enjoy the good life. To them, it is a tool for making a difference by investing on relevant causes and leaving a legacy of hope for the betterment of their fellow men.

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Many people believe that the rich only give so that people will remember them. And while it is true that some give to charities or do volunteer work so they could be noticed, many have shunned the spotlight, preferring to remain unnoticed. Chuck Feeney, an Italian-American billionaire, is one such person. He spent the last 30 years giving away over $7 billion that he amassed from selling liquor, perfumes, and cigarettes in his empire of duty-free shops. His donations are aimed to support different causes in education, science, health care, aging, and civil rights in many countries around the world.

Mr. Feeney is a shining example than many young philanthropists should aspire to become. Giving should not only be seen as charity but also as an investment toward a bright future for all of humanity.

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Alex von Furstenberg is a member of the board of directors of the Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation, an organization that aims to positively impact the world by improving people’s lives and strengthening communities. You can visit this website to learn more.

Changing lives and improving oneself through giving

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There are many different reasons why people give. It may be because they want to genuinely help others, or they want to receive good karma. For some, it may even be because they just want to be noticed by their peers.

Whatever their reasons are, one thing is true: The act of giving gives pleasure and spiritual, emotional, and psychological benefits, which can improve one’s sense of well-being in the long run.

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Aside from this, giving also provides people the chance to learn about the social injustices around them. A lot of well-off people would not even bother looking at the condition of the masses. Giving provides them an opportunity to see firsthand what the less fortunate go through every day. This experience can help them learn and discover new viewpoints that can change how they see the world that they live in. As a result, their new awareness can help them convince others in their social circles to help out as well.

Contrary to what most people believe, giving is not just about money. It is also about important and immeasurable things, such as time and effort. Volunteering and becoming closely involved with a social cause can not only help the less fortunate but also give people a sense of inner peace and contentment, knowing that they have done their part in making a difference.

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Through the Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation, Alex von Furstenberg is able to make a difference one cause at a time. Visit this website to learn more about the organization and its efforts.

Hedge funds and private equity funds: Becoming more accessible

A private equity fund is defined as an equity capital that is not publicized. Private equity funds come from private sources, including investors and funds that make investments directly into private companies or acquire public companies resulting to the delisting of public equity.

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Meanwhile, a hedge fund is an investment offered to a limited number of bigwigs. The risk involved in this type of investment is in counterbalancing potential losses by way of hedging investments in various approaches, such as short-selling.

Nowadays, small businesses have a rough time obtaining credit, much less acquiring hedge funds and private equities. This may be due to lenders’ tight credit policies or their refusal to take risks on small businesses. Fortunately, crowdsourcing and crowdfunding have become practices that small businesses can take for them to cope with financial struggles, Forbes Magazine explains. These practices avoid traditional capital sources and instead acquire financing from the masses. Because of the plausibility of these practices, Congress passed the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act in 2012.

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This development eventually results to a liberal access to hedge funds and private equity funds to accredited investors. Although non-accredited investors would not be admitted here, many small businesses can benefit from this. It seems that capital-starved entrepreneurs have more options in gaining investments with less risk.

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Investment expert Alex von Furstenberg served as the co-managing member and chief investment officer of Arrow Capital Management, LLC, a private investment firm focused on global public equities. This Facebook page provides more updates about public and private equity markets.