There’s certainly been a lot written about the troubled finances in many states. Programs that help the needy are among those at risk. In his Wealth Matters column this week, Paul Sullivan writes about a new book “Give Smart” that examines ways that wealthy philanthropists can help when governments no longer can.

The authors of the book, Thomas Tierney and Joel Fleishman, both philanthropy experts, argue that people who set their sights on a narrow problem are often more successful than those who try to tackle major issues. They also recommend that philanthropists be realistic about what they can accomplish.

Given all the budget cutting now going on at all levels of government, do you have any suggestions for worthy projects that are both narrow enough but significant enough to do much good?

Article source: http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=98041103239bc489c195771d8cd9b5a9