Philanthropy Google’s Way: Not the Usual - New York Times

 Fascinating -- read the full article for details on near-term investment areas.

The ambitious founders of Google, the popular search engine company, have set up a philanthropy, giving it seed money of about $1 billion and a mandate to tackle poverty, disease and global warming.

But unlike most charities, this one will be for-profit, allowing it to fund start-up companies, form partnerships with venture capitalists and even lobby Congress. It will also pay taxes.

Source: Philanthropy Google’s Way: Not the Usual - New York Times