The great economic contraction that began officially in September of 2008, has created a crisis for the charitable sector in North America and globally.

Stories of massive losses for venerable grantmaking Foundations abound. Thousands of non profit salaries, millions of people in need, and extraordinary social change strategies depend on those sources of funds. Individual donors are starting to freeze, all waiting to see what happens next. Big commitments go on hold.

It's anybody's guess what our collective economic future will be. All bets are off as unimaginable tectonic shifts destabilize the very foundations of the market economy.

What was already a highly conceptual realm of blind faith for many, may scar current generations of citizens as our grandparents carried the memory of The Great Depression of the 30's. Will wealth placement return to a buried tin can in the back yard? Or currency and gold coins stashed under the mattress?