Tuesday, November 23, 2010

The Nonprofit Quarterly | @npquarterly | The Philanthrobabble Generator

The Nonprofit Quarterly | @npquarterly | The Philanthrobabble Generator: "Thanks to the Philanthrobabble Generator (PBG), an innovative and impactful component of NPQ’s capacity building toolbox, you will never again have to actually think for yourself when crafting a grant proposal. This is your handy dandy one-stop shop for pre-fab phrases of sectoral jargon in current use. And they sure seem like they should mean something!"

Microsoft Pri0 | Microsoft helping nonprofits solve technology problems with Imagine Cup | Seattle Times Newspaper

Microsoft Pri0 | Microsoft helping nonprofits solve technology problems with Imagine Cup | Seattle Times Newspaper: "Microsoft launched Imagine Cup Solve This on Monday. The Imagine Cup competition brings together student teams from around the world who build software. In the past few years, Microsoft has asked students to build software that helps advance the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals.

The company called Solve This a crowdsourcing solution for technology challenges faced by nonprofits and NGOs, or non-government organizations.

'We often hear from all the NGOs and nonprofits that they would love to have our help in thinking through the application of technology to some of the very challenging issues they’re working on,' said Pamela Passman, corporate vice president for Microsoft corporate affairs. 'What we’ve done with Imagine Cup Solve This is provide a platform for our NGOs and U.N. organizations so they can submit applicat"

Link Charitable Passion & Polished Skills

Link Charitable Passion & Polished Skills

Salvation Army Red Kettle and Toys for Tots Are Consumers' Favorite Causes for the Holidays

Salvation Army Red Kettle and Toys for Tots Are Consumers' Favorite Causes for the Holidays: "The 2010 Cone Holiday Trend Tracker reveals that persistence and longevity pay off for nonprofits when it comes to their holiday campaigns.

There is also plenty of support for cause marketing as consumers continue to meld giving and shopping, especially during the holidays. Nevertheless, long standing nonprofit campaigns with top of the mind recognition by consumers even beat out cause-related marketing by leading brands."

The Urban Institute | Outcome Indicators Project

The Urban Institute | Outcome Indicators Project: "Outcome Indicators Project
A joint project of the Urban Institute and The Center for What Works

The Outcome Indicators Project provides a framework for tracking nonprofit performance. It suggests candidate outcomes and outcome indicators to assist nonprofit organizations that seek to develop new outcome monitoring processes or improve their existing systems.

This website contains three primary elements:"

Monday, November 22, 2010

How Useful Are 'Do-It-Yourself' Charity Evaluations? - Give and Take - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

How Useful Are 'Do-It-Yourself' Charity Evaluations? - Give and Take - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: "How Useful Are ‘Do-It-Yourself’ Charity Evaluations?

November 21, 2010, 11:48 pm

By Caroline Preston

It’s one big challenge everyone in the nonprofit world wants to crack: finding a simple way that ordinary donors can evaluate charity effectiveness.

In a recent issue of The Chronicle, Sean Stannard-Stockton, an adviser to donors, listed five questions that people can ask all types of charities to determine if they’re worth supporting."

Donations, deductions and the deficit

Donations, deductions and the deficit: "But maybe the not-so-altruistic truth is that many people do give to charity because they get something in return. Since 1917, our tax code has allowed individuals who donate to charitable and certain other nonprofit organizations to receive a tax deduction for their gifts. The deduction, for those who itemize, can be a great incentive for donations. However, it comes with a cost to the federal bottom line."

A Frozen Plunge For Charity - Port Jefferson, NY Patch

A Frozen Plunge For Charity - Port Jefferson, NY Patch: "On Saturday hundreds of people came out to brave the cold weather and the even colder water to take part in the first ever Polar Bear Plunge at Cedar Beach in Mount Sinai to raise money for Special Olympics. Brookhaven Town Supervisor Mark Lesko and Brookhaven Town Councilwoman Jane Bonner were there and both took the plunge for charity along with hundreds of other plungers and spectators."

Give even in hard times, says Carnegie heir - Herald Scotland | Business | Corporate & SME

Give even in hard times, says Carnegie heir - Herald Scotland | Business | Corporate & SME: "Thomson told the Sunday Herald: “My great grandfather would have been pleased at the increase in corporate social responsibility, but he believed that people should give because they have a passion for an area – in his case, education, science and peace – and to provide benefits to other people, not necessarily for their own corporate satisfaction.

“People have been tightening their belts in the current climate, and the returns on investments are less than they were, but I’m sure that things will return in better times.”"

MAINE COMPASS: Charitable appeal highlights generosity of state employees | The Kennebec Journal, Augusta, ME

MAINE COMPASS: Charitable appeal highlights generosity of state employees | The Kennebec Journal, Augusta, ME: "or state workers, the opportunity to support charities through the Maine State Employees Combined Charitable Appeal is a familiar tradition this time of year.

Those who are not employed by a state agency may be surprised to learn that during difficult economic times, as well as periods of greater prosperity, thousands of state employees have consistently reached deep into their pockets to donate millions of dollars to charities."

Religious Donations Going Awry - NYTimes.com

Religious Donations Going Awry - NYTimes.com: "Religious Donations Going Awry
By NICHOLAS KRISTOF

My Sunday column is about charitable contributions, particularly by Christians, Jews and Muslims, that are well-intentioned but poorly thought out — and thus not nearly as effective as they might be. This is of course also a problem with secular contributions, but we’re entering a season for religious giving and I think this is a particular problem for religious charities because of a false assumption that a charity that shares one’s faith also shares one’s values and bona fides."

Charity amazed by run results | The Selma Times‑Journal

Charity amazed by run results | The Selma Times‑Journal: "Alan Hicks Jr. really didn’t know what to expect with the first one. He and others had hoped to break even.

Now a few weeks removed from the first Integrity Worldwide 5K, Hicks, the executive director of Integrity Worldwide, still can’t believe just how successful it was.

“We had really hoped to break even on the first one and build something for down the road,” Hicks said. “But we brought in right at $10,000 that will go to continue our work in Kenya.”"

Anonymous donor gives 1,000 turkeys to North Jersey food pantry | NJ.com

Anonymous donor gives 1,000 turkeys to North Jersey food pantry | NJ.com: "An anonymous donor has saved Thanksgiving at a northern New Jersey food pantry.

The person donated 1,000 turkeys, allowing the Center for Food Action to provide Thanksgiving dinner baskets to most, if not all, of the 3,800 families in Bergen and Passaic counties who requested them."