Friday, March 30, 2012

Madonna Is "Like a Virgin" in Philanthropy with Malawi Education Project - NPQ – Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting an active an engaged democracy.

Madonna Is "Like a Virgin" in Philanthropy with Malawi Education Project - NPQ – Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting an active an engaged democracy.: The NPQ Newswire has previously written about Madonna’s on-again, off-again commitment to build a school for girls in Malawi, which was followed by an IRS investigation of the Kabbalah Centre in Los Angeles that was the singer’s partner in the event.

BikePortland.org � Blog Archive � The next frontier for cargo bikes: Disaster response

BikePortland.org � Blog Archive � The next frontier for cargo bikes: Disaster response: From the citizen-led Neighborhood Emergency Teams (NET), to an embrace of bikes as disaster response vehicles by City of Portland officials, there's a growing effort in Portland to ensure that bikes play a key role in the response effort when a major earthquake or other disaster strikes. There's even a cargo bike/disaster-themed Pedalpalooza ride in the works

When the donor becomes the decider | The Daily Texan

When the donor becomes the decider | The Daily Texan: The past two decades have seen this attitude morph into something different. Foundations have become increasingly like venture capitalists. They have turned to a strategic decision making process — with respect to grants — with an emphasis on the effectiveness of the end results. Recipients of grant money must deliver tangible results in the short term rather than field-changing breakthroughs over the long term.

Big Fish, Little Fish: In the Foundation-Nonprofit Relationship, Does Size Matter? - NPQ – Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting an active an engaged democracy.

Big Fish, Little Fish: In the Foundation-Nonprofit Relationship, Does Size Matter? - NPQ – Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting an active an engaged democracy.: n the nonprofit ocean, there are big fish and little fish. The biggest fish are typically well-capitalized foundations. The little fish are small-budget nonprofits. There is a vast social asymmetry between most private foundations and public charities. According to information drawn from the IRS Exempt Organizations Business Master File (available through the “NCCS All Registered Nonprofits Table Wizard” of the Urban Institute), public charities are predominantly very small. Two-thirds of public charities that filed 990s have assets of less than $100,000; three-fourths have assets below $250,000. Similar proportions of public charities have total revenues below $100,000 and below $250,000.

Silverberg: The benefits of 'time philanthropy' | HeraldTribune.com

Silverberg: The benefits of 'time philanthropy' | HeraldTribune.com: uckily, there are efforts afoot in this area to achieve those goals and many others. The Patterson Foundation, in cooperation with the community engagement organization SCOPE (which I serve as a board member) and the University of South Florida, conducted the Aging with Dignity and Independence study. SCOPE has also been instrumental in establishing the Institute for the Ages, planned as a comprehensive approach to retooling society in keeping with the changing demographics.

Tax relief cap could cost the sector hundreds of millions, says Charities Aid Foundation

Tax relief cap could cost the sector hundreds of millions, says Charities Aid Foundation: Its survey suggests that a large number of major donors will give less in the wake of the government's Budget announcement

Nearly 40 per cent of major philanthropists will give less in the wake of the government’s decision to cap tax reliefs for charitable donations, according to research by the Charities Aid Foundation.

A CAF a survey of 183 people who had given more than �50,000 a year to charity over the past three years asked: "Which of the following best describes the impact that you think the changes will have on the amount that you donate?"

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Number of Charities Dropped Sharply Last Year - News - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Number of Charities Dropped Sharply Last Year - News - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: The number of charities and foundations registered with the Internal Revenue Service fell by 16 percent in 2011, mostly because more than 272,000 organizations lost their tax-exempt status after failing to follow the law by filing informational tax forms.

Friction-free foundations - The Observer Group

Friction-free foundations - The Observer Group: Among Sarasota’s embarrassment of blessings are the two largest community foundations in the state.

The Gulf Coast Community Foundation, based in Venice, and the Sarasota-based Community Foundation of Sarasota County total almost $400 million in combined assets, roughly split evenly.

Brooke Astor Estate Case Finally Settled: AG | New York Daily News

Brooke Astor Estate Case Finally Settled: AG | New York Daily News: “Brooke Astor was at the center of New York philanthropy for nearly half a century,” Schneiderman said. “Her legendary generosity and charisma touched New Yorkers of all backgrounds. I am pleased that my office led the way to an agreement that honors Mrs. Astor’s final wishes and benefits New York's landmark educational and cultural institutions.”

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Trevor Neilson: Aspirational Altruism

Trevor Neilson: Aspirational Altruism: On the New York social scene, philanthropy is the primary organizing force. As any New Yorker can attest, it is very often causes that are the reason people gather in ballrooms and concert halls, and if managed correctly, these events can raise enormous amounts of money for important efforts, both in New York and around the world.

Stan Katz Discusses Outsourcing Education Policy to Philanthropy - NPQ – Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting an active an engaged democracy.

Stan Katz Discusses Outsourcing Education Policy to Philanthropy - NPQ – Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting an active an engaged democracy.: March 25, 2012; Source: Chronicle of Higher Education

One of the pleasures for all of us associated with the NPQ Newswire is our role in helping readers connect with the best thinking—and best thinkers—in the nonprofit sector. Princeton’s Stan Katz has long been an observer of philanthropy who is worth listening to for his balanced, nuanced analysis and critique. In this article, Katz questions the influence and impact of the “megafoundation” in education policy and more broadly.

Street food philanthropy | Life and style | guardian.co.uk

Street food philanthropy | Life and style | guardian.co.uk: When Paul Newman set up his Newman's Own brand to generate millions of dollars for charity each year, he was called a "food philanthropist". Farmers in Africa started planting chilli peppers around fields to deter elephants from trampling the crops, and then got the idea of selling "Elephant Pepper" hot sauces to fund elephant conservation. Gordon Ramsay did his Seriously Good sauces for Comic Relief but, in Britain, we've been slow to catch on to food philanthropy. Now, that's all starting to change, and street food is leading the way.

Josh Bowman: 10 Things Every Charity Should Know

Josh Bowman: 10 Things Every Charity Should Know: People like giving, and often feel awkward about being thanked for it. But secretly, they appreciate it.

How a donor responds to direct mail is often different from what they say they want. Why do you think so many charities use frills (like mailing labels)? They make a lot more money than they cost. I don't love frills personally, but there is a lot of hard data to suggest that they work. And that's just one example.

Giving Rose to Majority of Churches Last Year - Prospecting - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Giving Rose to Majority of Churches Last Year - Prospecting - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: More than half of churches say donations increased last year, the first year a majority of congregations achieved gains since 2009.

This year’s “State of the Plate” annual survey, which assessed giving to 1,360 churches nationwide, found that 51 percent reported increased donations in 2011, 14 percent said contributions were flat, and 32 percent suffered declines.

April 7520 Rate Unchanged at 1.4% | Planned Giving Design Center

April 7520 Rate Unchanged at 1.4% | Planned Giving Design Center: For purposes of determining the present value of an annuity, an interest for life or a term of years, or a remainder or a reversionary interest, Revenue Ruling 2012-11 indicates the applicable federal rate under section 7520 for April 2012 is 1.4%; unchanged from the March and February rates of 1.4%.

New Publication on Tax on Unrelated Business Income of Exempt Organizations | Planned Giving Design Center

New Publication on Tax on Unrelated Business Income of Exempt Organizations | Planned Giving Design Center: The IRS has released Publication 598, Tax on Unrelated Business Income of Exempt Organizations, in which it describes which organizations are subject to the tax, return filing requirements, what an unrelated trade or business is, and how to calculate unrelated business taxable income.

Diane Stafford: Shift your sector with a connector - KansasCity.com

Diane Stafford: Shift your sector with a connector - KansasCity.com

Microvolunteering and Crowd-Sourcing | Community Techknowledge

Microvolunteering and Crowd-Sourcing | Community Techknowledge: Microvolunteering and Crowd-Sourcing: Not-So-New Trends in Virtual Volunteering / Online Volunteering

by Jayne Cravens

Managing Young Fundraisers - Resource Center - AFP

Managing Young Fundraisers - Resource Center - AFP: Sigh...another critical expose of Generation Y in the workplace.

In a recent radio interview, an HR consultant was speaking dismissively about young workers’ supposed sense of entitlement, their reluctance to work overtime, and their need for constant praise. My frustration mounted as I listened to him pile on one criticism after another, but this complaint was particularly irritating: “In job interviews, Gen Ys seem to be more interested in asking about the position they will be promoted into rather than the one they are actually applying for.”

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Red Cross weighs decision to build hotel in Haiti

Red Cross weighs decision to build hotel in Haiti: PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is considering building a hotel and conference center in Haiti on part of a $10.5 million property that it bought after the 2010 earthquake.

The hope is that profits could sustain the work of Haiti's local Red Cross in the coming years, the head of the international group's Haitian delegation said Monday.

100 years of Girl Scouts: No camps likely to happen, but Girl Scouts thrives even after flood - MinotDailyNews.com | News, sports, business, jobs - Minot Daily News

100 years of Girl Scouts: No camps likely to happen, but Girl Scouts thrives even after flood - MinotDailyNews.com | News, sports, business, jobs - Minot Daily News: he girls in Girls Scouts aren't just learning life skills and being developed as leaders, they are also changing the world and have been for 100 years. This year marks the 100th year of the Girl Scout organization in the United States.

Fundraising Push by Private Schools Adds Mining of Donors' Personal Data - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Fundraising Push by Private Schools Adds Mining of Donors' Personal Data - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: Fundraising Push by Private Schools Adds Mining of Donors’ Personal Data

March 27, 2012, 9:12 am

Private secondary schools are using increasingly sophisticated tools to identify and woo potential donors as the scramble for financial support becomes more intense, writes The New York Times.

Wine Swigging For Charity - Forbes

Wine Swigging For Charity - Forbes: he nation’s largest charity wine auction cherishes its reputation for fiscal rectitude. “Overhead is covered by ticket sales or private donations, and every nickel raised under the tent goes to the kids,” Clifford says. Early-childhood education; medical, behavioral, and oral health; and out-of-school and hunger-prevention programs are the primary grantees, and each must reapply annually. In 2012, NCEF will pass out 25 checks totaling more than $8 million—proceeds from the auction and other events. (Remaining funds go toward long-term initiatives.) The foundation estimates it has helped improve the lives of more than 150,000 children. Worth toasting, indeed.

Boston Mayor (Finally) Discloses Charity’s Donors - NPQ – Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting an active an engaged democracy.

Boston Mayor (Finally) Discloses Charity’s Donors - NPQ – Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting an active an engaged democracy.: Menino plans to “overhaul” and limit the fund, disclose all donors online, and will no longer collect contributions for events held at City Hall Plaza or other public lands. Nice—but late, especially since it seems (to us) to have been prompted by a Globe report last fall on donations to the fund by Richard Fields, the owner of Suffolk Downs. Fields donated $47,500 to neighborhood arts programs and holiday toy drives and Fields has been pushing for a casino in East Boston, where Suffolk Downs is located. After the Globe article, the fund returned a $5,000 donation from the racetrack. What made that donation from Suffolk Downs and Fields bad enough to return and previous donations okay to keep? Disclosure, transparency and sunlight—no more, no less.

The Importance of Professional Development in Fundraising | The Good Steward

The Importance of Professional Development in Fundraising | The Good Steward: There are many reasons that professional development is critical for fundraisers, but here are my top three reasons:

Time to recharge — We all can benefit from some time away from the office, which allows us to see the bigger picture and return to our work refocused.
Source of new ideas and inspiration — Conferences and workshops are always full of the latest and greatest ideas and strategies. As Lynne Wester reminded us at the ADRP Regional Workshop, we can all learn from each other and borrow ideas that will help our fundraising efforts.
Expand your network — Being able to pick up the phone or send a quick e-mail to a few fellow fundraisers with a question or issue is absolutely priceless. Professional development events are the best place to make these connections and you should capitalize upon these opportunities to meet and get to know your colleagues.

Measuring What Counts: How Nonprofits Can Attract Social Investment

Measuring What Counts: How Nonprofits Can Attract Social Investment: Having worked 22 years in the for-profit world, and having founded two nonprofits, I've come to realize that metrics have a way of focusing our attention. Whether we're measuring return on investment or the S.A.T. scores, it's human nature to spend our time, energy and material resources to improve that which is being measured - which means that in a world of limited resources, it's critical to measure what counts. Organizations get what they measure.

Monday, March 26, 2012

Nude charity golfers set record

National News & World News Headlines | Latest UK News Stories & International News | Nude charity golfers set record: Nude charity golfers set record

A world record has been set by 30 people who played miniature golf naked to raise money for charity.

The event, held at Adventure Island on Southend seafront, Essex, set the new world record of the most naked people to play miniature golf in one hour.

A look back at CowParade Austin

A look back at CowParade Austin: Last summer, Austin's sidewalks, plazas and parks were being besieged by bovines.

More than 70 fiberglass art cows — adorned with everything from painted bluebonnets to thousands of shiny pennies — populated public spaces as part of a fundraiser for the Superhero Kids at Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas. In November, the cows were auctioned off for about $1.5 million.

A few weeks ago, an editor asked me: Is it true that the hospital got $900,000 of that money and the rest went to overhead? Is that bad?

Yes, it's true. Whether it's bad depends on your perspective.

Catholic schools need to use a business approach | Courier-Post | courierpostonline.com

Catholic schools need to use a business approach | Courier-Post | courierpostonline.com: Implements mission-based fundraising, including annual appeals and major gift programs. The “candy bar culture” is replaced by a “culture of philanthropy.”

Manages its own finances separate from the parish.

Charity turns theft into opportunity | The Post and Courier - Charleston, South Carolina

Charity turns theft into opportunity | The Post and Courier - Charleston, South Carolina: That's nearly enough to cover daily maintenance costs of the fresh-water system. Now Water Missions International is piloting cellphone-charging side businesses in Honduras and Uganda, Armstrong said.

A prototype of the charging system was on display Saturday during the event, which was held at Cannon Park in downtown Charleston and attracted several thousand people.

– Record number of donors raise more than $1 million to annual University Campaign | Central Michigan Life

– Record number of donors raise more than $1 million to annual University Campaign | Central Michigan Life: 0


Donations made to the ninth annual University Campaign have been counted and although the money raised didn’t set a record, the number of donors involved did.

A total of 1,033 donors raised $1,008,498 during the campaign, which began the first week of November and ended Feb. 24. Donors included faculty members, staff and retired employees of Central Michigan University. The previous record for donors was set in 2011 when 1,030 people gave and raised $1,233,927.