Friday, June 22, 2012

Corporate giving at lowest levels since 1970s, philanthropy expert says - Philly.com

Corporate giving at lowest levels since 1970s, philanthropy expert says - Philly.com: Corporations are clearly not stepping up," said Patrick Rooney, executive director of the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, speaking to dozens of fund-raisers from the region at the Union League.

It wasn't quite so clear to Wynnewood lawyer Laura N. Solomon, whose firm specializes in nonprofits. Raising her hand at the gathering, she told Rooney and the other panelists that what she was seeing were businesses funneling their donations through their marketing departments, rather than their corporate foundations.

Nonprofits take ownership of Staunton's R.R. Smith Center | The News Leader | newsleader.com

Nonprofits take ownership of Staunton's R.R. Smith Center | The News Leader | newsleader.com: STAUNTON — Local supporters of the R.R. Smith Center for History and Art have negotiated a deal that has reduced the debt on historic tax credit fees by $100,000, allowing the building's ownership to be transferred to the three nonprofit organizations that led a multimillion-dollar renovation.

Senators Question IRS Authority to Request Confidential Donor Information | Planned Giving Design Center

Senators Question IRS Authority to Request Confidential Donor Information | Planned Giving Design Center: Citing concerns over privacy protections, 11 Senators today pressed the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for additional answers on the agency's decision to request confidential donor information from organizations applying for tax exempt status. In a letter led by U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, the lawmakers said such action circumvented current statutory privacy protections and questioned the targeting of groups specifically seeking the approval or renewal of a tax-exempt designation under section 501(c)(4).

Thursday, June 21, 2012

United Way charity redesign leaves some local nonprofits lacking funds | Daily Progress

United Way charity redesign leaves some local nonprofits lacking funds | Daily Progress: The agency reviewed 44 proposals from a variety of local nonprofits and organizations to determine whether the programs would have “measurable impact” in one priority or another.

“By focusing our investments on specific goals and priorities, and through encouraging partnerships and collaborations with similar or complimentary programs with long-term goals and measurements, we hope to create substantial positive change,” said Cathy Train, United Way president.

Oklahoma State Loses Another Court Case on Donor-Insurance Plan - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Oklahoma State Loses Another Court Case on Donor-Insurance Plan - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: Oklahoma State Loses Another Court Case on Donor-Insurance Plan

June 21, 2012, 10:51 am

An Oklahoma judge has rejected efforts by Oklahoma State University and its top booster, billionaire oilman T. Boone Pickens, to recoup millions of dollars the school spent on life-insurance policies for leading donors, the Associated Press reports.

48 Heroes Of Philanthropy - Forbes

48 Heroes Of Philanthropy - Forbes: This is our fifth annual roster of the region’s top philanthropists, and it includes a Korean who gave a huge swatch of unspoiled land to the Korea Forest Service, an Australian who opened a museum in Tasmania with some bizarre exhibits and a Singaporean woman who helped bring three dinosaur skeletons from the U.S.

Paul Clolery: Time to Step Up: Corporate Charity Accounted for Only 5% of Giving in 2011

Paul Clolery: Time to Step Up: Corporate Charity Accounted for Only 5% of Giving in 2011: That's just about the way the for-profit sector treats its philanthropy. "Look at us. Look at us. Aren't we great?" There is a conga line of companies lining up for the new "benefit corporation" status in California, constructed for companies that want a do-gooder label. For-profits all want to scream about how much they do for their communities and for philanthropy.

Vosene in Twitter hashtag fundraising campaign for NSPCC | UK Fundraising

Vosene in Twitter hashtag fundraising campaign for NSPCC | UK Fundraising: For every follow and tweet including #VoSing received until 23:59 on 3 July, Vosene will donate �2 to the NSPCC, the company's chosen charity, up to a maximum of �10,000.

Tweets can be for a special occasion, “good luck” messages or simply a "hello". They will be selected at random for James to sing.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Philanthropy center releases 2012 update on giving — Living — Bangor Daily News — BDN Maine

Philanthropy center releases 2012 update on giving — Living — Bangor Daily News — BDN Maine: PORTLAND, Maine — The Maine Philanthropy Center released its 2012 update on foundation and individual giving in Maine as part of its ongoing “Giving in Maine” report. The update reveals growth in philanthropic assets of foundations, but challenges in individual giving levels.

Tempel Going Back To Center on Philanthropy - TheNonProfitTimes

Tempel Going Back To Center on Philanthropy - TheNonProfitTimes: Eugene R. Tempel is returning to the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University as a senior fellow to play a major role in the university’s effort to establish a new School of Philanthropy.

10 Traits of a Great Consultant - Good Advice - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

10 Traits of a Great Consultant - Good Advice - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: You need chutzpah, audacity.” That’s how Tom Wilson, a vice president at the consulting firm Campbell & Company, answered the question of what it takes to be a great consultant. Tom was one of a number of consultants we interviewed at the recent conference of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Lisa M. Dietlin: Making a Difference: The World of Giving Careers in the Nonprofit Sector

Lisa M. Dietlin: Making a Difference: The World of Giving Careers in the Nonprofit Sector: But it's rare to hear about the wonderful careers in the philanthropic (nonprofit) world. It's just not on the radar when we consider our choices. And it is not something that career counselors even discuss, let alone raise as a possibility.

This is not a surprise. Just this spring Indiana University awarded five graduates the first-ever bachelor's degree in philanthropic studies. Yes, the first.

Met Opera Conductor Gets 39% Pay Boost to $2.1-Million - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Met Opera Conductor Gets 39% Pay Boost to $2.1-Million - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: The Metropolitan Opera gave its music director, James Levine, a 39-percent pay increase last year, raising his compensation to $2.1-million, reports Bloomberg.

Mr. Levine’s wages and benefits for the year ending in July 2011 exceeded that of the general manager, Peter Gelb, whose compensation rose by 4 percent to $1.4 million, according to the organization’s tax return.

Million-Dollar Donations Are on the Decline in 2012 - The Giveaway - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Million-Dollar Donations Are on the Decline in 2012 - The Giveaway - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: America’s wealthy are in a less generous mood so far this year.

The number of donations of $1-million or more has dropped 8 percent since the beginning of 2012 compared with the same period last year, according to a Chronicle tally.

The League of Extraordinary Women 2012 | Fast Company

The League of Extraordinary Women 2012 | Fast Company: Every change agent needs an agency. We've chosen 60 notable members of the League of Extraordinary Women and the organizations, both for-profit and not-for-profit, that are their vehicle to tackle areas of dire need, such as developing the next generation of female entrepreneurs.

Bigger Annual Fund Gifts for Smaller Nonprofits

massnonprofit.org ::: eventually ask qualified donors for sizably larger gifts. The gifts are solicited during an in-person visit when passion and financial capacity align.

What size gifts are we talking about? Depending on your donor base, major gifts for smaller nonprofits are likely to fall into the $10,000 to $100,000 range. G

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Opinion: U.Va. Firing Flap Shows Growing Sway of Rich Donors - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Opinion: U.Va. Firing Flap Shows Growing Sway of Rich Donors - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: Opinion: U.Va. Firing Flap Shows Growing Sway of Rich Donors

June 19, 2012, 10:08 am

A University of Virginia media-studies professor writes in the online magazine Slate that the controversial firing of the school’s president shows the downside of U.S. colleges’ “addiction to philanthropy.”

Giving USA 2012 Indicates Long, Slow, Uphill Slog…If We Are Lucky - NPQ – Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting an active and engaged democracy.

Giving USA 2012 Indicates Long, Slow, Uphill Slog…If We Are Lucky - NPQ – Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting an active and engaged democracy.: If there is one takeaway for most nonprofits from this year’s Giving USA Report, it is that many nonprofits will be acutely feeling the effects of the recession for many years to come. This is unhappy news for many groups who may already feel that they have had to cut into their musculature to survive.

But before we address the numbers, we have one caveat: not everyone will feel the worst effects of this recession. Some organizations have done extraordinarily well over the past few years, but that is precisely what makes these numbers bad news for many. When the charitable giving numbers are relatively flat and some nonprofits are doing extraordinarily well, conversely, that means some are doing much worse than usual. Thus, we see some groups failing either because they are in a troubled field, or because they are in an economically troubled geographic region, or because they never had much to spare to begin with and the recession has rendered them too spare to survive.

Study Finds Generation Gap Among Wealthy Americans' Financial Planning | PND | Foundation Center

Study Finds Generation Gap Among Wealthy Americans' Financial Planning | PND | Foundation Center: Study Finds Generation Gap Among Wealthy Americans' Financial Planning

Unlike younger and older high-net-worth Americans, nearly half of wealthy baby boomers do not believe it is important to leave an inheritance for their children, a new report from U.S. Trust, a division of Bank of America, finds.

Charitable Donations Barely Grew Last Year, 'Giving USA' Finds - Fund Raising - The Chronicle of Higher Education

Charitable Donations Barely Grew Last Year, 'Giving USA' Finds - Fund Raising - The Chronicle of Higher Education: Charitable Donations Barely Grew Last Year, 'Giving USA' Finds

By Holly Hall

For the second year in a row, charitable giving barely grew, rising just 0.9 percent after inflation in 2011, according to Tuesday's release of "Giving USA," the annual yearbook of American philanthropy, which found that donations to educational institutions also edged up by 0.9 percent.

The report estimated that the total donated was $298.4-billion.

Giving to Arts and Culture Rose to $13 Billion in 2011 - Businessweek

Giving to Arts and Culture Rose to $13 Billion in 2011 - Businessweek: Donations to the arts in the U.S. rose about 4.1 percent in 2011, to $13.1 billion, according to a report released today by the Giving USA Foundation.

Such gifts fell 2.9 percent in 2009, the year following the collapse of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., and then rose about 5.7 percent in 2010. Arts and culture organizations received 4 percent of U.S. charitable donations last year.

2011 Giving Estimated at $298.42B - TheNonProfitTimes

2011 Giving Estimated at $298.42B - TheNonProfitTimes: Giving in the United States reached an estimated $298.42 billion during 2011, an increase of roughly 4 percent from 2010. Giving by individuals led the way, as usual, at 73 percent or $217.79 billion.

Monday, June 18, 2012

U.Va. donors may withhold funds over leader's ouster | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com

U.Va. donors may withhold funds over leader's ouster | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com: A top donor to the University of Virginia said she plans to withhold future contributions unless members of the school's governing board who are responsible for the ouster of President Teresa Sullivan are removed.

Another donor said she is worried about her family's investment - more than $170 million over the years - at the historic campus. More than a dozen other smaller donors have withdrawn pledges totaling thousands of dollars, and university officials are bracing for more.

Everything You Need to Know About Working for a Nonprofit - On Careers (usnews.com)

Everything You Need to Know About Working for a Nonprofit - On Careers (usnews.com): f the idea of getting paid to make the world a better place appeals to you, consider making the switch to a job at a nonprofit organization. Here are eight things you need to know about how nonprofit jobs are (and aren't) different:

Where in the World Are Those JDS Alumni? | eJewish Philanthropy: Your Jewish Philanthropy Resource

Where in the World Are Those JDS Alumni? | eJewish Philanthropy: Your Jewish Philanthropy Resource: Imagine you had to choose the group of people who are most likely to become Jewish day school donors. Who would you pick?

How about alumni? If you can find these grads and give them your spiel, bags bursting with money will soon be trucking their way into your development office, right?

Well, not exactly.

United Way event aims at young NH philanthropists | New Hampshire NEWS02

United Way event aims at young NH philanthropists | New Hampshire NEWS02: MANCHESTER — Granite United Way’s Emerging Leaders Society (ELS) will hold a networking event, “A Night at the Ballpark with ELS,” this week to introduce young professionals with an interest in philanthropy and service.

Newark needs more money to meet Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's $100 million challenge | NJ.com

Newark needs more money to meet Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's $100 million challenge | NJ.com: Nonprofits often find their fundraising efforts stymied by philanthropic groups who prefer dedicated donations, said Andrea McManus, chairwoman of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.