Thursday, November 14, 2013

▶ Art iPads from Darien Library - YouTube

▶ Art iPads from Darien Library - YouTube: Published on Nov 11, 2013

Darien Library is offering iPads loaded with apps and programs designed to allow users the opportunity to explore the relationship between art and technology.

The 5 ASKing Traits: An AFP International Conference on Fundraising Education Session Sneak Peek! - Resource Center - AFP

The 5 ASKing Traits: An AFP International Conference on Fundraising Education Session Sneak Peek! - Resource Center - AFP: Knowing your personal ASKing style, as well as the style of your boss, partner or co-worker, can be incredibly insightful. These five ASKING traits apply to everyone in everyday situations: from ASKing for a raise and travel vouchers for a canceled flight to medical advice and ASKing for gifts. I can show you how to gauge the reactions you may be receiving, and with a few simple refinements you will be making your best ASK every time.

A Generational Transition

A Generational Transition: Making Change by Spending Down" is a new commentary series of The Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies (ACBP) - in partnership with the Foundation Center - to share insights and lessons of ACBP as it spends down its endowment by 2016 and closes. Each month various stakeholders will contribute new posts that will explore how ACBP's decision to spend down affects a broad range of interests: from mission, employees and grantees, to investments and legacy. Decision makers across the social sector will benefit from the first-hand knowledge and community of learning being created.

The series - which will run for a year or more - is being disseminated through the Foundation Center’s PhilanTopic, Transparency Talk and GrantCraft blogs and here on eJewish Philanthropy.]

Georgia Gives Day Celebrates Giving With Reception - 41NBC

Georgia Gives Day Celebrates Giving With Reception - 41NBC: Julie Wilkerson, president of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, says the second annual Georgia Gives Day was a great success.

"We're here to celebrate that day, and also as part of national philanthropy day to appreciate our donors" said Wilkerson. "A lot of the organizations have brought some of their donors and volunteers just to say thank you for what they do for us throughout the year."

Nonprofits have a great story to tell � Philanthropy North Carolina

Nonprofits have a great story to tell � Philanthropy North Carolina: The broken economy has given nonprofits a rare opportunity to talk about the important role they play in serving people and places in need.

Through the stories they tell, nonprofits can help their supporters understand the urgent needs in their communities, their organizations’ impact in addressing those needs, and the difference donors and volunteers can make by investing in those organizations.

What’s your plan for telling your story? � Philanthropy North Carolina

What’s your plan for telling your story? � Philanthropy North Carolina: Your story — about the community need you address, and the difference you make in the lives of people — is the lifeblood of your organization.

Fundamental to your effectiveness in delivering services, raising money and operating your organization is your ability to tell that story in a clear, compelling way.

� 2013 Report Measures Nonprofit Fundraising Effectiveness

� 2013 Report Measures Nonprofit Fundraising Effectiveness: A recently released report titled the 2013 Fundraising Effectiveness Survey Report prepared by the AFP (Association of Fundraising Professionals) and the Urban Institute ”helps nonprofit organizations measure and compare their annual growth in giving by gain/loss category and increase the net by maximizing their gains and minimizing their losses.”

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Thoughts On Philanthropy From Ancient Philosophers Maimonides and Bob Hope - Forbes

Thoughts On Philanthropy From Ancient Philosophers Maimonides and Bob Hope - Forbes: ou just work day and night if the cause in your heart is justified. You just go out and drive yourself to get the money. And you have fun doing it. It’s a real rush. The people I particularly dislike are those who say ‘I’m going to leave it in my will.’ What they’re really saying is ‘If I could live forever, I wouldn’t give any of it away.’ “

Philosopher Maimonides may have originated the idea that teaching a man to fish is better than just giving him a fish:

Challenge Gift Drives and Corporate Matching Gifts - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly

Challenge Gift Drives and Corporate Matching Gifts - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly: Anyone who’s ever listened to a public radio station in the U.S. will be familiar with the concept of a challenge gift drive. Deep into the annual pledge drive, the radio host announces something like, “Sponsor X is committing $5,000 toward our goal of $10,000, but only if we can raise the rest of our goal by the end of the month,” or “Sponsor Y will match, on a 1:1 basis, each of the first $5,000 in gifts we receive until the end of the month.” No matter what your taste in radio programming, these time-sensitive pledge drives are inevitably irritating to listen to. Even professional fundraisers would rather hear music. Yet they endure. Why?

Cynder Sinclair: Nonprofit Foundations, and Battling the Class Divide in Philanthropy

Cynder Sinclair: Nonprofit Foundations, and Battling the Class Divide in Philanthropy: In working with individual nonprofits, it doesn’t take long to see how much time we all spend concerned with what foundations will or won’t fund; but revenue from funders is a relatively small part of the overall funding picture. The vast majority of private philanthropic dollars (approximately 75 percent in a typical year according to the annual Giving USA report) come from individual donors. And in most cases, individuals represent the greatest potential source of funds. So I advise nonprofits to focus on individual donors more than they do on foundations.

Author Gore Vidal's Harvard Bequest Fuels Legal Battle - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Author Gore Vidal's Harvard Bequest Fuels Legal Battle - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: Relatives of the late Gore Vidal are on opposite sides of a looming court fight over the iconoclastic author’s bequest of a reported $37-million fortune to Harvard University, according to The New York Times.

Americans Gave Bulk of $1-Million-Dollar Gifts Last Year, Global Study Finds - News - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Americans Gave Bulk of $1-Million-Dollar Gifts Last Year, Global Study Finds - News - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: America’s wealthy donors far outstrip those of other countries in the number of gifts of $1-million or more they make, a new study shows.

Americans provided $14-billion of the $19-billion in gifts of $1-million or more made to charity from donors around the world last year, according to the study, which looked at donations from people in China, Hong Kong, the Middle East, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States,

Georgia Gives Day encourages online donations

Georgia Gives Day encourages online donations: Many nonprofits in Hall County hope people go to the Georgia Gives Day website today to donate to their organization.

It’s the second annual day of online fundraising. Last year, the website raised $900,000 from 7,700 contributors. Betsy Reid, communications director for the Georgia Center for Nonprofits, said it hopes to draw 10,000 donors this year

The AFP Blog

The AFP Blog: Communicating Ethics, One Person at a Time
You may have heard about the recent Washington Post investigation into wide-spread “theft, fraud, embezzlement and other unauthorized use of funds” that has occurred at more than 1,000 charities involving hundreds of millions of dollars.

On one hand, you can say this this isn’t a big deal and point out that of the 1.6 million nonprofits in the U.S., only about 1,000 have encountered these sorts of problems. Or note that funding for government agencies that oversee nonprofits has been substantially cut. On the other hand, we can acknowledge that that the sector has real work to do in this area.

Free, Electronic Bequest-Potential Calculator Unveiled (Blog Update) | LinkedIn

Free, Electronic Bequest-Potential Calculator Unveiled (Blog Update) | LinkedIn: You can learn more about the Bequest Potential Calculator at Michael Rosen Says… (http://wp.me/p1h0KY-B9). After you use the Calculator, let me know what you think and whether or not your organization is realizing its full planned giving potential.
Smart fundraising professionals realize the value of understanding their nonprofit organization’s planned giving potential.

Responsible investing evolves, raises questions � Philanthropy North Carolina

Responsible investing evolves, raises questions � Philanthropy North Carolina: The market for socially responsible investing is changing, and institutional investors should pay attention to its growing influence and visibility, a new study says.

A recent report estimated that at the end of 2012, the responsible investing market had $3.74 million in assets under management, or 11.2 percent of the $33.3 trillion in total assets under management in the U.S., says the study by Commonfund Institute.

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Cincinnati Fundraising Comes Through With $61.7 Million | The NonProfit Times

Cincinnati Fundraising Comes Through With $61.7 Million | The NonProfit Times: United Way of Greater Cincinnati’s (UWGC) 2013 campaign exceeded the 2012 campaign, with the most new dollars since 2007. The 2013 campaign raised more than $61.7 million, some $650,000 more than last year, an increase 1 percent. UWGC reported it was the most new dollars since 2007 and the second-highest new dollar total in 10 years.

Willis Turner-Can T�a Obreht Make You a Better Fundraiser? : FundRaising Success

Willis Turner-Can T�a Obreht Make You a Better Fundraiser? : FundRaising Success: Can T�a Obreht Make You a Better Fundraiser?

Opinion: Pursuing the Promise of a 'Nasdaq for Nonprofits' - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Opinion: Pursuing the Promise of a 'Nasdaq for Nonprofits' - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: The New York Times profiles Lindsay Beck, a cancer survivor with charity experience and an M.B.A., and her nascent efforts to develop the equivalent of a stock market to finance nonprofits.

Ms. Beck tells Times business columnist Andrew Ross Sorkin that she came up with the idea while pursuing her masters at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. She had previously started Fertile Hope, an organization that helped female cancer survivors with pregnancy, after her own bout with the disease.

Colby College | Colby Magazine | Anonymous Alum Funds Nonprofit Course for Local Causes

Colby College | Colby Magazine | Anonymous Alum Funds Nonprofit Course for Local Causes: or three years, Morrione, Charles A. Dana Professor of Sociology, had taught a popular seminar, Nonprofit Organizations and Philanthropy, in which students write grants for area nonprofits and donate $10,000 to the nonprofit(s) deemed most deserving.

The success of the course at Colby, which was funded by the Sunshine Lady Foundation, endowed by Doris Buffet, landed Morrione on the foundation’s academic advisory team. One of his recommendations: that after three years colleges fund the course themselves. “Somebody who is doing well with it ought to be able to find funding elsewhere,” Morrione said.

Bill Gates and Bill Clinton Revolutionized Philanthropy. Now They Talk About What's Next | Wired Business | Wired.com

Bill Gates and Bill Clinton Revolutionized Philanthropy. Now They Talk About What's Next | Wired Business | Wired.com: You want a world-class conversation about the future of global health, the vanguard of philanthropy, and the divide between ignorance and data-driven knowledge? Bring in the Bills. Gates and Clinton, that is.

They share much more than a first name. Both pivoted from spectacular first acts to second careers devoted to tackling some of the biggest problems on the planet. To do this, they have capitalized on their previous roles, their connections, and their brainpower. In Clinton’s case, it turned out that the attributes that make for the ultimate politician work equally well in the service of philanthropy.

Tom's of Maine announces winning nonprofits for $150K in grants for community projects (11/12/13 4:32 am)

Tom's of Maine announces winning nonprofits for $150K in grants for community projects (11/12/13 4:32 am): KENNEBUNK, Maine — Fifteen nonprofits from Maine to Washington are sharing $150,000 in grants as winners of Tom's of Maine's fifth annual "50 States for Good" program.

SBF Foundation launched to encourage corporate giving - Channel NewsAsia

SBF Foundation launched to encourage corporate giving - Channel NewsAsia: The Singapore Business Federation (SBF) Foundation was launched on Tuesday, and has received S$18 million in donations since July to kick-start its corporate giving programmes.

The Hottest Way To Give To Charity - Forbes

The Hottest Way To Give To Charity - Forbes: In the staid world of charitable giving, what’s the hottest charitable giving vehicle out there these days? Donor-advised funds–once the poor man’s version of a private foundation. More people are setting them up; contributions are up; the average account size is up; and grants from the funds to charity are up.

In an effort to grow, storied Morristown nonprofits merge | Daily Record | dailyrecord.com

In an effort to grow, storied Morristown nonprofits merge | Daily Record | dailyrecord.com: ORRISTOWN — The name may have changed, but the services offered haven’t.

In fact, with new subsidiary the Morristown Neighborhood House, Morristown’s Cornerstone Family Programs has only gotten bigger.

Chief Executive Officer Patrice Picard said the rebranding and addition of the Neighborhood House will allow the organization to better achieve its mission of “empowering individuals and families to overcome life’s challenges and helping them to build better lives.”

Take Your Non-Profit’s #GivingTuesday Strategy to the Next Level | CCS Philanthropy 360

Take Your Non-Profit’s #GivingTuesday Strategy to the Next Level | CCS Philanthropy 360: ou may have read my recent post on CCS Philanthropy 360, “Maximize the Power of #GivingTuesday This December 3rd For Your Non-Profit.” In it, I shared strategies for your non-profit to share client stories and test new ideas using social media, as well as ways to increase ROI.

Because we still have 22 days to go until #GivingTuesday, I wanted to share a few other tactics that are more advanced if you’re ready to take your organization’s #GivingTuesday campaign to the next level.

Atlas v Blackbaud v Giving USA | Atlas of Giving

Atlas v Blackbaud v Giving USA | Atlas of Giving: A question often asked by those who are new to the Atlas of Giving is, “How is Atlas different from Giving USA or the Blackbaud Index?” First, the short answer:

While all three products use their own respective methodologies to measure and report past giving, the Atlas of Giving is primarily focused on quantifying what will happen in the future – how much will be given, to what causes, and by whom. Neither Giving USA nor the Blackbaud Index produces a forecast of future giving.

#GivingTuesday – A movement encouraging everyone to give back | The Giving Institute

#GivingTuesday – A movement encouraging everyone to give back | The Giving Institute: love giving.

Is there anything better than the joy you feel when you decide, for yourself, with your family or maybe on behalf of an organization, to make a donation to a worthy cause? It’s high up there on my list, for sure.

I also love #GivingTuesday, the movement focused on celebrating the Tuesday after Thanksgiving (in the U.S.) as the opening day of the giving season. A wonderful group of people, including Henry Timms (interim executive director of the 92nd Street Y), Matthew Bishop (The Economist) and Rob Reich (Stanford University) launched this movement in 2012 as a way to help expand the reach of those engaged in giving back.

Monday, November 11, 2013

Billionaire donates $2 million to Alicia Keys charity | General News | Hollywood.com

Billionaire donates $2 million to Alicia Keys charity | General News | Hollywood.com: licia Keys' Black Ball charity auction received a $2 million (�1.3 million) donation from pharmaceutical mogul Stewart Rahr. R