Friday, October 28, 2005

Indicted On Fraud, Vilar Saluted By NYC's Met Opera - Forbes.com

Indicted On Fraud, Vilar Saluted By NYC's Met Opera - Forbes.com: "Faces In The News
Indicted On Fraud, Vilar Saluted By NYC's Met Opera
Liz Moyer, 10.26.05, 6:41 PM ET


NEW YORK - Alberto Vilar, once a high-flying tech fund manager and philanthropist, gained notoriety this spring after being charged with multiple counts of fraud, conspiracy and money laundering. But Vilar is still getting a puff of recognition from one of his old stomping grounds."

Tax provision good news for rich donors | The San Diego Union-Tribune

Tax provision good news for rich donors | The San Diego Union-Tribune: "Feds may see bigger revenue loss

By Stephanie Strom
NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE

October 28, 2005

A little-noted provision in the tax-relief package to aid victims of Hurricane Katrina is shaping up as a windfall for charity and a drain on government coffers.

It allows wealthy donors who make substantial cash gifts to almost any charity by the end of this year to deduct an amount up to nearly 100 percent of their adjusted gross income – double the normal limit of 50 percent of income. The tantalizing prospect has set off a financial scramble among some wealthy donors and charities vying for their dollars."

Emerging Issues: Philanthropy: Giving Circles: Past, Present, & Future

From the Council on Foundations

Emerging Issues: Philanthropy: Giving Circles: Past, Present, & Future: "Giving Circles: Past, Present, & Future
Giving Circles have emerged as a popular form of grassroots philanthropy. These are groups of individuals that pool their money and jointly decide how and where the money will be donated. Beginning in the early 1990’s, they are a way for people of all ages, backgrounds, and income levels to take an active and directed approach in their philanthropy. Women have been especially active through this mode of philanthropy"

Keeping the Light on Katrina: In Hurricane Tax Package, a Boon for Wealthy Donors | MediaChannel.org

Keeping the Light on Katrina: In Hurricane Tax Package, a Boon for Wealthy Donors | MediaChannel.org: "But fund-raising experts have long said that the decline in charitable giving that followed the Sept. 11 attacks was smaller than nonprofit groups led the public to believe and driven more by economic factors than by exhausted donors.

'After 9/11, 65 percent of our members were raising the same or more, and the following year, the numbers went up again,' said Paulette V. Maehara, president of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. 'There wasn't the sky-is-falling impact that a lot of people thought there would be, and there won't be now, either, unless the economy does a nosedive.'"

Arkansas Times- Philanthropy storms in to aid Katrina casualties

Arkansas Times:
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"Fran Carter, president of the Arkansas Association of Fundraising Professionals, said the response to the UA “changes the expectation of what individual donors can do for an organization.” But when donors make multi-year commitments to achieve their gift, or have made what she called “sacrifice” donations, there’s less to go around to other causes.
"

FJC | News | FJC makes top charities list in the USA

FJC | News | FJC makes top charities list in the USA: "FJC makes top charities list in the USA

Friday, October 28 2005

More than 25 Jewish groups made the list. The United Jewish Communities was the top Jewish group on the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s list of the top 400 charities in America. The top five Jewish groups include the Jewish Joint Distribution Committee at 60, the Jewish Communal Fund at 82, the UJA-Federation of New York at 83 and the Jewish Federation/Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago at 133."

Online Research Tool Now Free to Nonprofits :: PNNOnline ::

Online Research Tool Tow Free to Nonprofits :: PNNOnline ::: "Online Research Tool Now Free to Nonprofits
Posted by: scovillepr on Thursday, October 27, 2005
Topic Special Features


QuestionPro, a leader in online survey hosting and delivery since 2002, announced today the QuestionPro Nonprofit Waiver Program. This new program gives registered nonprofit organizations one free account at the Professional license level of QuestionPro free of charge for up to a year (a $499 value).


While there is a prevalence of free online research tools, none offers the rich feature set of QuestionPro. Due to budget constraints, many nonprofit organizations use these low-end services then become frustrated with their limitations or simply don’t get high enough quality of information to make smart business decisions.


QuestionPro now makes it possible for these organizations to leverage the full feature set of QuestionPro’s online survey service for free for up to a year. In exchange, nonprofits simply need to acknowledge QuestionPro in their surveys and on their Web site.


According to Carolyne Swaine, President of MPRES, a federally funded nonprofit agency that provides health care education and research services, their ability to gather the data they need had been severely hampered by increasing costs and declining response rates associated with telephone and mail surveys. QuestionPro’s turnkey hosted survey service gives them the ability to improve response rates and overall quality of data.

"

Lumina Foundation Funds Fellowships for Doctoral Students :: PNNOnline ::

Lumina Foundation Funds Fellowships for Doctoral Students :: PNNOnline ::: "Lumina Foundation Funds Fellowships for Doctoral Students
Posted by: laurakujawski on Thursday, October 27, 2005
Topic Education


Lumina Foundation for Education has awarded a grant to the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University to establish a fellowship program for students earning a Ph.D. in Philanthropic Studies.


The funding will support for three years two fellows focused either on research in philanthropy and higher education or on research related to private foundations. The two fellowships will provide opportunities in which respected scholars guide exceptional, creative minds to a new level of intellectual growth and will heighten their future contributions to academia and to nonprofit professionals’ work.


“We are grateful to Lumina Foundation for their generous underwriting of these fellowships,” said Gene Tempel, executive director of the Center on Philanthropy. “They will make a huge difference financially to our students, and enable them to do important research to advance the field. This support will enhance our ability to attract the best students to this unique doctoral program.”

"

master event calendar

master event calendar:
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"“We want it to be used,” Ross said. “A planning calendar like this is only as good as the users. It’s a continuous calendar, and we hope people will put events on a year or more out. That’s when it will be most valuable.”

Ross said the calendar software is only the tip of Kintera’s iceberg. The technology also allows nonprofit organizations to create “mini websites” to promote events and accept registrations or donations."

Thursday, October 27, 2005

Public Sets High Standards for Nonprofits - 27 Oct 2005

Public Sets High Standards for Nonprofits - 27 Oct 2005: "Public Sets High Standards for Nonprofits


AccountingWEB.com - October 27, 2005 - Two recent surveys of perceptions of nonprofits, conducted before Hurricane Katrina, suggest some skepticism among donors and the public at large about large national charitable organizations. One survey, The Charitable Impulse, conducted by Public Agenda, a nonpartisan research organization, surveyed two distinct groups. of Americans They conducted six focus groups of �civically engaged� donors who had given at least $300 to charities and had volunteered at least once in the past year, and separately interviewed 15 charity leaders around the country.
Donors in the focus groups were generally �enthusiastic and positive�, especially when it came to smaller local charities, according to the Public Agenda report, but had �a long memory for scandal and waste.� Focus group participants expressed concern about marketing costs and big business approaches to sales. Givers had a �long memory for scandal and waste� and took past misdeeds �quite personally, and the breach is nearly impossible to repair,� the report says."

Wichita Eagle | 10/27/2005 | Philanthropist to be honored at annual ceremony

Wichita Eagle | 10/27/2005 | Philanthropist to be honored at annual ceremony: "Philanthropist to be honored at annual ceremony


Wichitan Joan Beren, a philanthropist known for her work with Wichita State University and the Mid-Kansas Jewish Federation, will be honored as the area's top philanthropist Nov. 11."

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Relief agency faced with frustrations - Delaware Coast Press - delmarvanow.com

Relief agency faced with frustrations - Delaware Coast Press - delmarvanow.com: "Relief agency faced with frustrations





In 1978, a group of concerned Lewes-area citizens lead by George Chappell, a lifelong resident of Sussex County, organized Lewes Aid Services Inc. to 'aid those in need, regardless of race, color or creed' by providing emergency funding for food and necessary 'cost of living' expenses; rent, electric bills, home-heating fuel, etc.
Established as a 'voluntary community organization,' our only operating expenses are the costs of our answering service and postage to mail checks. Our current staff consists of eight Lewes-area volunteers who take turns screening calls for help. Originally, our operational funds came from area churches, service organizations and local businessmen. We still receive regular donations from the Lewes-Rehoboth Association of Churches, St. Andrew's Church Women and St. Jude's R.C. Church but as local businesses have changed hands or re-organized, contributions have died off while calls for assistance have increased. "

Bangkok Post Thursday 27 October 2005 - Joy is in giving

Bangkok Post Thursday 27 October 2005 - Joy is in giving: "Joy is in giving

A businesswoman sets aside a part of her company's earnings for the less fortunate and travels around the country to deliver it








People derive satisfaction from travelling for many reasons. For Vikanda Swasdiburi, it's the joy of giving.

Vikanda is the managing director of Marketing Integration and it's been her company's policy to contribute part of her earnings to the less fortunate, which she channels by arranging annual staff outings to provinces that need most help. She usually caps off the donation-giving with a barbecue party to thank her staff for their contribution."

The Statesman

The Statesman: "Cherie�s charity event questioned
Nigel Morris in London
Oct. 26. � Cherie Blair faced embarrassment last night after it emerged that a children�s cancer charity received only a fraction of the cash raised when she spoke at a charity dinner. The Tories called for her to end her lucrative international speaking commitments, accusing her of bringing the office of Prime Minister into disrepute. Following an inquiry, state investigators in Australia concluded that the event in Melbourne had raised �81,500 but that only �6,700 found its way into cancer research. The other �74,785 was swallowed up in paying for the dinner and covering guest speakers� fees, consumer protection officers from the state of Victoria. "

Arkansas Times

Arkansas Times: "Philanthropy storms in to aid Katrina casualties
Wal-Mart Foundation tops national giving.
Leslie Newell Peacock
Updated: 10/27/2005

HELP BY THE TRUCKLOAD: From Wal-Mart.
Nature has battered the globe in the past year, sending devastating earthquakes and hurricanes East and West. Seldom have natural forces cre-ated so much havoc in such a short period of time. "

Tuesday, October 25, 2005

Yawkey Foundation spreads proceeds from sale - The Boston Globe

Yawkey Foundation spreads proceeds from sale - The Boston Globe: "Yawkey Foundation spreads proceeds from sale

By Bob Hohler, Globe Staff | October 24, 2005

The 2002 sale of the Red Sox turned into the greatest boon for charities in the history of New England sports philanthropy.
Article Tools

Overnight, the Yawkey Foundation II, created by the late Sox owner Jean R. Yawkey, swelled to a $368 million endowment from $30 million thanks to proceeds from the sale of the team and became one of the largest private foundations in the region. Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly also reached an agreement with the new Sox owners that they would create a charitable foundation and distribute at least $20 million within 10 years."

Women and philanthropy forum to spotlight the power of giving (Oct 25, 2005)

Women and philanthropy forum to spotlight the power of giving (Oct 25, 2005): "Women and philanthropy forum to spotlight the power of giving

October 25, 2005

by Chris DuPre

Well-known activist and philanthropic leader Hannah Rosenthal will keynote the daylong Seventh Biennial Forum on Women and Philanthropy, presented by the UW Foundation and the Women's Philanthropy Council on Thursday, Nov. 10.

Most presentations will be at The Madison Club. A luncheon address by Rosenthal will be at Monona Terrace.

The Biennial Forum on Women and Philanthropy is a special symposium for women who view philanthropy as leadership and as an investment in the future. Outstanding UW-Madison faculty members, alumnae, national leaders and students will take part in the day's sessions, which will focus on women as initiators, beneficiaries and sustainers of positive change."

The Community Foundation Survey

The Community Foundation Survey: "Community Foundation Survey

The Columbus Foundation Survey of Community Foundations was launched in 1988 to provide an overview and comparison of U.S. community foundations.

The survey reports on gifts received, grants paid, and the market value for U.S. community foundations, along with rankings of the top 100 community foundations in those categories. It includes data from 2004 or the most recent fiscal year for which market value information was available; only current gift and grant data is included in the results. The survey includes funds, supporting organizations, and other public charities controlled by community foundations. The information sources used to generate the survey findings include results provided by individual community foundations, community foundation annual reports, and Guidestar.org"

San Luis Obispo Tribune | 10/25/2005 | Dave Edwards/Nonprofit Strategies

San Luis Obispo Tribune | 10/25/2005 | Dave Edwards/Nonprofit Strategies: "Dave Edwards/Nonprofit Strategies

Not-for-profits must invest in leadership

The Tribune

WANTED: 'Visionary, energetic leader to run resource-starved nonprofit, trying to solve complex social problems. Low pay, long hours, no benefits but great intrinsic rewards. Must play multiple roles simultaneously in rapidly changing environment while competing directly for resources with other deserving agencies.'

Interested?

Leadership matters. It matters in the for-profit sector, and it certainly matters a lot in the not-for-profit sector. Yet funding good leadership for our local organizations is increasingly difficult."

newsobserver.com | Lifestyles

newsobserver.com | Lifestyles:
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"'Schools are finding challenges with state and local budgets,' says Walter Sczudlo, executive vice presidents of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. 'Private fund raising is being looked at more and more as one of the ways to supplement those budgets.'

The practice has its critics."

The Chronicle, 10/27/2005: Giving Bounces Back

The Chronicle, 10/27/2005: Giving Bounces Back: "Giving Bounces Back
Donations to the biggest charities increased by 11.6% last year

By Holly Hall, Leah Kerkman, and Cassie J. Moore

Donations to America's biggest charities grew by 11.6 percent last year, according to The Chronicle's 15th annual survey of the 400 charities that raise the most money in the United States."

Johns Hopkins Gazette | October 24, 2005-"Report Assesses U.S. Nonprofit Governance and Accountability

Johns Hopkins Gazette | October 24, 2005: "Report Assesses U.S. Nonprofit Governance and Accountability

Amid wide calls for reform, study offers first up-to-date look at actual practices

By Mimi Bilzor
Institute for Policy Studies

With Hurricane Katrina demonstrating anew the need for an effective and reliable network of private, nonprofit organizations to help meet urgent national problems, and recent calls from the Senate Finance Committee and others for increased regulation of nonprofit organizations, a new report from Johns Hopkins' Nonprofit Listening Post Project offers the first up-to-date information on the actual governance and accountability practices of U.S. nonprofit organizations."

BC Children's Hospital Foundation President Wins Top Philanthropy Award

BC Children's Hospital Foundation President Wins Top Philanthropy Award: "Sue Carruthers, President and CEO of BC Children's Hospital Foundation, has been awarded the prestigious Si Seymour Award by the Association of Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP).

The international award is the highest honour in the field of healthcare philanthropy and Carruthers is only the second Canadian to receive the award, which was instituted in 1970. It is presented annually to a professional who has shown outstanding leadership and fostered and promoted exemplary standards of excellence for volunteerism and philanthropic support."

Charity asked to prove fundraising credentials. 25/10/2005. ABC News Online

Charity asked to prove fundraising credentials. 25/10/2005. ABC News Online: "Charity asked to prove fundraising credentials

A children's charity has been asked to prove why it should remain a registered fundraiser, after concerns it has breached Victorian laws.

The Children's Cancer Institute of Australia paid the British Prime Minister's wife, Cherie Blair, to speak at a fundraising event in Melbourne earlier this year."

Monday, October 24, 2005

TheNewMexicoChannel.com - Money - Americans Giving More In Donations Each Year

TheNewMexicoChannel.com - Money - Americans Giving More In Donations Each Year: "Americans Giving More In Donations Each Year
Charities Raised $248.5 Billion In 2004

POSTED: 8:16 am MDT October 24, 2005

NEW YORK -- Americans gave more money to charity in 2004 than the year before. And, according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy, it looks like that generosity is still growing.

The publication said the 400 largest U.S. charities saw donations rise 11.6 percent last year from 2003.

The United Way of America was the top fund-raising group in 2004.

Money given to the 400 biggest nonprofit groups accounted for more than one-quarter of the $248.5 billion raised in the U.S. last year."

Appeal-Democrat.com-YC fundraiser cancels gaming

Appeal-Democrat.com: "YC fundraiser cancels gaming

By Rob Young/Appeal-Democrat

The Yuba City Kiwanis Club has cut gambling from its Monte Carlo Night after being threatened by a state official, club Chairman Michael Barrette said Friday.

The fundraising event will be held tonight at the Peach Tree Golf & Country Club but has been renamed “A Black and White Affair”.

Peach Tree's manager received a call Thursday from the Division of Gambling Control threatening to work with the Alcoholic Beverage Control Department to suspend the club's liquor license if gambling games are played, said Barrette.

The Division of Gambling Control is part of the Department of Justice.

“We don't want to put the club in harm's way,” he said."

TODAYonline-$3.24m for Cancer Charity Show campaign

TODAYonline: "$3.24m for Cancer Charity Show campaign
IT'S official — Singaporeans' confidence in charity organisations is back.
.
That is, going by the $3.24 million in donations pledged by the end of last night's Cancer Charity Show 2005, for the beneficiaries of the Singapore Cancer Society (SCS).
.
The first televised extravaganza to be staged by a single voluntary welfare organisation (VWO) since the National Kidney Foundation saga, the show marked the second week of a fund-raising campaign that has, already, equalled the total amount raised in last year's three-week campaign.
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A total of 181,568 calls were received during the three-and-a-half hour show, which was aired live on MediaCorp TV Channel 8.
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The number of pledges spiked noticeably whenever Project SuperStar champion Tan Wei Lian took the stage — he sang four times during the evening.
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Westchester.com - Billie Jean King To Deliver Keynote Address At 10th Grant Awards Breakfast

Westchester.com - Billie Jean King To Deliver Keynote Address At 10th Grant Awards Breakfast: "Billie Jean King To Deliver Keynote Address At 10th Grant Awards Breakfast PDF Print E-mail
Westchester.com
Monday, 24 October 2005
Westchester Community NewsHartsdale, NY - The Westchester Fund for Women and Girls will hold its 10th Annual Grant Awards Breakfast on Friday, November 4, from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. at the Hilton Rye Town. To date, the Westchester Fund for Women and Girls has raised $1.9 million, and this year it’s expected to reach its $2 million endowment goal.

To date, the Westchester Fund for Women and Girls has raised $1.9 million, and this year it’s expected to reach its $2 million endowment goal. Once the goal has been achieved, the Fund will generate approximately $100,000 annually to support local programs. To date, the fund has awarded $500,000 to local agencies that provide programs for women and girls.

“This breakfast celebrates10 years of dedicated volunteer effort, and we are so excited to be near our goal,” said Deborah Slaner Larkin of Pelham, co-chair of the event."

ITnews. Notiziario di tecnologia ed innovazione

PRESS RELEASE

ITnews. Notiziario di tecnologia ed innovazione: "NEW ON-LINE HANDBOOK HELPS DONORS TO GIVE EFFECTIVELY
24-10-2005 11:20

LONDON, October 24 /PRNewswire/ -- A Guide to Giving, launched today, is the essential, free handbook for anyone who would like to support charities and good causes effectively. The Guide provides clear, practical and objective guidance on a variety of approaches to and mechanisms for giving.
There has been remarkable growth in the range of charitable services that help donors in the UK to give effectively, yet many people who would like to give do not know of their existence. Now, with the publication of the second edition of A Guide to Giving, Philanthropy UK in association with private bank Coutts & Co has provided a unique, comprehensive resource to support all individuals wishing to give to charitable causes."

Donors Passionate About Charities, Wary of Slick Marketing :: PNNOnline ::

Donors Passionate About Charities, Wary of Slick Marketing :: PNNOnline ::: "Donors Passionate About Charities, Wary of Slick Marketing
Posted by: shannonleskin on Monday, October 24, 2005
Topic General Fundraising


American donors are passionate about the charities and nonprofits they support, but are concerned when these organizations market themselves like 'big business,' a report from Public Agenda finds.


The report, The Charitable Impulse, finds that donor sentiment about charitable organizations is 'enthusiastic and positive,' especially when it comes to smaller local charities and human service organizations, and that giving tends to be based on personal experience and emotional connections. But donors also have a long memory for scandal and waste, and they often take past misdeeds 'quite personally.' "

Herald.com | 10/24/2005 | Americans gave more to charities in 2004

Herald.com | 10/24/2005 | Americans gave more to charities in 2004: "Posted on Mon, Oct. 24, 2005
M O R E N E W S F R O M topix.net
• Charitable Organizations

PHILANTHROPY

Americans gave more to charities in 2004

Major U.S. charities reported an increase in donations in 2004 compared to 2003. United Way of America received the most money.

BY MADLEN READ

Associated Press

NEW YORK - Americans gave more money to charity in 2004 than the year before, and it looks like that generosity is still growing.

The 400 largest U.S. charities saw donations rise 11.6 percent last year from 2003, according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy, a newspaper that tracks philanthropy and charitable organizations. The United Way of America was the top fundraising group in 2004, the Chronicle said."

United Way keeps to proven success formula

United Way keeps to proven success formula:
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"'Fund raising is as much of an art as it is a science, and when a charity finds something that is an effective way of fund raising in their local community or area of operation, they logically tend to stick with what works,' said Walter Sczudlo, executive vice president of the Association of Fundraising Professionals in Alexandria, Va., which represents 2,700 people worldwide."

Charity Village�NewsWeek: Cover Story

Charity Village�NewsWeek: Cover Story: "Insurance for the nonprofit sector: Is the glass half full or half empty?
Louise Chatterton LuchukOctober 24, 2005
By Louise Chatterton Luchuk

Understanding the nonprofit insurance situation is a bit like trying to decide if the glass is half full or half empty. A February 2004 CharityVillage cover story documented the issues of rising premiums and coverage limitations for many nonprofit agencies. Almost two years have passed, and Connie Berry, liability issues policy analyst for the Voluntary Sector Forum, says that some organizations should be feeling a bit of relief."

Corzine's Charitable Donations Questioned - Yahoo! News

Corzine's Charitable Donations Questioned - Yahoo! News: "New Jersey Sen. Jon Corzine (news, bio, voting record), a former Wall Street executive with a portfolio worth $261 million, has been giving some of his money to black churches, raising questions about whether it's generosity or politics."

Not giving it their all - The Boston Globe

Not giving it their all - The Boston Globe: "Not giving it their all
Records reveal many local athletes aren't putting up charity numbers

By Bob Hohler, Globe Staff | October 23, 2005

The two highest-paid athletes in New England history each expressed a million-dollar vision of goodwill.
First, Pedro Martinez rolled out a line of black bean and corn salsa in 1999, saying his goal was to raise $1 million for his charitable foundation to support ''children, health care, and education in Boston and the Dominican Republic.' But the former Red Sox pitcher, who has been fabulously generous with his personal wealth in his Dominican homeland, has since maintained an average balance greater than $850,000 in his Boston-based foundation and has made only one grant to a charitable organization in Massachusetts: $5,000 last year to the Riverview School in East Sandwich"

Soft heart, hard head: TD counsels 'investor approach' to charity - Yahoo! News

Soft heart, hard head: TD counsels 'investor approach' to charity - Yahoo! News: "TORONTO (CP) - Canadians whose charitable generosity is in danger of succumbing to 'donor fatigue' should react by applying investment principles, TD Bank economists advice.
ADVERTISEMENT

TD Economics looked at Canadian charities a year ago and found the sector under stress, and 'this year has brought a new challenge as charities struggle to gain attention amidst a spate of natural disasters that have, according to expert commentators, led to donor fatigue,' the bank economists say."