AFP Blog: Recent News of Note

This blog contains assorted news and commentary on the fundraising profession and philanthropy gathered by the AFP Fundraising Resource Center. Other Sites of Interest Section Disclaimer: AFP provides the following listing of hyperlinks to other Internet pages as a privilege to the user. AFP does not necessarily endorse, support or attest to the accuracy of information posted on those Internet pages. Some links may require registration to view and/or may only be available for a limited time.

Friday, August 18, 2006

Entry Level: It's not just what you give, but how you give it - Your Money - International Herald Tribune

Entry Level: It's not just what you give, but how you give it - Your Money - International Herald Tribune: "Entry Level: It's not just what you give, but how you give it
By Shelley Emling International Herald Tribune

Published: August 18, 2006
LONDON The decision by Warren Buffett, the billionaire investor, to donate 85 percent of his fortune to charity has set the bar high for budding philanthropists.

The sheer size of the gift - some $31 billion - is likely to make altruistic investors around the world ponder the size and method of their charity. But giving money away isn't always as easy as it sounds, and there are a number of issues to consider - primarily, when, where and how.

Bruce Bickel, managing director of PNC Wealth Management in Pittsburgh, who advises 18 family foundations, said,

'It is not so much based upon 'when' as it is 'why.''

San Bernardino County Sun - Former bricklayer touts nonprofits as SB building blocks

San Bernardino County Sun - Former bricklayer touts nonprofits as SB building blocks: "Though Morris' brief bricklaying introduction caught the eyes and ears of his audience, his intentions weren't on trying to teach a lesson.

Instead, he was describing the role that nine nonprofit organizations play within San Bernardino County's communities.

Laying the foundation is perhaps the most important and most critical step in creating just about anything, he explained.

'You guys have done that,' Morris said. 'You've laid that strong foundation throughout this community -- you are the running bond in this community.'

His analogy couldn't have come at a better time or purpose."

VIDEO: Area nonprofits meet to share fundraising ideas - Dateline Florida

The Association of Fundraising Professionals hosted a forum Tuesday for Southwest Florida nonprofit organizations.

VIDEO: Area nonprofits meet to share fundraising ideas - Dateline Florida

TownOnline.com - Local News: Local couple donates $1 million to land trust

TownOnline.com - Local News: Local couple donates $1 million to land trust:
snip snip>>
"The Tyres’ gift is the largest from private individuals in the alliance’s 24-year history.
Tammara Van Ryn, director of the commission that will design and run the accreditation program, called it 'storybook philanthropy.'
Although philanthropists typically start with lower-level giving, spending years getting to know an organization before investing heavily in its future, Berkley jumped right in, according to Van Ryn.
"

The Benton Courier-Do we act on ‘concept' of kindness?

The Benton Courier: "Catherine Ryan Hyde wrote a novel called “Pay It Forward,” which was published in 1999. Its philosophy was given more publicity when a film of the same name, starring Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt and Haley Joel Osment, came out in 2000.

Nancy and I watched the movie last week. I had seen it before; she had not. It was decent, moving and - if you let it- caused you to think.

Invoking serious thought is probably a goal more movies should have, but that's a different column for a different day.

The book presents aspects to the story that the movie people didn't choose to include, one being a biracial relationship. But that could have been because the actor serving as an executive producer was Spacey, who is white. He likely became involved initially because he saw it as a vehicle for his acting career. Thus the male lead in the movie was white, rather than black. His character's facial deformities were caused by burns of child abuse, not from burns suffered while fighting in the Vietnam War, as was the case in the book."

The Chronicle, 8/17/2006: President Bush Signs Charity Provisions Into Law

The Chronicle, 8/17/2006: President Bush Signs Charity Provisions Into Law: "resident Bush today signed into law a bill that contains a series of provisions designed to stimulate charitable giving and cut down on abuses of charity tax laws
ALSO SEE:

Chart: Changes for Charities and Donors in New Law

by donors and nonprofit organizations.

The law's chief incentive for charitable gifts allows donors age 70 ½ and older to withdraw up to $100,000 each year from their individual retirement accounts tax-free if they give the money directly to a charity."

Thursday, August 17, 2006

Amex Leads Charge For Change - Forbes.com

Amex Leads Charge For Change - Forbes.com: "Amex Leads Charge For Change
Parmy Olson, 08.16.06, 6:00 PM ET

By This Author
Parmy Olson

London -

Seeing red isn't necessarily a bad thing. At least not in the U.K., where American Express is exclusively testing the Red Card, a new charge card that donates a percentage of every purchase to fight AIDS in Africa."

Future Leaders in Philanthropy: Meet-A-FLiP: Akira Barclay

Future Leaders in Philanthropy: Meet-A-FLiP: Akira Barclay: "Meet-A-FLiP: Akira Barclay

Akira_barclay_1 Akira Johnson Barclay is Director of Development for The Catalog for Giving of New York City. In addition to those responsibilities, she is also managing the development of the first young leadership group for that organization. Prior to joining the staff at The Catalog in February, Ms. Barclay founded and continues to develop The Foundation Donor Advised Funds (THE FOUNDATION), a philanthropic organization focused on promoting strategic giving to the post-civil rights generation to achieve social change. A skilled and versatile professional, she has spent the last decade working in the nonprofit sector i"

Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Business Columnist Robert Miller-Nonprofits are gearing up for event

Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Business Columnist Robert Miller: "Robert Miller:
Nonprofits are gearing up for event

11:03 PM CDT on Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Representatives from North Texas nonprofits will gather at three town hall meetings this month and next in preparation for the National Nonprofit Congress on Oct. 16 and 17 in Washington, D.C.

The local meetings are part of a national effort to unite nonprofits and strengthen the charitable sector.

'The Nonprofit Congress is bringing together nonprofit leaders and their allies from across the country to identify and affirm the values that all nonprofits share, develop a vision and priorities for the nonprofit sector and exercise a collective voice,' said Cynthia Nunn, president of the Center for Nonprofit Management in Dallas."

onPhilanthropy: Preparing Nonprofit Directors for the Coming Changes in Governance

onPhilanthropy: Preparing Nonprofit Directors for the Coming Changes in Governance: "reparing Nonprofit Directors for the Coming Changes in Governance
By: Paul Firstenberg, 08/16/06

Reform of nonprofits is in the air. It has been propelled by the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley legislation introducing sweeping reforms in corporate governance. Following the passage of the legislation, the Senate Finance Committee, under the Chairmanship of Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), a frequent critic of nonprofits, held a series of hearings on potential changes in the regulation of nonprofits, although his committee has not yet generated actual legislation. At the same time, the leaders of the industry have produced a report acknowledging the need for change and proposing a package of specific reforms to the Congress and the nonprofit sector (The Panel on the Nonprofit Sector June 2005). The American Bar Association Coordinating Committee on Nonprofit Governance (May 2005) has also issued a report recommending reforms nonprofits should adopt in the wake of Sarbanes-Oxley. It also has been recommended by some critics that the IRS re-qualify organizations for exemption every five years."

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Diving for Dinner

Diving for Dinner: "A half-dozen longtime divers said such Web sites as Meetup.com, which connects people looking for activity partners, have seen a huge increase in the number of curious first-timers seeking fellow divers. And disillusionment with the Bush administration's environmental policies has pushed some young people to everyday forms of protest.

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 96 billion pounds of food are thrown away each year, making up 12 percent of the trash produced in the United States. Because of federal and state regulations for restaurants and grocery stores, expiration dates often come before the food actually spoils. Much of it ends up in bags separate from the rest of a store's garbage, providing easy access for divers."

Philanthropy: The Gift of Giving: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance

The Link to this article has expired.
Philanthropy: The Gift of Giving: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance: "Kiplinger Magazine
Philanthropy: The Gift of Giving
Wednesday August 16, 9:07 am ET
By MAGALI RHEAULT

PHILANTHROPY | The gift of giving
$199 BILLION

Amount that individuals gave to charities in 2005,

up about 3% from 2004, adjusted for inflation.
77%

Percentage of total charitable contributions

that come from individuals."

The Seattle Times: Education: Colleges ranked on social giving

The Seattle Times: Education: Colleges ranked on social giving: "Colleges ranked on social giving

By Nick Perry

Seattle Times staff reporter

Ask not what your college is doing for you, but what your college is doing for the country.

That's the premise of a college-rankings list devised by the political magazine Washington Monthly. Instead of considering a college's academic performance, the magazine attempts to evaluate factors such as community service, social mobility and research spending.

By the Washington, D.C.-based magazine's measure, the University of Washington is doing well: It ranked 14th on last year's inaugural list and 15th on the newly released 2006 list.

The magazine makes no secret it's taking a prod to the most widely recognized college rankings: 'America's Best Colleges' released annually by U.S. News & World Report since 1983."

U gets national fundraising award - Minnesota Daily

U gets national fundraising award - Minnesota Daily: "U gets national fundraising award
Of 1,000 eligible institutions, nine received the national honor.
By Yelena Kibasova

the University's fundraising efforts garnered national attention when the school was awarded a 2006 CASE- WealthEngine Award for Sustained Excellence in Educational Fundraising.

The award honors fundraising programs nationally, said Pam Russell, director of public relations for the Counsel for Advancement and Support of Education, an association that helps professionals in fields such as alumni relations, communications, marketing and fundraising.

'This particular award … honors those institutions who have won a CASE-WealthEngine Award for Educational Fundraising in three of the past five years,' Russell said."

USATODAY.com - Tycoon's $165M gift to Oklahoma State raises both hopes and questions

USATODAY.com - Tycoon's $165M gift to Oklahoma State raises both hopes and questions: "By Steve Wieberg, USA TODAY
STILLWATER, Okla. — On the Depression-era night when Boone Pickens was born, the attending doctor gave his father a grim choice: There were complications, and he could save the life of his wife or the baby. But not both.

Thomas Boone Pickens would have none of it. There had to be another option, he insisted, and the physician sweated — successfully — through the first cesarean section performed at the hospital in Holdenville, Okla.

Like his father, the son does not concede easily. In life. In business. Or on the playing field, where Boone Pickens, now 78, has made it his mission to lift his beloved Oklahoma State Cowboys from decades of low-budget mediocrity in all but a handful of sports to eminence in football and beyond. Money's what it takes? Money, the Cowboys now have. Just after Christmas last year, the famed oilman-turned-master investor wired $165 million to a school-connected account."

VillageSoup - Community - VillageSoup

VillageSoup - Community - VillageSoup: "PORTLAND/ELLSWORTH (Aug 16): The Maine Community Foundation in conjunction with Common Good Ventures invites Maine nonprofits to apply to its Program for Nonprofit Effectiveness.

Deadline to submit a letter of intent is October 15, 2006. Grants will be awarded by March 2007. Requests of up to $15,000 per year (renewable twice) will be considered. For complete guidelines and timeline, visit the 'grants available' page at www.mainecf.org or call toll-free 1-877-700-6800."

ASU Foundation nets record $149 mil in gifts

ASU Foundation nets record $149 mil in gifts: "ASU Foundation nets record $149 mil in gifts

Eugene Scott
The Arizona Republic
Aug. 16, 2006 12:00 AM

The Arizona State University Foundation closed the fiscal year with an unprecedented $149 million in donations, nearly $50 million more than last year's record total of $99.4 million.

The foundation is the primary fund-raising organization for the university. It raises, invests and manages private gifts to the university, and serves as the university's entrepreneurial arm in technology commercialization, real estate investment and other emerging initiatives"

SignOnSanDiego.com > News > State -- Getty Trust elects new chair amid two years of controversy

SignOnSanDiego.com > News > State -- Getty Trust elects new chair amid two years of controversy: "LOS ANGELES – The J. Paul Getty Trust has elected a new chair, who will immediately take over the board amid controversy regarding its financial affairs and charges that a former museum curator dealt in looted art.

The board met by telephone over the weekend and elected Louise H. Bryson board chair, spokesman Ron Hartwig said Tuesday."

TheStar.com - The downside of $billions

TheStar.com - The downside of $billions: "Without taking social and political realities into account, the Gates Foundation patronage of even the most powerful medications cannot meet the goal of reducing global inequities, writes Anne-Emanuelle Birn
Aug. 16, 2006. 01:00 AM

In recent days, Warren Buffett has received near-universal praise for his $31 billion donation to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The foundation has likewise enjoyed wide acclaim for its global health and educational programs, with Buffett's gift the highest tribute of all.

Americans tend to be self-congratulatory philanthropists. After all, 'scientific' philanthropy was invented by a pair of American magnates a century ago — Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller Sr. — who also focused on education and health."

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

USATODAY.com - Mutombo helps Congo take a big step forward with new hospital

USATODAY.com - Mutombo helps Congo take a big step forward with new hospital: "Mutombo helps Congo take a big step forward with new hospital
Updated 8/15/2006 10:12 AM ET By Richard Drew, AP

By Roscoe Nance, USA TODAY
After 15 years in the NBA, Houston Rockets center Dikembe Mutombo has the means to live the life he could only dream of growing up in Kinshasa, capital city of Congo.

Mutombo, who will earn $2.2 million for the upcoming NBA season, is able to own multiple homes and drive luxurious cars. But the memories from his youth compel him not to forget his impoverished homeland, the former Zaire."

Fangs Are Bared Over Md. Group's Katrina Dog Rescues

Fangs Are Bared Over Md. Group's Katrina Dog Rescues: "Fangs Are Bared Over Md. Group's Katrina Dog Rescues

By Ernesto Londoño
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, August 14, 2006; Page A01

It started as a dispute over the custody of Sandy Marie and Coco Ree, two dogs brought to Montgomery County last year after being rescued from a suburb of New Orleans ravaged by Hurricane Katrina.

But the attorneys involved in the spiraling fight are dueling about more than ownership of the female shepherds. It has become a battle over the legal complexities of rescuing pets in disaster zones, disparities in social class and the incendiary effect grass-root campaigns waged on the Internet can have on people's lives."

Social Edge - The Nonprofit Capacity Conundrum

Social Edge - The Nonprofit Capacity Conundrum: "The Nonprofit Capacity Conundrum
There is a distinct difference in the way capacity is supported in the non-profit versus other sectors. Nonprofit capacity support is often dictated by external funder objectives and not internal organizational need. Capacity support is viewed by donors as a necessary evil or overhead expense to be minimized.

From the funder's perspective this is logical. Funders have their own capacity needs to support, and in all practicality, use numerous NGO's for short periods (1-3 years) as operational intermediaries to meet their mission-oriented funding objectives. It is often more 'cost effective' to assume a portion of the grant will be wasted in inefficiencies, than to invest significantly over many years in building the capacity of NGO's the funder works with only intermittently.

Appreciating that efficiency and effectiveness are two different animals, an NGO can be effective, (thus attracting donor mission support) but still inefficient. "

The Chronicle, 8/17/2006: A Former Department Store Now Houses Charities

The Chronicle, 8/17/2006: A Former Department Store Now Houses Charities: "A Former Department Store Now Houses Charities

By Brennen Jensen

Hurricane Katrina sent five feet of putrid water spilling into the offices of My House Center for Learning, a
ALSO SEE:

Special Report: Rebuilding the World a Storm Destroyed

New Orleans charity that serves troubled youngsters. Faced with the moldy, uninhabitable mess, My House Center turned into a kitchen-table operation, as the charity's staff members began managing what was left of the organization from their homes.

Such impromptu arrangements have been common among the city's waterlogged charities. Help for some of the battered organizations finally arrived this month, when the Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations joined with United Nonprofits of New Orleans, a post-Katrina collaboration of area charities, to open 10,000 square feet of office space in an old department store downtown."

News-Record.com - Greensboro, North Carolina: Opinion: Seeking accountability

News-Record.com - Greensboro, North Carolina: Opinion: Seeking accountability: "Seeking accountability
Print this Article Print this article Email this Article Email this Article

When taxpayer money goes to nonprofit use, the public rightfully wants to know that funds are being used properly and efficiently.

On Aug. 3, the state auditor's office began offering the public more frequent updates on who's not meeting requirements for public funding. The Web site, www.ncauditor.net, posts monthly reports listing organizations that received nonprofit funding and failed to turn in required reports, through June 30, for the 2004-05 fiscal year. Of 455 listed, 18 are in Guilford County and 12 of those 18 are in Greensboro. Grants within the county totaled $1.2 million, while statewide, $48.6 million was distributed to the listed nonprofits. When contacted last week, some local organizations and businesses said not turning in the reports was an error rather than neglect."

Charity Funds Said to Provide Clues to Alleged Terrorist Plot

Charity Funds Said to Provide Clues to Alleged Terrorist Plot: "Charity Funds Said to Provide Clues to Alleged Terrorist Plot
Officials Say Money for Attacks Came From Earthquake Relief

By Joshua Partlow and Kamran Khan
Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, August 15, 2006; Page A10

LONDON, Aug. 14 -- The transfer of millions of dollars from Britain to a Pakistani charity working on earthquake relief last year helped investigators uncover the alleged plot to blow up airplanes bound for the United States, according to two senior Pakistani intelligence officials."

Monday, August 14, 2006

For cross-country fundraisers, the hike is all uphill

For cross-country fundraisers, the hike is all uphill: "Similar efforts have been more lucrative, but as Barden has found, it’s still a tough way to make a buck.

Perhaps that’s why it’s so rare. Michael Nilsen, spokesman for the Association of Fundraising Professionals, said that while he’s seen an increase in sports-oriented fundraisers such as marathons, walks and bicycling, hiking across America to raise money is unique."

The Chronicle of Philanthropy: Endowments

The Chronicle of Philanthropy: Endowments: "
ABOVE AND BEYOND

With standard portfolios forecast to stagnate, endowment managers eye real estate, private equities, hedge funds, and other alternative investments to beef up performance.
The ninth-century Haji Piyada Mosque in Afghanistan has been designated one of the world's 100 most-endangered sites by the World Monuments Fund, a New York-based nonprofit organization that reported a 24.1-percent return on its endowment investments for the most-recent fiscal year. (Photograph by R. Besenval, DAFA, courtesy of World Monuments Fund)
Commentary
HERE AND NOW

Sometimes intergenerational equity is better served by spending than by investing in the market, say Henry Riggs and Timothy Warner.
(Illustration by Julie Delton)"

Arkansas Blog: Slate philanthropy conference to feature Clinton, Turner

Arkansas Blog: Slate philanthropy conference to feature Clinton, Turner: "Slate philanthropy conference to feature Clinton, Turner

Little Rock has just landed another major conference, and this one may be the biggest yet, in terms of the city punching above its weight.

Former President Bill Clinton, Ted Turner and Bill Gates, Sr. (father of the Microsoft founder) are among the confirmed speakers for the Slate 60 Conference on Innovative Philanthropy, which will take place at the Clinton Presidential Library on Nov. 12-13."

Can a park have too much money? - The Boston Globe

Can a park have too much money? - The Boston Globe: "ust as the Friends of the Public Garden is about to broaden its campaign to raise $6.5 million for the preservation of Boston Common, the Public Garden, and the Commonwealth Avenue mall, a watchdog group is saying the charity already has more money than it needs.

Charity Navigator, a New Jersey nonprofit that analyzes the financial underpinnings of charities, says the Friends of the Public Garden is hoarding donors' money."

Columnists - StatesmanJournal.com-What About the Arts?

Columnists - StatesmanJournal.com: "What About the Arts?

Money for the arts has got to come from somewhere

RON COWAN

August 13, 2006

If you want to know the major reasons that nonprofit directors burn out, you can consider troublesome boards, overwhelming workloads and impossible goals.

Right up there has got to be raising money, a treadmill that can be exhausting and uncomfortably diverting for people who would like to focus on the big picture, not just keeping the doors open.

So don't be surprised at the increasing din of benefits and fundraisers, which certainly help fill the rental spaces at places such as the Salem Conference Center, Mission Mill Museum and the Chemeketa Eola Northwest Viticulture Center.

Undoubtedly there are others, such as caterers, rental businesses and musicians who benefit from this kind of traffic, although most benefits couldn't succeed without the contributions of businesses, artists, restaurants and musicians who donate money, work or time, partly out of a sense of community and partly out a sense that such positive exposure can help."

The Seattle Times: Local News: Boomers take up volunteer work — if it matters

The Seattle Times: Local News: Boomers take up volunteer work — if it matters: "Boomers take up volunteer work — if it matters

By Marsha King

Seattle Times staff reporter

Days after retiring from a 31-year government career, Judi Cotner Montoya set about creating her next identity — community volunteer.

The 61-year-old Queen Anne resident knew what she wanted: a challenge that demanded the same energy as her old midmanagement job and used her skills in public speaking, mediation and management."

Freshman ethics lesson - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Freshman ethics lesson - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "The new school year also brings another ritual: renewed appeals from colleges and universities for financial support.

Millions of Americans will respond. Last year, corporations, foundations and individuals donated $25.6 billion to U.S. colleges and universities, the Council for Aid to Education reported recently -- a nearly 5 percent increase from the year before. Gifts from alumni -- nearly 28 percent of the total -- increased 6 percent. Non-alumni individuals donated an additional 20 percent, CAE reported.

According to Slate, the online magazine, last year's largest gifts to higher education included Mesa Petroleum founder Boone Pickens' $165 million gift to Oklahoma State University, his alma mater; eBay founder and Chairman Pierre Omidyar's $103 million gift to his alma mater, Tufts University; and the late Ford Motor Co. heiress Josephine Ford's $50 million bequest to the College for Creative Studies in Detroit."

Philanthropy: Who Gave What for Katrina Relief

Philanthropy: Who Gave What for Katrina Relief: "Philanthropy: Who Gave What for Katrina Relief
A survey of donors in the aftermath of the Gulf Coast hurricanes finds corporate foundations were the leaders in funding recovery efforts

Foundation Center released a report on Aug. 9 titled 'Giving in the Aftermath of the Gulf Coast Hurricanes: Report on the Foundation and Corporate Response,' the second of a series of three reports on the subject. The first was released earlier as a summary of immediate findings"

Gates’s Charity Races to Spend Buffett Billions - New York Times

Gates’s Charity Races to Spend Buffett Billions - New York Times: "Although it has long been the largest grant-making foundation in the nation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is facing an unparalleled challenge: how to give away more money — and do it much faster — than it ever has before.

Largely lost in the June announcement of Warren E. Buffett’s gift of $31 billion to the foundation were its terms. Mr. Buffet will make the contribution in annual increments. For tax reasons, starting in 2009, the foundation must give away every nickel that he contributed in the previous year."

Billy Joel a surprise at classical show - Yahoo! News

Billy Joel a surprise at classical show - Yahoo! News: "oel strolled on to the stage during the second half of the concert, sat down at an electronic keyboard and joined Joo for a duet.

The piano man also promised to buy a piano for the Huntington Arts Council, which co-sponsors the summer concert series."