Friday, July 11, 2008

Lawmakers Discuss Changes to Rules Governing Some Gifts of Art - Philanthropy.com

From the Chronicle

Lawmakers Discuss Changes to Rules Governing Some Gifts of Art - Philanthropy.com: "Staff members for Sen. Charles E. Grassley, of Iowa, say some key members of the Senate Finance Committee are discussing possible legislation that would loosen some of the tax rules associated with donations of art."

Alliant to offer grants for nonprofits hit by floods | GazetteOnline.com - Cedar Rapids, Iowa City

Alliant to offer grants for nonprofits hit by floods | GazetteOnline.com - Cedar Rapids, Iowa City: "Alliant to offer grants for nonprofits hit by floods
The Gazette
A new grant program set up by Alliant Energy Foundation will offer non-profit groups and programs up to $20,000 to help recover from the recent floods.

The charitable foundation of Madison, Wis.-based Alliant Energy allocated $1 million for the new Rebuilding Our Communities Grant Program."

Charity Village®NewsWeek: Cover Story

Charity Village®NewsWeek: Cover Story: "This month in our Leadership in Focus series we feature Nick Nissley, executive director of leadership development at the Banff Centre in Alberta. Before settling in the Rockies two years ago, Nick held senior leadership roles in the mining industry, as well as the education and healthcare sectors in the United States. But the position he seems most proud of was as executive at his alma mater, the Milton Hershey School in Pennsylvania, an opportunity that allowed him to give back to a place that has given him so much.

CharityVillage: With your past and current experience you have a good pulse on leadership in this country. Do you think the nonprofit sector is doing enough to foster and develop leaders? If not, what could they be doing differently?"

Girl Scout Councils Merge, Name New CEO - Hometown Station KHTS AM-1220

Girl Scout Councils Merge, Name New CEO - Hometown Station KHTS AM-1220: "Historic merger creates council serving more than 50,000 Girl Scouts.



Lise L. Luttgens has been selected as the Chief Executive Officer for the soon-to-be-formed Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles."

Gasoline giveaway: Kalamazoo-area charity Free Gas USA works to fill tanks of the poor - Kalamazoo Gazette - MLive.com

Gasoline giveaway: Kalamazoo-area charity Free Gas USA works to fill tanks of the poor - Kalamazoo Gazette - MLive.com: "KALAMAZOO -- A local religious group has launched what they believe is a first-in-the-nation assistance program for low-income people having trouble paying for gasoline.

The nonprofit program operates under the name Free Gas USA Inc., and it's taking applications for gas grant cards that range in value from $50 to $1,200, depending on people's needs and circumstances."

The Register Citizen - EDITORIAL: Nonprofits take big hit

The Register Citizen - EDITORIAL: Nonprofits take big hit: "EDITORIAL: Nonprofits take big hit
07/11/2008

The lagging economy is taking its toll on everyone, but nonprofit charitable organizations are getting hit particularly hard.

As donations decrease because of the economy, these organizations depend on volunteers to do more with less. Unfortunately, the federal government does not understand the value of these organizations, especially the volunteers."

Charity creates life-size blue whale - Telegraph

Charity creates life-size blue whale - Telegraph: "The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society have created a lifesize image of a blue whale to highlight the threats facing the planet's largest mammal.
# EU must unite to save whales

The image, so large it requires a map to navigate, lets viewers examine the full 30m length of the whale close up."

Charitable Giving's Efficiency Problems

Charitable Giving's Efficiency Problems: "Tim Seiler, the director of Indiana University's school of fund-raising in Indianapolis, says that special events have value. Not only can they help raise the profile of a charity and provide a good way to tell the organization's story; they also help groups reconnect with old donors, he points out, while introducing them to prospective new contributors. Such events 'can be very effective,' says Seiler."

Renee Seblatnigg: Charitable giving bolstered by court | ShreveportTimes | The Times

Renee Seblatnigg: Charitable giving bolstered by court | ShreveportTimes | The Times: "The court's July 1 ruling in Howard v. Tulane is a case in point. The broad question at issue was whether Tulane University, as recipient and steward of charitable gifts from Josephine Louise Newcomb, acted improperly when it dissolved the H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College — named for her daughter — and confiscated its endowment."

Killion: Armstrong is peddling something bigger now - San Jose Mercury News

Killion: Armstrong is peddling something bigger now - San Jose Mercury News: "Armstrong's July calendar instead has him biking with regular folks, many of whom have been touched by cancer. This weekend brings him to San Jose for the Livestrong Challenge, a fundraising event designed to increase awareness of Armstrong's foundation. For 11 years, the Lance Armstrong Foundation has sought to improve the quality of life for cancer survivors, increase research funding and advance cancer prevention methods."

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Insight Center - Advantages of Philanthropy - Portfolio.com

Insight Center - Advantages of Philanthropy - Portfolio.com: "Caught between critics demanding “corporate social responsibility” and investors demanding short-term profits, many companies seek to make their giving more strategic.

But “strategic philanthropy” is often nothing more than PR campaigns promoting corporate brands. Result? Public cynicism, not goodwill."

Monday, July 07, 2008

Johns Hopkins Gazette | July 7, 2008-Nonprofit Jobs in Maryland Outpace Private Sector

Johns Hopkins Gazette | July 7, 2008: "Nonprofit Jobs in Maryland Outpace Private Sector

Growth especially strong in the Washington and Baltimore suburbs

By Mimi Bilzor
Institute for Policy Studies

Nonprofits in Maryland are growing their workforces nearly three times faster than the state's for-profit sector, according to a recent Johns Hopkins study. Nonprofit organizations now provide 9.6 percent of all jobs in Maryland, well above the national average of 7.2 percent."

The Price of Advice: Chronicles of a Young Philanthropist, Part III - Freakonomics - Opinion - New York Times Blog

The Price of Advice: Chronicles of a Young Philanthropist, Part III - Freakonomics - Opinion - New York Times Blog: "The Price of Advice: Chronicles of a Young Philanthropist, Part III

By Sudhir Venkatesh

Readers of this blog might recall my earlier posts about Michael, a young man who is expecting to donate about $70 million over the coming decade.

In the last six months, Michael has committed himself to understanding both the responsibilities and challenges of philanthropy. There was some interest in his progress among Freakonomics readers, so I thought it might be good to follow him around for a while."

The Times Record News-Alan Lightman of Harpswell — gives to others

The Times Record News: "HARPSWELL — Alan Lightman has a long list of accolades attached to his name. He was the first professor at MIT to teach in both the humanities and science departments. He is the author of an international best-selling book, 'Einstein's Dreams.' But what has satisfied him the most is his charitable work in Cambodia."

Is nonprofit newsroom's shaky start an omen? - 07/07/2008 - MiamiHerald.com

Is nonprofit newsroom's shaky start an omen? - 07/07/2008 - MiamiHerald.com: "Amid the dismal reports of cutbacks, layoffs, fear and trembling in the country's newsrooms, the birth of Pro Publica has been reason for cheer. It's the dazzling new investigative reporting outfit, a nonprofit venture funded with $10 million a year from a California philanthropy to hire two dozen top-dog journalists to 'focus exclusively on truly important stories, stories with `moral force,' '' it says."

New Study: Donors & Revenue Both Drop

The NonProfit Times - The Leading Business Publication For Nonprofit Management: "New Study: Donors & Revenue Both Drop

The number of donors and the revenue of the 72 large organizations tracked in the Target Analytics Index of National Fundraising both declined when the first quarter of 2008 is compared to the first quarter of 2007. It is the first time that both donors and revenue declined across the entire index since it has been tabulated beginning in the fall of 2001."