Friday, July 18, 2008

Milwaukee-Area Festivals Deal With Struggling Economy - Entertainment News Story - WISN Milwaukee

Milwaukee-Area Festivals Deal With Struggling Economy - Entertainment News Story - WISN Milwaukee: "MILWAUKEE -- Many people are feeling the pinch of our tough economic times and it's not just gas and food prices."

Volunteer donates award money to Dallas charity

Star Community Newspapers: "Plano resident Brenda Mahon donated $10,000 to the Downtown Pregnancy Center in Dallas after winning a Community Service Award from Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, which recognized her 14 years of volunteer service.

Mahon was one of only eight associates of MassMutual selected to receive the Community Service Award because of her close work with the Downtown Pregnancy Center in Dallas for 14 years.

More than 5,000 MassMutual employees and financial advisors were eligible for the award."

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Daily Herald | Senior centers try to maintain services in hard times

Daily Herald | Senior centers try to maintain services in hard times: "But fundraisers can also be economy-driven, with less disposable income and fewer participating businesses affecting the bottom line, reports the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

'I don't have a crystal ball as to how (the fundraisers) are going to go,

JS Online: Festival cancellations prove rare

JS Online: Festival cancellations prove rare: "The cancellation of this year’s African World Festival appears to be an exception rather than the rule for area fairs and celebrations challenged by a difficult economy and the budget-tightening of all-important corporate sponsors."

Circle of Partners: Celebrating Long-Term Philanthropy | The Jewish Exponent

Circle of Partners: Celebrating Long-Term Philanthropy | The Jewish Exponent: "More than 800 people, many of whom have supported the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia for more than a half-century, gathered at Har Zion Temple in Penn valley last month for the 13th annual Circle of Partners celebration."

onPhilanthropy: Articles: When It Comes to US Giving, What Do We Really Know?

From OnPhilabnthropy

onPhilanthropy: Articles: When It Comes to US Giving, What Do We Really Know?: "When It Comes to US Giving, What Do We Really Know?
Thursday, July 17, 2008
By: Susan Raymond, Ph.D.

To begin, let me take my hat off to the Giving USA Foundation. It takes great stick-to-it-iveness to put in the years of detailed work that regularly give the sector a snapshot of philanthropy in America. As one who labors in the fields of obscure and elusive data, I salute an effort that, I am sure, combines flashes of"

MinnPost - Nonprofits learning how to measure costs and benefits

MinnPost - Nonprofits learning how to measure costs and benefits: "It's more the language of a stockbroker than a human services manager. Return on investment refers to a hard-nosed economic analysis that shows politicians and grant reviewers that nonprofits can track their costs and benefits — and show in concrete ways that investments pay off for clients and the public."

Townhall.com::The News::News ArticleBaptists' gifts to Union surpass $3MBaptists' gifts to Union surpass $3M

Townhall.com::The News::News ArticleBaptists' gifts to Union surpass $3MBaptists' gifts to Union surpass $3M: "JACKSON, Tenn. (BP)--Total giving from Southern Baptist churches and entities has topped $3 million for Union University's recovery from a Feb. 5 tornado that destroyed much of the housing and caused major damage to other academic buildings at the Jackson, Tenn., campus."

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Managing Constituent Relationships: Four Case Studies

The AFP Resource Center posts a variety of Nonprofit Technolgy stories on their
Nonprofit Techonology News Blog

From Idealware via Tech Soup

Managing Constituent Relationships: Four Case Studies: "Managing Constituent Relationships: Four Case Studies
How four organizations have implemented CRM and what their experiences can mean for your organization

*
By: Anthony Pisapia and Brett Bonfield

July 14, 2008
Idealware logo

This article is courtesy of Idealware, which provides candid information to help nonprofits choose effective software. For more articles and reviews, go to www.idealware.org.

Who enables your organization to do its work? Most nonprofits divide supporters into categories: paid staff, volunteers, clients, donors, vendors, or advocates. However, real people often fall into multiple categories, and keeping track of their activities related to your organization can quickly get complex."

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

The Juggle - WSJ.com : For Charity: Affluent Parents Buy Kids Broadway Roles, Baseball with Jeter

The Juggle - WSJ.com : For Charity: Affluent Parents Buy Kids Broadway Roles, Baseball with Jeter: "More affluent moms and dads are buying their kids Broadway and TV roles, internships or slots in sports stars’ training clinics, with the proceeds going to good causes, say operators of online charity auctions."

Donors give record $160.5M to University of Missouri - Triangle Business Journal:

Donors give record $160.5M to University of Missouri - Triangle Business Journal:: "Despite rocky economic times, donors to the University of Missouri gave a record-breaking $160.5 million in fiscal year 2008, the university said Monday. Gifts to the campaign, which has gone on since 2000, totaled $952.54 million, bringing the campaign total to 95 percent of its $1 billion goal."

Destination News - London, Florida, Geneva & South Africa Luxury Hotels - Red Carnation Hotels

Destination News - London, Florida, Geneva & South Africa Luxury Hotels - Red Carnation Hotels: "One of the greatest madcap events of the British summer, the Great British Duck Race is due to take place once again this August."

Rochester Women's Giving Circle practices hands-on philanthropy | democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle

Related Stories on Giving Circles we've seen

Rochester Women's Giving Circle practices hands-on philanthropy | democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle: "or the 33 women in the Rochester Women's Giving Circle, writing a check wasn't enough.

'All of us have made individual donations,' says Alyce Van Patten of Rochester, 'but we were looking for a way to have a greater impact.'"

STLtoday - Area nonprofits got millions from A-B

STLtoday - Area nonprofits got millions from A-B: "St. Louis — Nonprofits, which rely heavily on Anheuser-Busch's history of giving, are now moving from the 'what if' to 'what now' question with the InBev buyout now official.

'People are properly cautious,' said Bob Davidson, a spokesman for Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center. 'We are the Show-me State, after all. Hopefully, what we'll be shown by InBev is that they'll affirm they are a company that wants to maintain the philanthropic support that Anheuser-Busch has given throughout the years.'"

Boards of All-Volunteer Organizations | Blue Avocado

Article on All Volunteer Organizations from Blue Avocado.

Boards of All-Volunteer Organizations | Blue Avocado: "Boards of All-Volunteer Organizations
By Jan Masaoka • July 14, 2008 •

Volunteerism is an enormous economic force, yet it is never mentioned in business school or in economics departments.
--Walter Hoadley, former Chief Economist for the Bank of America

All-volunteer organizations (AVOs) are a major social and economic force"

The Modesto Bee | WILLIAM ROBERTSON: Charity's new bottom line: trust

The Modesto Bee | WILLIAM ROBERTSON: Charity's new bottom line: trust: "Several prominent nonprofit organizations in recent years have acted in ways that undermine public confidence. Greed, mismanagement and in some cases outright dishonesty by officials of these organizations have created doubts in the minds of many donors whether charitable giving is the best way to use scarce resources. Eventually this growing unease will exact a price. While the economy will recover, recovering lost trust could prove a far-more difficult matter."

Monday, July 14, 2008

AFP > Resource Center | Fundraising news > AFP Responds to L.A. Times Report on Fundraising Inefficiencies

AFP > Resource Center | Fundraising news > AFP Responds to L.A. Times Report on Fundraising Inefficiencies: "AFP Responds to L.A. Times Report on Fundraising Inefficiencies

(July 14, 2008) The Los Angeles Times published a story on Sunday, July 6, reporting that only a small percentage of money reaches California nonprofits when they use a for-profit fundraising company to raise funds."

Vicky Ward: Beacons of Hope Glimmer in Dark Financial Times - Living on The Huffington Post

Vicky Ward: Beacons of Hope Glimmer in Dark Financial Times - Living on The Huffington Post: "New York's billionaires, it seems, have not really noticed the downturn. They still spend their summers on lavish yachts in Europe, and are still flying in their own planes. Hearteningly, they also continue to give philanthropically on a vast scale."

New Tax Laws Dry up Car Donations - MarketWatch

New Tax Laws Dry up Car Donations - MarketWatch: "CHICAGO, Jul 14, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Car donations have plummeted since Congress in 2004 tightened the tax rules for claiming charitable deductions, according to a Grant Thornton analysis of new IRS data."

BBC NEWS | UK | Wales | South East Wales | Charity snog for song invitation

BBC NEWS | UK | Wales | South East Wales | Charity snog for song invitation: "'We're looking for all types of couples to come along for one of the two-hour slots throughout the day and kiss for the music video and help raise money for this very worthy cause.'

Those wanting to take part can sign up to snog in one of three sessions throughout the day in the foyer of Glamorgan University's Atrium in Adam Street, near Cardiff city centre"

Ablowitz: A message for nonprofits and donors : Columnists : Boulder Daily Camera

Ablowitz: A message for nonprofits and donors : Columnists : Boulder Daily Camera: "Then they were referred to as not-for profit corporations, often shortened to nonprofits, and, in some contexts, non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

Now, some are suggesting calling them public-benefit corporations or public-benefit enterprises. They comprise 'The Third Sector,' the space between public and private that often has elements of both in terms of how they are funded."

Ledger-Enquirer.com | 07/12/2008 | King Papers progress stalls

Ledger-Enquirer.com | 07/12/2008 | King Papers progress stalls: "Fundraisers pledged they would pay off the loan in two years, and archivists were hopeful the collection of 10,000 of King's personal papers and books would be ready for scholarly and public access this spring.

Two years after the historic purchase, neither of those deadlines have been met.

Organizers now expect to have the debt paid by next summer - a year after the original due date. About two-thirds of the loan has already been paid, and the rest is being refinanced."

$20M gift from 'curmudgeon' stuns charity | DailyComet.com | The Thibodaux Daily Comet | Thibodaux, LA

$20M gift from 'curmudgeon' stuns charity | DailyComet.com | The Thibodaux Daily Comet | Thibodaux, LA: "The former president of Pelican Homestead left a fortune of at least $20 million to the Greater New Orleans Foundation. The gift is expected to grow as more of Marque's vast real estate holdings are sold."

Charity clients suffer as drivers can't afford to keep filling up | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press

Charity clients suffer as drivers can't afford to keep filling up | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press: "As fuel prices climb to record highs, fulfilling the needs of people like Wooten is increasingly difficult. Disadvantaged people without transportation are losing out on warm meals and rides to doctor appointments, pharmacies and food banks because more and more volunteers can't afford to fill up their tanks. For those who are ill, frail or living with disabilities, volunteer drivers often are all they have."