Wednesday, December 24, 2008

DeCrescenzo: Where are the bailouts for nonprofits?

DeCrescenzo: Where are the bailouts for nonprofits?: "COMMENTARY
DeCrescenzo: Where are the bailouts for nonprofits?
Teresa DeCrescenzo, SPECIAL TO LOS ANGELES TIMES
Thursday, December 04, 2008

I am a social worker, not an economist, and what I know is this: The stock market is in free fall, financial organizations are being bailed out and the Detroit automakers might yet get financial help from Washington, D.C. But what about those of us in the nonprofit world? Where's our bailout?"

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Jet Li Reveals Philanthropic Vision

Jet Li Reveals Philanthropic Vision: "Action star Jet Li has revealed his ideas about philanthropy to INSEAD Knowledge, a business research website.

“In 1997 I started thinking about the meaning of life,“ he told INSEAD during the recent Global Social Innovators Forum in Singapore, where he received the SIP Distinguished Fellow Award. “Why do we live? What do people hope to gain from living? Regardless of whether you’re Chinese, European or Asian … I think every living thing desires happiness. People feel anxious and insecure because they lack happiness.”

The star founded the One Foundation to help victims of natural disasters after almost drowning on the Maldives during the 2004 Asian tsunami."

News-Talk 1110 WBT | News Story: Charlotte Charity Bombarded With Requests For Help

News-Talk 1110 WBT | News Story: Charlotte Charity Bombarded With Requests For Help: "Charlotte Charity Bombarded With Requests For Help
Charlotte, 12.23.2008
WBT NEWS

Plenty of long lines this week at Crisis Assistance Ministry in Charlotte.

'We had 30 people in line at 8 o'clock yesterday who faced eviction. The sheriff was coming by 5 to padlock their homes,' said Doug Hartjes with the charity. 'We intervened, paid the past-due rent, and made sure they had a roof over their head through the holidays.'"

Seacoastonline.com: Nonprofits must band together, too

Seacoastonline.com: Nonprofits must band together, too: "These are tough times, and they are particularly tough for nonprofits.

Complicating the matter is the fact that many nonprofits, created initially to serve particular segments of our society, turn into bureaucracies. As with almost all bureaucracies, the primary goal then becomes to keep themselves in business.

When grant money and donations get tight, nonprofits involved in serving the same populations often spend entirely too much time and energy trying to prove they are the best at what they do in an effort to secure whatever funding is available."

Monday, December 22, 2008

Let's keep giving in their time of need | IndyStar.com | The Indianapolis Star

Let's keep giving in their time of need | IndyStar.com | The Indianapolis Star: "Bill Stanczykiewicz, president and CEO of the Indiana Youth Institute, says nonprofit organizations around the state have been forced to freeze salaries and consider layoffs as donations dry up. Although hard economic times can serve to squeeze out inefficiency and overlap in the nonprofit sector, many worthwhile organizations are likely to disappear in the year ahead. Nationally, some analysts forecast that up to one-third of nonprofit agencies will cease operations as a result of the recession."

Charities' dilemma: More need while fewer give

Charities' dilemma: More need while fewer give: "With Christmas just days away, charities that donate gifts and food for needy families are struggling to keep pace with a record demand for holiday assistance."

Donations up despite hard times | montgomeryadvertiser.com | Montgomery Advertiser

Donations up despite hard times | montgomeryadvertiser.com | Montgomery Advertiser: "Camilla Prince of Volunteer Information Center in Montgomery has seen families who are probably in need of charity themselves come in to make donations.

'It's been the most amazing year I've experienced in my entire life,' Prince said.

After 23 years with VIC, Price said she's seen enough to know this year trumps them all."

telegraphjournal.com - The Giving Season Takes on Greater Meaning in 2008 - Breaking News, New Brunswick, Canada

telegraphjournal.com - The Giving Season Takes on Greater Meaning in 2008 - Breaking News, New Brunswick, Canada: "It's been three years this month since I began my volunteer writing career with Community Profile. At the time, I wondered how long it might be before I ran out of community charities about which to write. I don't see the end in sight. We know first hand, because so many charitable causes come to the attention of our community foundation, and we are able to help, thanks to our generous donors. The goal of Community Profile is to reflect on the generosity of those around us and the good works of unsung heroes who lend a hand with the literally hundreds of local charitable causes that deserve our support. Many don't have the resources to 'toot their own horn' so I try to do it for them. We have so much for which to be thankful and lots to learn from the good works of others. It can be a formidable challenge to decide which causes to support at this festive and giving time of year but I will highlight a few I have been privileged to visit in the last week or so."

Corporate philanthropic partners still needed - Fort Worth Business Press

Corporate philanthropic partners still needed - Fort Worth Business Press: "Corporate America has long supported American philanthropy. Touchstone dates range from 1936, when corporations contributed $30 million (before taxes) to charitable organizations; through World War II ($266 million in 1945); through the recession of the 1970s ($1.25 billion in 1974); and eight up to last year’s $15.69 billion (5.1 percent of total giving in the United States).

Now it’s crunch time in the business world for philanthropy"