Fund Raisers Strongly Object to Deduction Limit, Poll Finds - Philanthropy.com

Fund Raisers Strongly Object to Deduction Limit, Poll Finds - Philanthropy.com: "The poll, conducted by the American Association of Fundraising Professionals, surveyed 813 fund raisers who responded to questions posted on the association’s Web site over a five-week period ending November 30.

They appear to side with other charity leaders who say that, particularly when the bad economy has caused donations to many nonprofit groups to decline sharply, reducing the charitable deduction would only further dampen giving, just when charities need it most.

But while the majority of fund raisers in the poll opposed the proposal, 14 percent said they agreed with the plan. Another 18 percent said they were undecided and needed more information."

Giving for Good: Young professionals getting involved in philanthropy • Columnists (www.HometownAnnapolis.com - The Capital)

Giving for Good: Young professionals getting involved in philanthropy • Columnists (www.HometownAnnapolis.com - The Capital): "'I think it is important to educate ourselves and our peers on the issues in our community, learn more about philanthropy and get involved,' said Hall Chaney, project manager at Chaney Enterprises and a founding member of Next Gen of Anne Arundel County, a new giving circle comprised of young professionals hosted by the Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County. On Friday night, Next Gen hosted a kick-off event at The Grandview, located at the Annapolis Towne Centre at Parole. All of the advertising for the event took place on Facebook, and more than 70 people attended to learn more and join the giving circle."

So Where’s the Proof Social Entrepreneurship Works? | Philanthropy Central

So Where’s the Proof Social Entrepreneurship Works? | Philanthropy Central: "In fact, there’s a good deal of compelling evidence—beyond default references to Muhammad Yunus and microfinance—that social entrepreneurs are producing results at scale.

Notice my language here. I’ve intentionally coupled “results” and “scale” rather than using the ubiquitous “going to scale” phrase, which suggests, to me anyway, that scale is more about an organization’s size than its impact. For the Skoll Foundation, it’s all about impact. Of course, to the degree organizational capacity fuels impact or achieves economies in driving order-of-magnitude results, a beefier organization may be entirely justifiable. But let’s be clear that what we’re after is that social ROI."

House establishes permanent 'death tax' branch (OneNewsNow.com)

House establishes permanent 'death tax' branch (OneNewsNow.com): "The House passed a permanent extension of the 45 percent federal estate tax yesterday over the objections of Republicans who say the death tax needs to be completely abolished. Majority Leader Steny Hoyer hailed the death tax extension as permanent 'tax relief' for American families, saying it 'strikes a fair balance between what we owe to families, farmers, and small businesses.' He also billed it as 'an important step toward fiscal responsibility.'"

Majority of Charities Would be Hurt by Proposal to Decrease Donation Value :: PNNOnline ::

Majority of Charities Would be Hurt by Proposal to Decrease Donation Value :: PNNOnline ::: "More than half of charitable fundraisers surveyed indicated their organizations would be hurt by a White House proposal to decrease the value of the charitable deduction, according to an informal poll by the Association of Fundraising Professionals."

The World's Top 25 Philanthropists -- Barron's Ranking Based on Impact - Barrons.com

The World's Top 25 Philanthropists -- Barron's Ranking Based on Impact - Barrons.com: "THE NAME OF THE GAME IN PHILANTHROPY this year is to make your dollars go far -- very far. With the recession squeezing donors and charities alike, it's more important than ever to make sure your giving really makes a difference."

Low-Cost Event Benefits Both Charities and Consultants - Philanthropy.com

Low-Cost Event Benefits Both Charities and Consultants - Philanthropy.com: "Low-Cost Event Benefits Both Charities and Consultants

In New York City, pounded hard during the recession, local fund-raising consultants and charity officials came together this week for a mutually beneficial “speed consulting” event.

The benefit for charity officials: The chance to get 15 minutes of free advice from one or more consultants at the event."

Harvard Law Drops Free-Tuition Offer for Public-Service Pledges - Philanthropy.com

Harvard Law Drops Free-Tuition Offer for Public-Service Pledges - Philanthropy.com: "Harvard Law Drops Free-Tuition Offer for Public-Service Pledges

Harvard University’s law school is suspending its offer to waive tuition for students who promise to spend five years working for nonprofit groups or the government, citing economic pressures and the program’s surprising popularity, according to The New York Times."

Tough Choices for Givers - WSJ.com

Tough Choices for Givers - WSJ.com: "When you sit down to consider your charitable contributions this year, you may want to bring your heart along with your budget.

Many of us, facing pay cuts, job worries and uncertainty about what's ahead, may not feel able to give as much this year as we have in the past, forcing us to make difficult decisions beyond dollars and cents. A recent American Red Cross poll found that 20% of givers planned to reduce their contributions this year, though 62% were hoping to give about the same amount."

Five Charity-Evaluation Groups Mount Effort to Educate Americans About Smarter Giving - Philanthropy.com

Five Charity-Evaluation Groups Mount Effort to Educate Americans About Smarter Giving - Philanthropy.com: "harity Navigator, poking holes in the value of overhead ratio? Actually, yes.

The watchdog group, which gives charities good scores for spending little on overhead in comparison to their program expenses, is one of five organizations trying to get Americans to pay less attention to administrative and fund-raising costs when they think about which groups to support. (See this press release from the five groups.)"

The outlook for fundraising in 2010 | Mal Warwick's Newsletter

From Mal Warwicks Newsletter

The outlook for fundraising in 2010 | Mal Warwick's Newsletter: "The outlook for fundraising in 2010
by Peter Schoewe
From December 2009

It would be easy to write off 2009 as a terrible year for fundraising. Because of the economic crisis at the end of 2008, the past 12 months have been a time of uncertainty and challenges for many fundraising programs. But there have been bright spots—believe it or not—amid the wreckage of falling donor counts and dropping average gifts in the past year. Here are a couple:"

Ind. charities hope for more holiday donations -- chicagotribune.com

Ind. charities hope for more holiday donations -- chicagotribune.com: "INDIANAPOLIS - Indiana charities are hoping donations will pick up this holiday season to meet the skyrocketing demand for help during the slumping economy.

Charities in Indiana have reported increased requests for help with rent, utility costs, food and other services. Many people asking for help have never done so before, and cities with high unemployment rates, such as Elkhart, Kokomo and Marion, are seeking more aid."

Americans still have giving holiday spirit: poll | Lifestyle | Reuters

Americans still have giving holiday spirit: poll | Lifestyle | Reuters: "The poll commissioned by the American Red Cross showed that nearly 70 percent of people believe it is more important to donate this year because of the state of the economy.

'People are still giving,' said Roger Lowe of the American Red Cross, 'but they're giving less.'"