Channel NewsAsia - HK actress Rosamund Kwan gives up acting to do charity work - channelnewsasia.com

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Channel NewsAsia - HK actress Rosamund Kwan gives up acting to do charity work - channelnewsasia.com: "BEIJING: Hong Kong actress Rosamund Kwan announced on Thursday that she would retire from showbiz to do charity work, reported Chinese media."

Fund Raising Advice From Harlem Children Zone's Geoffrey Canada - Prospecting - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Fund Raising Advice From Harlem Children Zone's Geoffrey Canada - Prospecting - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: "Geoffrey Canada has turned the Harlem Children's Zone into what many see as a model charity by taking innovative approaches to traditional problems.

It turns out Mr. Canada approaches fund raising with the same mindset.

Mr. Canada, speaking at a recent meeting of the Association of Fundraising Professionals in New York, said the biggest challenge nonprofit leaderls face today is understanding that traditional fund-raising techniques, like writing appeals, are no longer enough to bring in donations."

Golf tournament lags in scholarship totals | courierpostonline.com | Courier-Post

Golf tournament lags in scholarship totals | courierpostonline.com | Courier-Post: "But this year, fundraising is low, and only two or three students may receive the $2,500 scholarships, said Bart Leff, the school district's spokesman.

Money from the annual golf tournament is used to sponsor student leaders as well as provide money for cultural experiences the school district can't afford, Leff said."

Most fundraisers predict growth | Philanthropy Journal

Most fundraisers predict growth | Philanthropy Journal: "Most charitable fundraisers in the U.S. expect to raise more money this year than in 2009, a new poll says.

Sixty-one percent of 692 fundraisers responding to the poll, conducted on its website in April and May by the Association of Fundraising Professionals."

The Business of Giving | Income inequality and philanthropy | Seattle Times Newspaper

The Business of Giving | Income inequality and philanthropy | Seattle Times Newspaper: "The Gates/Buffett billionaire pledge drive provoked some thoughtful analysis as well as barbed commentary. Among the more interesting questions raised was this: why now? Why are wealthy Americans more interested in philanthropy, and if not, why do their peers think they should be? One answer is that they have a lot more money to give away."

In A First, Religious Gifts Decline Slightly | The Jewish Week

In A First, Religious Gifts Decline Slightly | The Jewish Week: "Historically, giving to religion does well in trying times, but last year something happened,” says Robert Evans, a member of the Giving USA editorial review board and co-founder of the EHL Consulting Group, a Philadelphia-based consultancy that serves many Jewish nonprofits. “So many houses of worship and synagogues responded to appeals by members for a reduction in dues, and by necessity, houses of worship gave in.” In addition, major capital projects, including renovations and expansions of synagogues, have mostly been halted."

Amy Sales: The elusive fundraiser—a complex situation with simple solutions | The Fundermentalist | JTA - Jewish & Israel News

Amy Sales: The elusive fundraiser—a complex situation with simple solutions | The Fundermentalist | JTA - Jewish & Israel News: "THE ELUSIVE FUNDRAISER: A COMPLEX SITUATION WITH SIMPLE SOLUTIONS
by Amy L. Sales

A few years ago I worked on an analysis of the putative shortage of fundraisers for the Jewish community. Was recruitment or retention at the source of the problem? Was the dearth of fundraisers most acute at the entry, middle or senior level? And was the problem intractable or amenable to intervention? Months of study found the answers to be “yes, yes and yes.” (Amy L. Sales and Nicole Samuel, Developing the Developers, Brandeis University, 2007.)"

The Nonprofit Quarterly | The Nonprofit Quarterly | Giving USA and You – Cognitive Dissonance Anyone? Part II

The Nonprofit Quarterly | The Nonprofit Quarterly | Giving USA and You – Cognitive Dissonance Anyone? Part II: "When the Giving USA Foundation and the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University released their annual tabulation of charitable giving in the United States last Wednesday the numbers raised as many questions as they answered—and felt to us counterintuitive in many ways."

Workplace giving campaign for the arts tally to date: $2.1 million | Dollars & Sense

Workplace giving campaign for the arts tally to date: $2.1 million | Dollars & Sense: "Workplace giving campaign for the arts tally to date: $2.1 million

By Diane Stafford

The fourth annual ArtsKC Fund Campaign missed hitting an ambitious goal but still received $422,845 in pledges from area workers and employers."

Paulette's Point of View

From Paulette's Point of View Blog

Paulette's Point of View: "So Bill and Melinda Gates, along with Warren Buffett, are going to challenge America’s billionaires to contribute half of their net worth to charity, either in their lifetimes or in a bequest."

Large Gift Will Speed Digitization at Oxford's Bodleian Libraries - International - The Chronicle of Higher Education

Large Gift Will Speed Digitization at Oxford's Bodleian Libraries - International - The Chronicle of Higher Education: "Large Gift Will Speed Digitization at Oxford's Bodleian Libraries

By Ian Wilhelm

A British philanthropist has given $2.2-million to the University of Oxford's Bodleian Libraries to expand efforts to digitize their vast collection of books and manuscripts."

Summertime, and the giving is easy - The Globe and Mail

Summertime, and the giving is easy - The Globe and Mail: "Strategic philanthropy – that’s something different altogether. It involves a plan. It involves thinking ahead – something that most of us are not particularly good at. Strategic philanthropy is about taking a long-term approach to giving back. Yes, it’s even about considering ways to give back in the middle of the summer (I’m sitting on the dock at the cottage as I write this)."

If Your Company Is Giving Away Money, Make It Worthwhile | Fast Company

If Your Company Is Giving Away Money, Make It Worthwhile | Fast Company: "Back in the day, there were rarely candid conversations between funders and their grantees. But that's improving, at least with regard to corporate funders. Today, in the era of corporate social responsibility (CSR), many corporate funders and their nonprofit grantees are beginning to engage in meaningful discussions in order to learn from each other, benefit each other, and accomplish meaningful results for the community. Corporate executives, especially those who are involved on nonprofit boards, gain a great deal of perspective from nonprofits about leadership, as well as global and regional issues, such as water, poverty, workforce development, disaster relief, economic development, among others."

Will Boomers Retire? | eJewish Philanthropy: The Jewish Philanthropy Blog

Will Boomers Retire? | eJewish Philanthropy: The Jewish Philanthropy Blog: "Most Jewish Baby Boomers See Retirement as Time for Work and Service, not Rest; But Organizations Serving Ethnic or Religious Communities Are Unprepared To Tap This Potentially Huge Influx of Talent and Experience

Public service organizations have an unprecedented opportunity to harness the experience and expertise of Baby Boomers, as great numbers envision themselves working in paid or voluntary public service positions between the age of 60 and 80, according to a study by researchers at the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University."

Landmark Legislation Paves Way For Nonprofits – Talk Radio News Service

Landmark Legislation Paves Way For Nonprofits – Talk Radio News Service: "Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.) announced Wednesday that she will introduce new legislation that will help mold a stronger partnership between the federal government and nonprofit organizations, especially those who have direct influences in the healthcare and education sectors.

According to the Democrat, one in ten individuals are employed by nonprofit organizations, however, the nonprofit sector lacks adequate representation and wants their relationship with the government to undergo major improvement."

Broad Commits 75% of Wealth to Charity, Takes Buffett Pledge - BusinessWeek

Broad Commits 75% of Wealth to Charity, Takes Buffett Pledge - BusinessWeek: "June 16 (Bloomberg) -- Eli Broad and his wife, Edythe, have pledged 75 percent of their wealth to charity, the Los Angeles billionaire and philanthropist said in a statement today.

The Broads are part of a drive called “The Giving Pledge,” started by Warren Buffett and Bill and Melinda Gates to encourage rich Americans to give at least 50 or their wealth to charitable causes."

Marvin Epstein: Modern Day Philanthropy: Creating a Winning Exchange

Marvin Epstein: Modern Day Philanthropy: Creating a Winning Exchange: "With the global economy facing the worst financial downturn this generation has ever recorded, there is no surprise philanthropy, and the notable charities it serves, has seen a considerable crash against operations. Charities are now more than ever forced to seek new and creative fund-raising opportunities in order to accomplish their mission"

Warren Buffett, Bill Gates ask billionaires to give away wealth | Reuters

Warren Buffett, Bill Gates ask billionaires to give away wealth | Reuters: "Buffett, who made his fortune with insurance and investment company Berkshire Hathaway Inc (BRKa.N) (BRKb.N), Gates and his wife, Melinda, have held a series of dinners with a couple dozen rich Americans in the past year to urge them to make a philanthropic pledge."

Restaurants rally to raise money to help local caterer and philanthropist | WCBD

Restaurants rally to raise money to help local caterer and philanthropist | WCBD

Fairfax public schools could get corporate donations through proposed nonprofit

Fairfax public schools could get corporate donations through proposed nonprofit: "The Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce unveiled plans Tuesday for a new nonprofit foundation that would allow companies to donate money to benefit the county's public schools. Stuart Mendelsohn, the chamber's outgoing chairman and a partner with the law firm Holland & Knight, said during the group's annual luncheon that a 'more formal announcement' about the foundation would come this summer and that the new nonprofit would fill a 'much-needed' void."

The Daily Tell � Blog Archive � New philanthropic organization GIVE 365 encourages younger contributors

The Daily Tell � Blog Archive � New philanthropic organization GIVE 365 encourages younger contributors: "The Community Foundation of Greater Memphis launched the new group, GIVE 365, as an initiative to nurture philanthropy among younger contributors, reports the Memphis Daily News. The group hopes to collect $365 per person over the course of a year – a relatively low barrier of entry for donors.

'We really wanted to figure out a way to engage the next generation in philanthropy so we targeted young professionals,' Melissa Wolowicz, director of grants and initiatives, told the Memphis Daily News."

Beard-a-thon raises over $300,000 for charity - NHL.com - News

Beard-a-thon raises over $300,000 for charity - NHL.com - News: "EAST AURORA, NY -- The second annual NHL playoff 'Beard-a-thon' raised over $300,000 for NHL team charities during the 2010 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. Across the nation, over 6,000 hockey fans participated in a great hockey tradition and raised money for local causes."

The Nonprofit Quarterly | The Nonprofit Quarterly | Nonprofit Newswire | Many Foundations Keep Grantees in the Dark Says CEP Study

The Nonprofit Quarterly | The Nonprofit Quarterly | Nonprofit Newswire | Many Foundations Keep Grantees in the Dark Says CEP Study: "June 14, 2010; Source: CEP | The Center for Effective Philanthropy today released a study [PDF] that asserts that many foundations have not only done a poor job of communicating their plans during the downturn to their grantees but also have not been perceived as helpful to their grantees as grantees have struggled to reorganize."

10 Fundraising Direct Response and Online Creative Strategies to Cut Through the Clutter : Page 1 of 2 : FundRaising Success

10 Fundraising Direct Response and Online Creative Strategies to Cut Through the Clutter : Page 1 of 2 : FundRaising Success: "Editor's Note: During their presentation, “30 Ideas in 60 Minutes: Your Hour of Creative Power,” at the Association of Fundraising Professionals Fund Raising Day in New York on June 11, Jeff Brooks , creative director at TrueSense Marketing; Moira Kavanagh Crosby , president of MKDM; and Dennis Lonergan, president of Eidolon Communications, provided direct-response and online fundraising strategies to make your fundraising solicitations stand out from the crowd. Here, Crosby outlines her 10 strategies from the session.]"

Jane Wales: Cheerleading in the Crisis

Jane Wales: Cheerleading in the Crisis: "Did foundations do enough in the economic recession? Clearly, it is too early to say.

But the Philanthropic Collaborative has found reason to crow. Its new preliminary report offers analysis of a limited set of data -- a sample of 2,672 grants totaling $472 million made by foundations in response to the crisis between 2008 and 2010. A full report is due in December, but Responding in Crisis: An Early Analysis of Foundations' Grantmaking During the Economic Crisis suggests that the majority of foundation grants went to states facing the severest mortgage delinquency problems, as well as those encumbered by especially high unemployment rates."

Stephanie Meeks to lead National Trust for Historic Preservation

Stephanie Meeks to lead National Trust for Historic Preservation: "The National Trust for Historic Preservation announced Monday that Stephanie Meeks, a longtime official in the nonprofit community, would became its new president in July.

Meeks, 45, is president and chief executive of Counterpart International, a humanitarian organization. Earlier she worked at the Nature Conservancy for 18 years, and for one year she was its acting president."

Tracking return on fundraising investment urged | Philanthropy Journal

Tracking return on fundraising investment urged | Philanthropy Journal: "Recognizing the relationship between investment in fundraising and the return on that investment is essential for nonprofits in the face of the tough economy and heightened pressure on them to improve all aspects of their fundraising in terms of productivity, efficiency and value, a new white paper says."

ASSOCIATIONS ARE FOR GIVERS - Association Bisnow - Washington

ASSOCIATIONS ARE FOR GIVERS - Association Bisnow - Washington: "Members of professional associations give and volunteer more than the population at large. Yet, fewer than 15% make contributions to their organizations beyond dues, according to a new study. ASAE (which ran the study) research manager Clare Inzeo Bonsignore and VP of development Carylann Assante tell us why."

Why Nonprofit Groups Need Better Communication With Their Boards - Prospecting - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Why Nonprofit Groups Need Better Communication With Their Boards - Prospecting - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: "In tough economic times, it is more important than ever for nonprofit leaders to be honest with their board members, said Henry Goldstein, president of the Oram Group.

Mr. Goldstein, speaking at a conference held by the Association of Fundraising Professionals in New York on Friday, said organizations need to let their board members know when they are not fulfilling their fund-raising goals."

Building a better nonprofit board

Building a better nonprofit board: "Q: We are a dedicated group of volunteers who want to build a healthy, effective nonprofit organization. Could you tell us what steps we should take to create the most effective board of directors?

A: Nonprofit organizations play an important role in every community. And the Board of Directors is critical to their success."

Michigan's nonprofit sector added jobs during recession, association says | MLive.com

Michigan's nonprofit sector added jobs during recession, association says | MLive.com: "LANSING — Not every part of Michigan’s economy was hurt by the national recession of the past couple years, according to a new report.

While many private companies were forced to lay off workers, the non-profit sector increased its employment in the state, says the Michigan Nonprofit Association."

June � 2010 � The Planned Giving Blogger

June � 2010 � The Planned Giving Blogger: "At the AFP conference in Baltimore Harvey McKinnon described the questions you, as a gift officer, should expect to be asked by donors and be prepared to answer. His presentation was reported in the online edition of The Nonprofit Times. The article elaborates but here are the questions:"

A new normal for the state's nonprofits | StarTribune.com

A new normal for the state's nonprofits | StarTribune.com: "After decades at the nation's charitable epicenter, the new economy has Minnesota facing a tectonic shift in its nonprofit and philanthropic landscape. Our state's social sector has been rocked;

Philanthropic Trends Quarterly: What’s in store for you?

Philanthropic Trends Quarterly: What’s in store for you?: "It's an interesting time to be a philanthropist. On the one hand, the sector is slowly emerging from a debilitating economic downturn. On the other, opportunities for innovative and other promising solutions are giving organizations reason to hope for the future. It certainly is a complex time but thanks to KCI's latest edition of Philanthropic Trends Quarterly, fundraisers can gain valuable insight on the newest trends in philanthropy in pursuit of their next steps."

Steven Levitt: The man who made economics freaky - July 1, 2010

Steven Levitt: The man who made economics freaky - July 1, 2010: "How would you donate to charity to make sure the money is going to someone who will use it wisely? --Bob Radisich, Mesa, Ariz.

Unfortunately, the way philanthropy is currently done, it is difficult to know what impact you'll have. Some colleagues and I have started a firm that's trying to revolutionize philanthropy, making it more scientific, more evidence-based. Very few charities engage in measuring their impact in a meaningful way."

Buffett Lunch Sells for Record $2.63 Million; Winner Anonymous - BusinessWeek

Buffett Lunch Sells for Record $2.63 Million; Winner Anonymous - BusinessWeek: "By Andrew Frye and Dakin Campbell

June 12 (Bloomberg) -- Warren Buffett’s lunch auction rose to a record of $2.63 million in the 11th annual charity fundraiser.

That’s about 24 percent higher than the previous record, set in 2008 when hedge-fund manager Zhao Danyang of Hong Kong paid $2.11 million. The chance to have lunch with the celebrated billionaire investor drew nine bidders and 77 bids, according to EBay Inc. The online auction started June 6 and ended at 10:30 p.m. New York time yesterday."

Show & Tell: Generation Y Donors | onPhilanthropy

Show & Tell: Generation Y Donors | onPhilanthropy: "The report entitled “Social Media & Mobile Internet Use Among Teens and Young Adults,” a report from the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project part of the Pew Research Center’s series entitled “The Millennials: A Portrait of Generation Next,” found that “two-thirds of teen internet users 63% are online every day while 36% of teens go online several times a day.” [i] This reflects that Generation Y needs to be engaged often online and their attention has to be held before another cause captures their activism and their monetary support. From emailing them ways to volunteer, to communicating with them about how a personal donation can go directly to assist a cause, Generation Y is online and expects nonprofits to court them through social networking, website interactions and emails."