Some of My Favorite Measures - NPQ – Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting an active an engaged democracy.

Some of My Favorite Measures - NPQ – Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting an active an engaged democracy.: Which measures do you use right now? Which would you like to add? Which measures are you afraid of adding? And why are you afraid? Below are several lists of measures—curious measures and important measures. Measures and more measures.

Austin nonprofit wins Pitch Some Good - Austin Business Journal

Austin nonprofit wins Pitch Some Good - Austin Business Journal: Chosen from a pool 25 applications, eight social entrepreneurs, some traveling from as far away as Chicago and Pittsburgh, were chosen to give a five-minute pitch. San Antonio-based Rackspace Hosting Inc . (NYSE: RAX) provided a $1,000 grand prize for the event’s crowd-sourced winner. The honor was given to Austin-based HourSchool, a socially-driven school that gives people the opportunity to teach classes, such as sewing or motorcycle maintenance, for a fee.

Trade-Offs in Museum Naming Rights - NYTimes.com

Trade-Offs in Museum Naming Rights - NYTimes.com: Luckily, Mr. Rush said, the university’s hundreds of thousands of alumni are known for their school spirit. It also helps that the museum is offering naming opportunities; one gallery will bear the name of Edward Minskoff, the New York real estate developer and a Michigan State graduate. Mr. Minskoff wrote in an e-mail that the Broad name, if anything, encouraged him to give. “Eli is one of the most important collectors in the world, and it will only serve to attract other prominent contributors,” he wrote.

Often, though, putting a wealthy donor’s name on the door discourages giving, according to Mr. Munitz and other experts. (He named the Menil Collection in Houston, the Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas and the Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts in St. Louis as three museums facing that challenge.)

The AFP Blog

The AFP Blog: I was at the Fundraising Institute of Australia Conference in Queensland recently, listening to Kay Sprinkel Grace talk about dreams. Kay spoke very eloquently about the need we all have to realize our dreams (although, if you’re like me, you struggle to remember them). As she spoke I realized that, to continue the analogy, AFP is a dreamcatcher.

What Attaches People to Their Communities? | Knight Soul of the Community

What Attaches People to Their Communities? | Knight Soul of the Community: What makes a community a desirable place to live? What draws people to stake their future in it? Are communities with more attached residents better off?

Five Qualities That Make You a Good Expert Source

 Found on Guidestar
Five Qualities That Make You a Good Expert Source: Five Qualities That Make You a Good Expert Source

March 2012

Reprinted from NonprofitMarketingGuide.com

Would you like your nonprofit to get the call when a reporter, producer, lawmaker, or other VIP needs an expert source on the issues you work on? Make sure your nonprofit proves it has these five qualities of a good expert source.

Minnesota Starts Museums Month in May - NYTimes.com

Minnesota Starts Museums Month in May - NYTimes.com: MAY is typically the month for honoring mothers, the armed forces and the flowering of spring. In Minnesota, May is now Minnesota Museums Month, the country’s first monthlong, statewide celebration of museums. It is the creation of several Twin Cities museum administrators, who expect it to become an annual event.

The Evolution of Multichannel Fundraising : Page 1 of 2 : FundRaising Success

The Evolution of Multichannel Fundraising : Page 1 of 2 : FundRaising Success

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of 360� Evaluations - NPQ – Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting an active an engaged democracy.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of 360 Evaluations - NPQ – Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting an active an engaged democracy.: Before we introduce the reader to the wonders and significant benefits of the 360� evaluation, we would like to place a warning label on the whole process—something like, “Don’t try this at home.” There are many ways in which a 360� process can go wrong, and it is generally the result of carelessness on the part of people who may be well-intentioned but underinformed about the prerequisites for a strong 360� process.

Here are a couple of stories that demonstrate how it can go awry....

Ham And Bacon Sale Sets Sales Record - WetzelChronicle.com | News, information, New Martinsville and Wetzel County WV - Wetzel Chronicle

Ham And Bacon Sale Sets Sales Record - WetzelChronicle.com | News, information, New Martinsville and Wetzel County WV - Wetzel Chronicle: Over $60,000 was raised at the 44th annual Wetzel County 4-H FFA Ham and Bacon Sale held Friday evening.

The student's hams, bacons, and eggs were auctioned for $58,971.88, setting a new sale record. The sale included the scholarship ham and bacon, FFA Carhartt jackets, and many products donated back for resale to the Paul Henderson Memorial Scholarship Fund, totaling $8,137. The final total for all goods sold was $61,108.88.

Three Shifts Seen as Shaping Nonprofit Sector’s Future - NPQ – Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting an active an engaged democracy.

Three Shifts Seen as Shaping Nonprofit Sector’s Future - NPQ – Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting an active an engaged democracy.: At the recent annual meeting of Northern California Grantmakers, keynoters Lucy Bernholz of Philanthropy 2173 and Stanford University’s Rob Reich discussed three forces of change—what they call (and what Nonprofit Quarterly has previously referred to as) “tectonic shifts”—affecting the U.S. nonprofit sector. What’s particularly interesting is that two of the most dominant trends of the past decade, technological change and social networking, are apparently so embedded in our culture that they don’t bear special mention anymore. The three featured shifts all center on the redefinition of the fundamental role of nonprofits and philanthropy in our society.

Dining out for charity never tasted so good | TheDigitel Charleston

Dining out for charity never tasted so good | TheDigitel Charleston: Dining Out for Life is an annual fundraising event involving the generous participation of restaurants, volunteers and corporate sponsors. With the participation of more than 20 local restaurants last year, Dining Out For Life in Charleston raised nearly $45,000. This year, the RSF Ryan White Program goal is to recruit even more restaurants in Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties. Participating restaurants have the option of donating 10, 25 or 50 percent of their sales.

Duke Nonprofit Program Graduates Intensive Track Class | Duke Today

Duke Nonprofit Program Graduates Intensive Track Class | Duke Today: Kuniholm and 31 other students from around the country spent an intensive week of studying nonprofit organizations.

During the 8-day Nonprofit Management Intensive Track class, students explored the following key nonprofit areas: Sustainable Strategic Planning, Grant Writing, Board Development/Governance, Integrating Social Enterprise into Your Nonprofit Strategy, Human Resource Development, Basic Employment Law, Planning & Evaluation, Fundraising, and Financial Management.

The Corruption of Engagement

From a new Blog at Social Fish

The Corruption of Engagement: Musings on social media hiring practices and social snake-oil salesmen.

A word to the wise business owners, social media enthusiasts, social media professionals, recruiters et al: when someone in front of you talks about social media “engagement” and then fails to expound on their use of that word – be wary.

Don’t Bring Your Phone in the Shower | Beth’s Blog

Don’t Bring Your Phone in the Shower | Beth’s Blog: How does this apply to funders? At the Durfee Foundation, we bring together nonprofit leaders from different fields to work on intractable problems in the Los Angeles region. They each have discrete projects in the own fields, but they work within a cohort of fellows from a variety of fields. So the CEO of a medical clinic trades ideas about technology with the head of a children’s advocacy organization, and the environmental leader gets to know the inner-city organizer. Through the fellowship cohort, unlikely alliances develop and ideas are strengthened.

Phillip Haid: Charity Ratings Kill Innovation

Phillip Haid: Charity Ratings Kill Innovation

Palm Beach Opera plans short, less-expensive season

Palm Beach Opera plans short, less-expensive season: If all goes according to plan, Palm Beach Opera will mount a shorter, more varied and considerably less-expensive season next year.

Programming proposals include three fully staged operas at the Kravis Center (La Traviata, La Cenerentola and Salome); one fully staged production of The Turn of the Screw featuring the company’s young artists and Lynn University musicians at the college in Boca Raton; a free performance of Carmen on the West Palm Beach waterfront; a gala recital in Palm Beach for high-level donors; and two One Opera in One Hour productions, one at The Harriet in West Palm Beach and the other in north county.

‘Speed date’ event to match Westminster students, Utah nonprofits | The Salt Lake Tribune

‘Speed date’ event to match Westminster students, Utah nonprofits | The Salt Lake Tribune: ‘Speed date’ event to match Westminster students, Utah nonprofits

the salt lake tribune
First Published Mar 12 2012 09:48 am • Last Updated Mar 12 2012 08:33 pm

Business students from Westminster College in Salt Lake City will have an opportunity to "speed date" for possible seats on the board of directors of 15 Utah nonprofits.

Philanthropy beat: Cargill Philanthropies' new CIO takes helm | StarTribune.com

Philanthropy beat: Cargill Philanthropies' new CIO takes helm | StarTribune.com: Shawn Wischmeier isn't much for superstition. But his last name can be roughly translated into "grain merchandiser'' in German. And last week, he became the new chief investment officer of a foundation built on grain industry wealth -- the Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies.

"Small world,'' he quipped.

Invisible Children Answers Critics With New Internet Video | Fox News

Invisible Children Answers Critics With New Internet Video | Fox News: The nonprofit activists behind the largest viral video campaign ever to hit the Internet answered their critics the best way they know how. They made another film.

San Diego-based Invisible Children released on Monday an eight-and-a-half-minute video entitled, “Thank you, KONY 2012 Supporters” in which charity officials attempted to answer questions regarding the group's development model, spending and the intent behind Invisible Children's campaign to bring reputed Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony to justice.

RIF launches ‘Best Practice Awards’ - PBN.com - Providence Business News

RIF launches ‘Best Practice Awards’ - PBN.com - Providence Business News: PROVIDENCE – The Rhode Island Foundation announced the launch of a new program from its Initiative for Nonprofit Excellence – the Best Practice Awards.

The Best Practice Awards, which are sponsored by Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, aim to recognize Rhode Island nonprofit organizations with “outstanding practices” in board governance, leadership development and creative collaboration.

Communities on the Move Video Challenge

Communities on the Move Video Challenge: Let’s Move! invites faith-based, community, and other organizations to create inspiring videos about their efforts to reverse the trend of childhood obesity.

Max L. Hart Recipient Exemplifies Importance of Donor Data : FundRaising Success

Max L. Hart Recipient Exemplifies Importance of Donor Data : FundRaising Success: One of the key themes at both Nonprofit Mobile DayOpens in a new window and the Washington Nonprofit ConferenceOpens in a new window last week was the importance of data and database management in fundraising. It's easy to see why.

New York Times: Restore Philanthropy - Tony Martignetti

New York Times: Restore Philanthropy - Tony Martignetti: I am appalled that The New York Times dropped philanthropy and nonprofits as a full time beat, saying it will be handled “across news desks.”

There is so much that’s interesting in the charity community as

ASAE Releases 'Associations Matter' Report in Support of Power of A Week, Annual... -- WASHINGTON, March 12, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --

ASAE Releases 'Associations Matter' Report in Support of Power of A Week, Annual... -- WASHINGTON, March 12, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --: WASHINGTON, March 12, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Associations have a profound, measurable economic and social impact on the nation, according to ASAE's updated Associations Matter study, released today in support of The Power of A Week and American Associations Day, ASAE's annual legislative fly-in.

Associations Matter relies primarily on U.S. government statistics and tax-exempt returns (Form 990s) to measure the economic and social benefits derived from association activities. These statistics focus primarily on employment, wages, revenues, and assets. The report also documents the many contributions associations make to improve social conditions and Americans' collective quality of life.

Company Helps Nonprofits Find Furniture - Rockville, MD Patch

Company Helps Nonprofits Find Furniture - Rockville, MD Patch: Tucked away in an unincorporated area of Rockville, a modest warehouse holds a treasure trove of desks, chairs and tables waiting to be scooped up by local nonprofits to furnish their offices.

The best part? It's all free.

The second Saturday of every month, D.C.-area nonprofit organizations are invited to visit the Kane Furniture Bank, a 10,000-square-foot showroom on Westmore Avenue, and peruse an inventory of free furniture donated by clients of Office Movers Inc., a local commercial moving company.

Spending Down vs. Existing in Perpetuity: The Historic Foundation Debate Continues - NPQ – Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting an active an engaged democracy.

Spending Down vs. Existing in Perpetuity: The Historic Foundation Debate Continues - NPQ – Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting an active an engaged democracy.: n this WSJ op-ed, Meyerson raises a common concern of conservative philanthropists: the issue of “donor intent.” Many conservatives have argued that modern foundations such as Ford, MacArthur, and Pew have strayed far from the intentions of their founders. For example, J. Howard Pew’s stated intention was that the Pew Charitable Trusts “acquaint the American people” with “the evils of bureaucracy,” “the values of a free market,” and “the paralyzing effects of government controls on the lives and activities of people.”

Hopes for public schools get LIFTed | CharlotteObserver.com & The Charlotte Observer Newspaper

Hopes for public schools get LIFTed | CharlotteObserver.com & The Charlotte Observer Newspaper: As philanthropy takes a growing role in public education, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools' partnership with Project LIFT promises to break new ground.

Enid Ablowitz: Predicting giving - Boulder Daily Camera

Enid Ablowitz: Predicting giving - Boulder Daily Camera: A new buzzword in business is predictive analytics -- combining technology-based techniques such as data mining with quantitative evaluations to forecast future opportunity.

Pretty sophisticated stuff, yet it builds on the tried and true approaches of market segmentation and market targeting.

United Way of Northern NJ Young Professionals celebration raises $14,000 | MyCentralJersey.com | MyCentralJersey.com

United Way of Northern NJ Young Professionals celebration raises $14,000 | MyCentralJersey.com | MyCentralJersey.com: During the third annual United Way of Northern New Jersey Young Professionals Celebration conducted in February, more than 100 young philanthropy-minded professionals raised $14,000 to support United Way’s work in the region.

Foundations Didn't Increase Focus on 'Nonprofit Success' in Downturn, Study Finds - The Giveaway - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Foundations Didn't Increase Focus on 'Nonprofit Success' in Downturn, Study Finds - The Giveaway - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: A survey of 755 foundations conducted in 2011 by Grantmakers for Effective Organizations and the TCC Group found that 83 percent of foundations said they devote money to general support, compared with 80 percent in 2008. And the median amount of foundations’ budgets devoted to unrestricted support held steady at 20 percent

J.K Rowling: Billionaire to millionaire - Life & Style - NZ Herald News

J.K Rowling: Billionaire to millionaire - Life & Style - NZ Herald News: The Harry Potter author has fallen down the Forbes rich list because of her charitable giving, the business magazine said.

Forbes, which has produced an annual list of billionaires for the past 25 years, said Rowling's philanthropic ways had dented her bank balance, along with the heavy taxation burden levied on high earners in Britain, the The Telegraph reported.

Utah Pulse - Holding Steady Holding On The State of Utah’s Nonprofit Sector

Utah Pulse - Holding Steady Holding On The State of Utah’s Nonprofit Sector: For the past four years The Community Foundation of Utah with the support of Wells Fargo Foundation, has been tracking how the state’s nonprofit organizations have been coping with the recession.



Our most recent study finds another year of flat or declining revenue, increased demand for help and the recognition that things may be like this for a long while to come. As one director put it, “We are just holding on.”

The new philanthropists | Society | The Guardian

The new philanthropists | Society | The Guardian: The new philanthropists

Wealthy people giving money to the less well-off may sound Victorian, but a new generation of business people are supporting good causes in a smart, 21st-century way. And isn't it time we learned to cheer about it?

Restroom sponsor, Boulder venture capitalist Brad Feld a real go-getter - The Denver Post

Restroom sponsor, Boulder venture capitalist Brad Feld a real go-getter - The Denver Post: Businessman and philanthropist Brad Feld is a prolific marathon runner, yet he does some of his best thinking sitting down.

Nearly everyone sits down on a daily basis to conduct business of a certain type. That got Feld to thinking how he could honor worthy causes in a visible, everyday way.

The answer, naturally, is to purchase naming rights for restrooms.

Celebrities brew up coffee for charity - Joliet Herald News

Celebrities brew up coffee for charity - Joliet Herald News: Philanthropy is the driving force behind Jackman’s involvement in the coffee world. In a telephone interview he talked about being inspired by the late Paul Newman and his company, Newman’s Own, which has donated millions to charity. But it’s not the only reas

Gazette.Net: Charity’s long-awaited comeback in Maryland

Gazette.Net: Charity’s long-awaited comeback in Maryland: More than half of the region’s nonprofits in a recent survey said their donors are committed to maintaining or increasing their donations this year.

The data, gathered by the Center for Nonprofit Advancement in Washington, D.C., is the first positive news from the nonprofit realm in three years, since the recession of 2007-09, said Glen O’Gilvie, the center’s CEO. The center represents 900 nonprofits in the greater Washington region.

Some Corpus Christi students skip the beach for 'alternative' spring break � Corpus Christi Caller-Times

Some Corpus Christi students skip the beach for 'alternative' spring break � Corpus Christi Caller-Times: CORPUS CHRISTI — Theresa Sonka and her friends are trading in beach umbrellas for shovels, swim trunks for work clothes this spring break.

The Rockefeller Archive Center - Workshops

The Rockefeller Archive Center - Workshops: A Professional Development Program for Teachers
Sponsored by the Rockefeller Archive Center


The Rockefeller Archive Center invites applications for a five-day professional development program for teachers whose courses might draw on the Center's vast archival collections. Successful applicants will be named Rockefeller Archive Center Teaching Fellows. During the week-long program the participants will develop a deep knowledge of the many domains touched by American philanthropy and will create relevant supplements for classroom use.