Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen on 21st Century Philanthropy and Smarter Giving - Forbes

Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen on 21st Century Philanthropy and Smarter Giving - Forbes: Rahim Kanani: As you survey the landscape of philanthropy today, what excites you the most about where we’re headed as a sector?

Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen: If you think about philanthropy today compared to even a decade ago, the changes are dramatic. This evolution includes a striking rise in social consciousness, particularly among the young generation of givers—philanthropists who participate in social change in completely different ways from their predecessors, with more active and intellectual engagement in the causes they care about.

Jeff Skoll named Independent Sector's 2012 John W. Gardner Leadership Award Winner - TheNonProfitTimes

Jeff Skoll named Independent Sector's 2012 John W. Gardner Leadership Award Winner - TheNonProfitTimes: Independent Sector has named Jeff Skoll the 2012 recipient of the John W. Gardner Leadership Award. The Washington, D.C.-based organization will present the award at the John W. Gardner Leadership Dinner during its annual conference in November in San Francisco.

One Nonprofit Lawyer’s Tips on Use of Advisory Boards - NPQ – Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting an active an engaged democracy.

One Nonprofit Lawyer’s Tips on Use of Advisory Boards - NPQ – Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting an active an engaged democracy.: Carter warns, however, that, “From time to time, nonprofits fail to clearly delineate an advisory board’s role. In such cases, the advisory board members may misunderstand their authority and hard feelings can develop. We have even seen organizations that purport to have two boards without making clear which board is actually responsible for governing the organization.” She suggests the following steps for a useful and productive advisory board dynamic:

The Daily Bruin :: New UCLA course offers third- and fourth-years chance to donate $100,000 to local nonprofits

The Daily Bruin :: New UCLA course offers third- and fourth-years chance to donate $100,000 to local nonprofits: A new course, called Philanthropy as Civic Engagement, will offer 24 students the opportunity to donate a total of $100,000 to nonprofits in the Los Angeles area. It will be taught by Judi Smith, dean and vice provost for undergraduate education, and offered through the Center for Community Learning.

United Way donations are highest in 9 years - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

United Way donations are highest in 9 years - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Despite a down economy, the United Way of Allegheny County raised $32.3 million last year -- its highest total in nine years.

That figure was bolstered by significant increases in large donations, including a 20 percent increase last year in women giving more than $1,000.

Gazette.Net: Grant to mobilize UM students to bring AIDS/HIV awareness

Gazette.Net: Grant to mobilize UM students to bring AIDS/HIV awareness: Students in the University of Maryland, College Park’s “Art and Science of Philanthropy” class are given a budget of $15,000 each year to bestow on a philanthropic organization, and this year the money will find its way into Prince George’s County Schools in the form of HIV/AIDS awareness.

Arianna Huffington: The Inspirationals: Jeff Skoll, Doubling Down on the Things That Work

Arianna Huffington: The Inspirationals: Jeff Skoll, Doubling Down on the Things That Work: ut in fact, Jeff Skoll, beyond being the first president of eBay, has been a pioneer in the world of cutting edge philanthropy with his Skoll Global Threats Fund, confronting the greatest dangers our world faces today; with Participant Media, which has produced more than 30 movies, including Syriana, An Inconvenient Truth, Good Night and Good Luck and Waiting for 'Superman'; and with the Skoll World Forum, which I attended in March in Oxford.

Today, he is being presented with Canada's highest civilian honor, the Order of Canada, for his wide-ranging philanthropic work.

Demystifying Nonprofits: Helping College Grads See a Career of Service - NPQ – Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting an active an engaged democracy.

Demystifying Nonprofits: Helping College Grads See a Career of Service - NPQ – Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting an active an engaged democracy.: In hopes of encouraging members of the class of 2012 to broaden their employment horizons, I will attempt to demystify the nonprofit sector and clear up three of the most common misconceptions I hear about the industry from college students, the first of which is that nonprofits are fundamentally different from for-profit businesses. Last week I had the “What are you doing after graduation” conversation with a college student I mentor. He said that he wanted to work at a for-profit where he would try to make as much money for the company as possible by selling their products and serving their target customers. I could only smirk and follow-up with, “How does that differ from working for an NPO?” Caught off guard, he replied, “Nonprofits don’t make money, don’t have customers and...” he couldn’t elaborate much more. I laughed and replied, “That’s exactly what I do! And if I don’t do it well, I will most likely be fired.” He looked at me completely perplexed, which lead me to get on this soapbox.

Our View: Nonprofits need support of city, county and public | The Jackson Sun | jacksonsun.com

Our View: Nonprofits need support of city, county and public | The Jackson Sun | jacksonsun.com: We appreciate the efforts of our nonprofit organizations, they add immeasurably to community quality of life. They also are an important factor in economic development. Newcomers to the community often look to these organizations to help them get involved and to become part of the fabric of life in our community. For these organizations to thrive, it takes not only commitment from local government, but also from the larger community and from special efforts within each organizatio

Local young philanthropist group gives out $66,200 | Daily Progress

Local young philanthropist group gives out $66,200 | Daily Progress: Founded in 2009, the Future Fund is a giving circle in CACF that allows people in their 20s, 30s and 40s to leverage their charitable contribution to support Charlottesville-area nonprofits.

The fund seeks to engage members in philanthropy and educate them about the work of local community organizations.

Some Webinars from the IRS Video Portal

Webinars from the IRS Video Portal.

• Starting off Right – What New 501(c)(3) Organizations Need to Know
  Started a new 501(c)(3)? Keep it on track with this helpful webinar. 
• Starting off Right - What New NON-501(c)(3) Organizations Need to Know
  This webinar provides information for new nonprofits, including: 501(c)(4) - Social Welfare groups 501(c)(5) - Labor, Agricultural & Horticultural 501(c)(6) – Business Leagues 501(c)(7) – Social Clubs 501(c)(8) – Fraternal Beneficiary Societies 501(c)(10) – Domestic Fraternal Societies. 
• International Activities of Domestic Charitable Organizations 
  This webinar helps U.S. domestic charitable organizations understand the rules for tax-exempt status in the international arena.

Fundraising Black Eye | The Agitator - Fundraising, Direct Marketing and Advocacy Strategies for Nonprofits

Fundraising Black Eye | The Agitator - Fundraising, Direct Marketing and Advocacy Strategies for Nonprofits: Fundraising Black Eye
By tbelford | May 22, 2012

There’s been a ton of local coverage of the Scripps Howard study of IRS-reported (or not!) fundraising expenses by large US nonprofits. None of it flattering to the fundraising ‘industry’.

The AFP Blog: Answering Questions, Educating the Public

The AFP Blog: Answering Questions, Educating the Public: Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Answering Questions, Educating the Public

Consider all the stories about fundraising costs you’ve ever read. There are two out there I want you to read.

The first is a report by Scripps Howard News Service about how many charities continue to underreport (or not report ) their fundraising costs.

From Small to Scale: Three Trade-offs for Smaller Nonprofits Trying to Get Big - NPQ – Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting an active an engaged democracy.

From Small to Scale: Three Trade-offs for Smaller Nonprofits Trying to Get Big - NPQ – Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting an active an engaged democracy.

28 codes of fundraising practice to be condensed into one - Civil Society - Fundraising - News - providing news and in-depth coverage of charities, voluntary organisations and not-for-profits

28 codes of fundraising practice to be condensed into one - Civil Society - Fundraising - News - providing news and in-depth coverage of charities, voluntary organisations and not-for-profits: The Institute of Fundraising is to replace its 28 codes of fundraising practice with a single code and up to 30 pieces of guidance.

massnonprofit.org ::

massnonprofit.org ::: Except for nonprofits based in Washington, D.C., the percentage of nonprofits reporting no fundraising expenses was higher for every other state.

A listing of nonprofits that reported no fundraising expenses was not provided.

Marion Fremont-Smith, senior research fellow at Harvard University's Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations quoted in the Scripps Howard report, said, “This is just outrageous. If they say zero—and it cannot be zero—then that is a misreported tax form. And there are penalties for that."

Fund-Raiser Wanted But First You Have To Be an Expert in.. | Fundraising Non-Profit Fund-raising Resource - Tony Poderis

Fund-Raiser Wanted But First You Have To Be an Expert in.. | Fundraising Non-Profit Fund-raising Resource - Tony Poderis: I once was not even remotely considered as a candidate for a fund-raising position with a hospital. Even though my fund-raising credentials were strong, and I came well recommended, I lacked one crucial aspect the hospital wanted. I did not even get an interview because the hospital's call for resumes required that anyone applying for the job have at least five years experience in the "medical sector."

SOFII's Blog: Common sense and effective fundraising

SOFII's Blog: Common sense and effective fundraising: If you have missed them then let me fill you in. It started with the findings of an Ipsos Reid study conducted for AFP Canada called, “What Canadian Donors Want”
One of the things the study told us was that 52% of respondents said that not receiving a thank you would not decrease the likelihood of giving in the future.
This prompted Chuck English on his Marketing that works blog to ask,
‘Does saying thank you really make a difference? Do you know of a research study that proves that thanking donors will lead to further or increased donations?

Exploring Why Some Pledges Go Unfulfilled - Press - AFP

Exploring Why Some Pledges Go Unfulfilled - Press - AFP: Exploring Why Some Pledges Go Unfulfilled

(May 22, 2012) Little data exists for measuring slippage of multiyear pledges to capital or endowment campaigns. A recent survey offers a glimpse at this phenomenon.

The research study is based on an online survey of AFP eWire readers conducted by ME&V Fundraising Advisers.

Top Ten Canadian Charity Law Compliance Issues, Part 1 - Ethics - AFP

Top Ten Canadian Charity Law Compliance Issues, Part 1 - Ethics - AFP: May 16, 2012) A great deal has been written about legal compliance surrounding charities in Canada. Much of that material however, is highly specialized, hard to understand and sometimes esoteric. As a result, it can be extremely difficult for charities, employees and volunteers to focus in on the issues that are generally most important for charities.

Nonprofit Jobs: Picking The Right Nonprofit Internship

Nonprofit Jobs: Picking The Right Nonprofit Internship: Nonprofit internships rarely pay and when they do, it's very little. Doing work for low pay isn't exactly an ideal situation but all that hard work can really pay off for you. Internships often lead to being hired by the organization assuming you've done a good enough job. They will also fill those pesky gaps in your resume, giving you a better shot at getting hired.

Pay for Public-University Executives Rising Despite Criticism - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Pay for Public-University Executives Rising Despite Criticism - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: Pay for Public-University Executives Rising Despite Criticism

May 22, 2012, 11:34 am

Public anger over the salaries of public-university presidents has not affected what many of the institutions are paying their leaders, according to a re

A Charity for Children of New York's South Asian Working Class - NYTimes.com

A Charity for Children of New York's South Asian Working Class - NYTimes.com: NEW YORK–Like a number of charities in the United States, South Asian Youth Action (SAYA) seeks to help needy South Asian children, but not in some distant land like India — these youths are in its backyard in New York City.

5 Receive Nation’s 1st Undergraduate Degrees in Philanthropic Studies - Continuing Education - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

5 Receive Nation’s 1st Undergraduate Degrees in Philanthropic Studies - Continuing Education - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: In May, the 22-year-old became one of the first five graduates of what is believed to be the first-ever bachelor’s degree in philanthropic studies, a liberal-arts program based at the center. The program, say its organizers, is intended to produce future nonprofit leaders who are not only well-versed in the nuts and bolts of nonprofit management but also comfortable weighing the philosophical questions they will encounter on the job.

New Boy Scouts CEO Makes Recruiting Members a Priority - News - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

New Boy Scouts CEO Makes Recruiting Members a Priority - News - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: New Boy Scouts CEO Makes Recruiting Members a Priority

By Caroline Preston

The Boy Scouts of America announced today that Wayne Brock, its chief operating officer, will lead the 102-year-old organization.

He succeeds Robert Mazzuca, who is retiring at age 65 per the charity’s bylaws.

Kidney Stone Horrors Explain Why The Estate Tax Should Be Abolished - Forbes

Kidney Stone Horrors Explain Why The Estate Tax Should Be Abolished - Forbes: ll of which brings up the estate tax. Many in our midst believe it’s essential. Some say we need it to reduce the budget deficit despite unrelentingly observable evidence that a dollar handed over to a profligate Congress leads to government spending exponentially greater than the initial dollar. Basically funds handed to Congress lead to the birth of programs that are near impossible to abolish. So no, deficit reduction is decidedly not a good reason to impose an estate tax.

Philanthropy's Sweet Spots

Philanthropy's Sweet Spots: Around 120 friends of the Maine Community Foundation gathered in the Leonard and Renee Minsky Recital Hall at the University of Maine on May 10 for “Philanthropy’s Sweet Spots.” Foundation leaders considered the relevance of philanthropy in changing times and where it is making the greatest impact.

Why I work for a nonprofit — Opinion — Bangor Daily News — BDN Maine

Why I work for a nonprofit — Opinion — Bangor Daily News — BDN Maine: don’t work in the nonprofit world because I am nice. And I don’t work in nonprofits for the sole reason that I believe in helping the poor, downtrodden and underserved. I work at Child and Family Opportunities Inc. because I think it is my responsibility to contribute to making our communities a better place for all people, regardless of income, education, abilities or sexual orientation — any of the factors that make us socially unique.

Sabbatical recharges nonprofit CEO - The Washington Post

Sabbatical recharges nonprofit CEO - The Washington Post: It’s a move that more nonprofits are thinking about as executive director burnout becomes a growing problem for administrators overwhelmed by fundraising and mounting caseloads. Two-thirds of executive directors plan to leave their jobs in the next few years, according to a national report released last year by the Meyer Foundation and CompassPoint.

New Study Finds Non-reporting of Fundraising Expense Widespread: But Some States Much Worse Than Others - NPQ – Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting an active an engaged democracy.

New Study Finds Non-reporting of Fundraising Expense Widespread: But Some States Much Worse Than Others - NPQ – Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting an active an engaged democracy.: A new study using the most recent IRS data available through GuideStar and performed by the Scripps Howard News Service has found that 15,389 nonprofit groups, or 41 percent of all United States nonprofits with annual budgets of $1 million or more, represent on their 990s that they spend exactly nothing on fundraising. While there are some situations in which this might actually be the truth, Scripps Howard followed up with further investigation and interviews which revealed that a number of the organizations reporting zero fundraising costs do spend money to raise money but simply do not report it.

New Insurance Group to Help Land Trusts With Legal Costs - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

New Insurance Group to Help Land Trusts With Legal Costs - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: A new insurance company designed to help land-conservation trusts with the legal costs of fighting property owners who defy land-use restrictions has won approval for nonprofit status from the Internal Revenue Service, according to The New York Times.

The company, Terra Firma, was started by national Land Trust Alliance to combat a problem that the nation’s estimated 1,700 land trusts increasingly face. The legal costs of fighting improper land use can damage the mostly volunteer-run organizations, say leaders of those groups.