'Three Cups Of Tea' Charity Board Gets A Face-lift

'Three Cups Of Tea' Charity Board Gets A Face-lift: HELENA, Mont. — The charity co-founded by Greg Mortenson said Thursday it has added seven new board members, an expansion that is part of a legal settlement over accusations the "Three Cups of Tea" author mismanaged the organization that builds schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Congressional Research Service Analyzes Donor Advised Funds | Planned Giving Design Center

Congressional Research Service Analyzes Donor Advised Funds | Planned Giving Design Center: n this comprehensive report, the Congressional Research Service reviews recent developments in the tax treatment of Donor Advised Funds (DAFs), questions addressed in the 2011 Treasury report, 2008 Donor Advised Fund data, and policy considerations.

'Three Cups' Charity Adds Board Members as Part of Montana Pact - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

'Three Cups' Charity Adds Board Members as Part of Montana Pact - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: Three Cups’ Charity Adds Board Members as Part of Montana Pact

July 20, 2012, 10:40 am

The charity founded by Three Cups of Tea author Greg Mortenson has expanded its board from three to 10 members as part of a legal agreement with the Montana attorney general’s office, reports the Associated Press.

The 3 Fs of Office Giving - Forbes

The 3 Fs of Office Giving - Forbes: One of the best ways for companies to increase employee engagement while improving their communities is through workplace giving programs. And the most effective workplace giving happens when companies lead their staff in campaigns that have a little pizazz.

Ready. Acquire. Aim. | Rebecca Davies | 101fundraising

Ready. Acquire. Aim. | Rebecca Davies | 101fundraising: Once, twelve days into a new fiscal year, we threw out the annual plan.

Fundraisers love – and should love – their strategic and annual plans. We need plans. Then sometimes we need new ones. This is a blog post about agile planning, and thinking less linearly about the planning cycle.

Stage Set for Rise of Free Online Education - NPQ – Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting an active and engaged democracy.

Stage Set for Rise of Free Online Education - NPQ – Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting an active and engaged democracy.: The stage is set for the rapid ascent of “MOOCs”—massive open online courses—the latest no-cost Web phenomenon, which may fundamentally alter the fabric of university education. In May, NPQ noted the recent founding of three such free online university ventures: edX (a joint project of M.I.T. and Harvard University), Udacity (co-founded by Stanford Professor Sebastian Thrun and David Stavens) and Coursera, with founding participants Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Michigan and Stanford.

What you need to know about the IRS Form 990 � The Trust Blog

What you need to know about the IRS Form 990 � The Trust Blog: Let’s face it: the IRS Form 990 can be confusing. It’s also the most valuable source of information when it comes to digging into a nonprofit. It’s provides information on the filing organization’s mission, programs, and finances.

Council on Foundations – New Leader Shares Vision - NPQ – Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting an active and engaged democracy.

Council on Foundations – New Leader Shares Vision - NPQ – Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting an active and engaged democracy.: ast week, the new CEO of the Council on Foundations, Vikki Spruill, sent an e-mail to her colleagues that included a look at her vision for organized philanthropy. Although Spruill attended the Council’s annual meeting in Los Angeles earlier this year, that was before her official start date. Now that she is on, her official statements will be important data for nonprofits to mine in order to understand and predict where organized philanthropy is heading.

Judge: Felon financier Alberto Vilar must remain behind bars - The Denver Post

Judge: Felon financier Alberto Vilar must remain behind bars - The Denver Post: Alberto Vilar was denied bail by the same New York judge who sent him to prison for fraud. Manhattan Federal Judge Richard Sullivan said Vilar might be a flight risk and ordered that Vilar remain behind bars.

'Kate effect' boosts Princes' charity by �4.2m - Telegraph

'Kate effect' boosts Princes' charity by �4.2m - Telegraph: Donations to a charitable foundation set up by the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry shot up almost ten-fold after the Duchess joined the Royal family, latest accounts show.

Too Many Donation Requests? How To Say No While Still Giving Back - Forbes

Too Many Donation Requests? How To Say No While Still Giving Back - Forbes: When planning a charity event, coordinators will often seek donations from various businesses. And though your startup would like to help a good cause, it may not be the right time to do so, for whatever reason. As entrepreneurs, a very common dilemma we face is knowing when and how to politely decline donation requests. However, it is possible to turn many fundraiser donation requests you decline into a win-win situation for both parties: increased marketing and lead generation for your company, and support for a worthy cause.

If you don’t know how to say “no,” here’s how to keep your business sense straight, your conscience clear and your philanthropic relations peaceful:

Does Your Organization Have “Relationship Capital?” - Resource Center - AFP

Does Your Organization Have “Relationship Capital?” - Resource Center - AFP: (July 17, 2012) Relationship capital represents the quality of your interactions and the bonds that you have developed with your donors, and it can indicate your position in their philanthropic priorities. With more competition than ever for charitable resources, investing in your relationship capital with donors and prospects can give your organization the edge it needs to stand apart from the crowd.

Pro-bono work tops nonprofits’ volunteer needs � Philanthropy North Carolina

Pro-bono work tops nonprofits’ volunteer needs � Philanthropy North Carolina: Nonprofits need pro-bono services to improve their operational infrastructure far more than they need hands-on support delivering services directly to the community either from skills-based or traditional volunteers, a new survey says.

Still, nonprofits face challenges making productive use of volunters, says the Pro Bono Readiness Survey conducted by LBG Research Institute for a collaborative convened by Capital One Financial Corporation and including Common Impact, Points of Light and the Taproot Foundation.

The Nature Conservancy Picked As Nonprofit Of The Year

The Nature Conservancy Picked As Nonprofit Of The Year: Acquiring more new and younger donors through direct mail in combination with other channels has resulted in the 2012 Nonprofit Organization of the Year Award for The Nature Conservancy (TNC). The Arlington, Va.-headquartered conservation charity will be feted during the Direct Marketing Association Nonprofit Federation (DMANF)’s annual New York Nonprofit Conference on July 26.

Kindness of strangers has performers dancing in the street

Kindness of strangers has performers dancing in the street: IN ONE of the most exhilarating projects to mark its 50th anniversary, the Australian Ballet last month transported 74 dancers, eight shipping containers, 52 staff and 650 costumes to New York to strut their stuff on the world's biggest stage.

It was an expensive project made possible thanks only to the support from private donors and a couple of corporate sponsors, said the Australian Ballet's executive director, Valerie Wilder.

''Philanthropy has a lot of promise and that is why we have been at the forefront [in Australia] of investing in it,'' Ms Wilder said.

The Australian Ballet is one of many perform

Some Olympic torchbearers are selling their torches for charity - The Denver Post

Some Olympic torchbearers are selling their torches for charity - The Denver Post: The London Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games has fueled the fire, with about 50 used torches up for auction on its official website.

The gold-colored torches are 31.5 inches long and weigh about 2 pounds. The Olympic flame will ultimately be carried by 8,000 torchbearers over an 8,000-mile relay.

What are UVa's next steps? | Daily Progress

What are UVa's next steps? | Daily Progress: But calls are now resuming “to get down to hard work.” The community has taken its breather, and people are beginning again to ask questions and seek answers (as illustrated by several recent and upcoming letters to the editor).

What is the hard work that the board, and the university community, must tackle?

It boils down to two words: Money. Power.

How will the university retain, much less burnish, its stellar reputation if the state keeps cutting public funding to Virginia’s “public” universities? State support of UVa is now around 10 percent.

223 alums reunion = $30 million for Carleton College | StarTribune.com

223 alums reunion = $30 million for Carleton College | StarTribune.com: The alumni who celebrated their 50th class reunion at Carleton College in Northfield last month danced to Elvis hits, ate seared salmon and bison ribs, and announced a jaw-dropping donation to their alma mater.

It was spelled out in placards in front of the dining room one morning: $ 30 MILLION !

Shifting ground: Nonprofits struggle to navigate changing terrain, forge corporate partnerships | The Post and Courier | Charleston SC, News, Sports, Entertainment

Shifting ground: Nonprofits struggle to navigate changing terrain, forge corporate partnerships | The Post and Courier | Charleston SC, News, Sports, Entertainment: Nonprofits alone can never solve all our social problems, declared fundraising guru Jon Duschinsky at the Association of Fundraising Professional’s local Summer Institute summit last month. And it’s foolish to think that the relatively slim expenditure on “social good” could ever be enough to make more than a dent.