Nonprofit Brand Awareness for Beginners | #fundchat

Nonprofit Brand Awareness for Beginners | #fundchat: Nonprofits want brand awareness the way a teenage girl wants Justin Timberlake at her birthday party.

We want celebrity appeal…to be attractive…for people to think we’re cool.

In other words: we want to become a household name. But how?

What You Need To Start Planned Giving | #fundchat

What You Need To Start Planned Giving | #fundchat: Your charity or nonprofit doesn’t need much to get started with planned giving, but you do need two critical ingredients. Here’s what I look for to decide whether Planned Giving is feasible at a charity:

7 years under your belt. I used to say a nonprofit should have a steady 10 years working in its mission, but I’ve relaxed that to seven. You need that because you’ll be asking potential donors to include you in their estate plans, which will mean cash to you at their deaths (for the majority of planned gifts).

The State of the Combined Federal Campaign in 2014 - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly

The State of the Combined Federal Campaign in 2014 - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly: The CFC has experienced a significant decline in donations, moving from $283 million in 2009 to $258 million in 2012. The numbers for 2013 will be released in the spring, but there are fears that the decline will continue, delivering a number that’s potentially below $200 million. According to one article, the reasoning behind the drop in donations could be due to the sinking morale within the federal government.

Charitable Donation Trends for K-12: Secondary Schools Lag Behind Primary -- THE Journal

Charitable Donation Trends for K-12: Secondary Schools Lag Behind Primary -- THE Journal: DonorsChoose.org is an online charity to help schools raise money. The group enlisted the help of Looker, a data discovery and business intelligence company, to analyze its data. The results of the analysis are called the Giving Index, which includes information about $60.2 million in donations made by 340,000 donors to 130,000 school projects during 2013.

The Giving Index revealed that donors gave more money to lower grades than higher grades.

Connection is shaky when cellphones used to monitor government

Connection is shaky when cellphones used to monitor government: Mobile “citizen engagement” initiatives are plagued by the question of who answers calls or replies to text messages. It’s hard to know if data is accurate or representative of a population. The poorest members of a community may not have access to a phone, while those who do may not respond for reasons that include illiteracy and a lack of technological

Pope's Harley goes for $327,000 at charity auction | Nation & World | The Seattle Times

Pope's Harley goes for $327,000 at charity auction | Nation & World | The Seattle Times: Pope Francis' Harley-Davidson is hitting the road after an unspecified European buyer agreed to pay 241,500 euros ($327,000) including taxes and fees for the motorcycle at a Paris auction to benefit charity.

Omaha firms give $42,500 more to Manning's charity - San Antonio Express-News

Omaha firms give $42,500 more to Manning's charity - San Antonio Express-News: Omaha's love affair with Manning and his Denver Broncos got started after he yelled the city's name 44 times during a playoff win over San Diego. Manning's "Omaha! Omaha!" calls received widespread attention in social media and news stories.

How smaller communities can use networking events to raise money - Information, research and resources for fundraisers and their leaders

How smaller communities can use networking events to raise money - Information, research and resources for fundraisers and their leaders: The Social Networking for Charity event was created as a means to ‘give back’ to the local community. While planning this unique event in the city of Sault Ste. Marie, I was very fortunate to receive support in the form of donations for prizes. The event, held on the evening of January 30, consisted of an informal discussion about the benefits of using social media networking as a means to advertise; we also provided a brief review of upcoming trends for 2014.

7520 Rate for February Increases to 2.4% | Planned Giving Design Center

7520 Rate for February Increases to 2.4% | Planned Giving Design Center: 7520 Rate for February Increases to 2.4%
News story posted in Revenue Rulings by Lee Hoffman on 5 February 2014| comments
audience: National Publication | last updated: 5 February 2014

Portland librarian caps life of generosity with $1 million in gifts | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram

Portland librarian caps life of generosity with $1 million in gifts | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram: Portland librarian caps life of generosity with $1 million in gifts
Franklin Talbot bequeaths surprisingly large donations to colleges, his church and more.

Why transparent philanthropy is a more valuable contribution than silent giving - Spears

Why transparent philanthropy is a more valuable contribution than silent giving - Spears: When it comes to philanthropy, there's no point hiding your generosity under a bushel. That can actually do more harm

Charitable Giving Got Biggest Boost In 2013 Since Recession

Charitable Giving Got Biggest Boost In 2013 Since Recession: Giving Tuesday, the online event that invites shoppers to give back after scoring deals on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, also had a significant impact on overall online giving. In its second year, donors gave 90 percent more to charity on Giving Tuesday and Blackbaud processed more than $19.2 million in donations.

Philanthropist Gives SDSU Largest Donation in School History | NBC 7 San Diego

Philanthropist Gives SDSU Largest Donation in School History | NBC 7 San Diego: Conrad Prebys has given $20 million to fund SDSU scholarships
By Andie Adams
| Wednesday, Feb 5, 2014 | Updated 1:38 PM PST

A Church Is a Church—Or Is It? And Is It Tax-exempt? - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly

A Church Is a Church—Or Is It? And Is It Tax-exempt? - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly: The idea of whether or not certain organizations should have tax exemption, or should be able to receive contributions that are tax deductible to the donor, has been in the news quite a bit lately. There is a lot of dialogue, for example, around the NFL and why it is tax exempt. The 501(c)(4) classification as a whole has come under the microscope. In Valparaiso, Indiana, a new debate is swirling around Preachit, an organization that does not have to pay tax on its 32-acre property. In December, the local legislature had come to the decision that it needed to define what a church was.

Preachit is an organization whose website describes it as a membership organization providing resources “by ministers for ministers.

Young Bankers Apply Finance Experience to Charity Start-Ups – Philanthropy Today - Blogs - The Chronicle of Philanthropy

Young Bankers Apply Finance Experience to Charity Start-Ups – Philanthropy Today - Blogs - The Chronicle of Philanthropy: Young Bankers Apply Finance Experience to Charity Start-Ups

Finance professionals in their 20s and 30s are starting nonprofits, aiming to apply the language and lessons of capital markets to ai

Nebraska Groups Share $33-Million from Anonymous Donor – Philanthropy Today - Blogs - The Chronicle of Philanthropy

Nebraska Groups Share $33-Million from Anonymous Donor – Philanthropy Today - Blogs - The Chronicle of Philanthropy

Study Says Benefits from NEA Grants Cross Economic Lines – Philanthropy Today - Blogs - The Chronicle of Philanthropy

Study Says Benefits from NEA Grants Cross Economic Lines – Philanthropy Today - Blogs - The Chronicle of Philanthropy: Spending by the National Endowment for the Arts benefits poorer Americans as much as the well-to-do, The New York Times writes, citing a new study by the National Center for Arts Research.

How Do I Know if the Job Offer is a Good Match for Me? - Resource Center - AFP

How Do I Know if the Job Offer is a Good Match for Me? - Resource Center - AFP: How Do I Know if the Job Offer is a Good Match for Me?

Where fundraising, crowdsourcing and gamification meet – lessons from Super Bowl

Where fundraising, crowdsourcing and gamification meet – lessons from Super Bowl: Two of the biggest marketing trends are crowdsourcing and gamification. They’ve been tried and tested and are ready for charities to adopt. You might think they are new and too risky but I beg to differ.

Why United Way donations are down, and how it's hoping to fix the problem | News from North Country Public Radio

Why United Way donations are down, and how it's hoping to fix the problem | News from North Country Public Radio: The United Way is one of America's largest charitable organizations, helping to sustain thousands of small nonprofits that in turn help millions of people.

But the Northern New York chapter of the United Way is needing some help itself. Its mid-year fundraising totals show significant declines in giving from last year in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties.

Journal Times editorial: Hands off city’s PILOT money

Journal Times editorial: Hands off city’s PILOT money: hat’s essentially the proposition put forward by state Rep. Thomas Weatherston, R-Caledonia, who has drafted legislation to try to get the City of Racine to “share” some of the revenue it is collecting from tax-exempt organizations through its “Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT)” program.

They’re not particularly big dollars; the city received an estimated $286,500 from tax-exempt bodies last year as a good faith effort by those organizations to pay the city for some of the services it provides — like police, fire and snow removal.

Groups object to new federal charity rules

Groups object to new federal charity rules: he Office of Personnel Management is finalizing Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) regulations that leaders of charitable organizations fear will undermine donations from federal employees.

New Year’s Questions, Not Resolutions

New Year’s Questions, Not Resolutions: Just a few weeks ago, we embarked on an eight-day adventure through the cities and countryside of this East African nation, celebrating the onset of 2014 Ethiopian-style. A group of travelers ranging in age from 12 to nearly 70 had come together under the auspices of the Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC). Each participant brought an adventurous spirit and a commitment to helping some of Ethiopia’s most challenged villages.

Why Do Nonprofit Leaders Get in Their Own Way?�|�Nell Edgington

Why Do Nonprofit Leaders Get in Their Own Way?�|�Nell Edgington: Can we talk about crazy for a minute?

I've recently witnessed some behavior from nonprofit leaders that made my jaw drop:

Donor Behaviour and Charitable Budgeting - Resource Center - AFP

Donor Behaviour and Charitable Budgeting - Resource Center - AFP: y drawing up existing research in consumer psychology, we identified that this perceived difference was perhaps rooted in the theoretical idea of “mental budgeting,” which suggests that individuals create mental categories of “accounts” or “budgets,” and then allocate the expenditures they wish to make to those different budgets. In theory, once a budget is exhausted, expenditures that belong in that account should stop, since they are supposed to be fixed—otherwise, what is the point of having a budget? But other researchers (Dilip Soman and Amar Cheema) have found that if someone REALLY wants to make an expenditure, they will find creative ways to reallocate that expenditure to a mental budget that isn’t full, and quite easily justify these mental accounting “tricks” to themselves.

keeping a close eye... by the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy: 'Responsive Philanthropy' Features Mission Investing

keeping a close eye... by the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy: 'Responsive Philanthropy' Features Mission Investing: 'm very excited about the just-released special winter issue of Responsive Philanthropy, NCRP's quarterly journal. It focuses mission investing, a topic that's been getting more and more attention in philanthropy, with articles that tackles myths, shares examples of foundation engagement, additional resources and mor

Charitable Giving Experiences Biggest Boost Since Great Recession | Blackbaud News

Charitable Giving Experiences Biggest Boost Since Great Recession | Blackbaud News: Blackbaud, Inc. (Nasdaq: BLKB) today released its Charitable Giving Report, featuring the sector’s first look at actual data showing how nonprofit fundraising performed in 2013, as well as commentary from leading experts in the field. The Report draws from The Blackbaud Index, which tracks $12.5 billion in U.S.-based charitable giving from more than 4000 organizations on a monthly basis to provide the largest analysis of overall and online giving trends in the nonprofit sector.

• Read the full press release
• Watch a video: 5 Key Findings from the 2013 Charitable Giving Report  

For-Profit Solicitors Kept 63% of Funds Raised in Calif. in 2012 – Philanthropy Today - Blogs - The Chronicle of Philanthropy

For-Profit Solicitors Kept 63% of Funds Raised in Calif. in 2012 – Philanthropy Today - Blogs - The Chronicle of Philanthropy: Commercial firms raised almost $300-million in California on behalf of charities in 2012, with an average of 37 percent going to their nonprofit clients, the Orange County Register writes, citing data collected by the state attorney general’s office.

Fundraising success tied to staffing capacity � Philanthropy North Carolina

Fundraising success tied to staffing capacity � Philanthropy North Carolina: Investing in fundraising staff generates the biggest return in donated dollars for nonprofit hospitals, systems and health care organizations, two new reports say.

The number of professional staff directly responsible for fundraising, for example, has a “ripple effect,” say the reports from the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy, or AHP.

The Blackbaud Index: Overall Charitable Giving to Nonprofits Grew in December | Blackbaud News

The Blackbaud Index: Overall Charitable Giving to Nonprofits Grew in December | Blackbaud News: The Blackbaud Index today reported that overall charitable giving to nonprofits increased 1.8% and online giving increased 12.6% for the three months ending December 2013 as compared to the same period in 2012.

Memphis Symphony to “Wind Down” - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly

Memphis Symphony to “Wind Down” - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly: n the face of depleted assets, and despite its imposition of across-the-board pay cuts in 2011, the Memphis Symphony Orchestra has declared that it will “wind down” its operations. Although the definition of “winding down” is not clear, “The structure of the symphony as we know it today must be changed because the model is no longer viable,” Gayle Rose, the chair of the board said. “We’re looking for the Hail Mary, $20 to $25 million,” Rose said. “Now if someone comes up and says, ‘Here’s a check for $5 (million),’ I’m not sure we could take it without making some structural changes.”