7 More Philanthropists Sign Giving Pledge - News - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

7 More Philanthropists Sign Giving Pledge - News - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas:Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg and her husband, Dave Goldberg, are two of seven philanthropists who have signed the Giving Pledge, the effort advanced by Warren Buffett and Bill and Melinda Gates to encourage the wealthy to pledge to give at least half of their fortune to charity.

Sacramento region’s Big Day of Giving tops $3 million | Central Valley | Modesto Bee

Sacramento region’s Big Day of Giving tops $3 million | Central Valley | Modesto Bee: The Sacramento region put its money where its heart is Tuesday, more than tripling the $1 million goal set for the 24-hour online fundraising Big Day of Giving campaign

Yet Another Symphony (Green Bay) Declares Intent to Close - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly

Yet Another Symphony (Green Bay) Declares Intent to Close - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly: NPQ has become accustomed to waiting for another shoe to drop whenever a classical music group declares it is going out of business. In this case, the Green Bay Symphony in Wisconsin has declared it will close at the conclusion of the 2014–2015 season. The apparent culprits are the oft-cited evil twins of declining attendance and eroding donations. But the San Diego Opera claimed the same, declaring its impending closure only to find that it would not be allowed to go so gently into a good night.

Three Mysterious Philanthropists Fund Fourth-Largest U.S. Charity - Businessweek

Three Mysterious Philanthropists Fund Fourth-Largest U.S. Charity - Businessweek: By 2011 the donor was spending more than $100 million a year on Huntington’s, more than the National Institutes of Health was investing in a cure. Like everyone else, Goodman was grateful for the infusion of money—the disease had killed his father-in-law. He nevertheless found it frustrating that he couldn’t talk to the donor about his spending priorities. He says he grew more curious when he noticed Blumenstein at research conferences accompanied by a middle-aged, bearded man. A few years ago in Palm Springs, Calif., Goodman says, Blumenstein introduced the man to a group of attendees as the “donor’s representative.” He gave the man’s name as “Andrew.”

Crowdfunding Controversies and How They Impact Nonprofits and Charities - The TechSoup Blog - Community - TechSoup

Crowdfunding Controversies and How They Impact Nonprofits and Charities - The TechSoup Blog - Community - TechSoup: 've donated to some weird crowdfunding campaigns. I supported a vegan food truck, a book about metal dudes and their cats, a rescued chihuahua's hip surgery, and an iPhone case with a built-in taser. I've also donated to personal fundraisers, where my friends are raising money for a pet project or trying to pay off a large medical bill. While my favored crowdfunding campaigns might be eclectic, they all have one thing in common: I trust them.

Warning Signs of Board Underperformance – and What to Do About It::

massnonprofit.org ::: When asked why nonprofit boards underperform, board members and executive directors have no difficulty listing a host of reasons, but the best may be, “Because they can!”

As Harvard business school professor Dutch Leonard once said, “The central challenge of leadership in nonprofit organizations is that mediocrity is survivable.” While this may be true, I’ve never run across a nonprofit board member who thrills to being average or an executive director who is motived by ordinariness. Quite the contrary; those who serve the nonprofit sector are typically passionate about our causes and want to do good things in the world.

New Website Invites Feedback on Grant Makers - News - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

New Website Invites Feedback on Grant Makers - News - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: Proponents of more transparency among foundations just made another gain: the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy today launched Philamplify, a new website that gives users a platform to provide feedback about grant-making organizations.

The committee’s officials said they started the site to provide not only a space for critique but also a place where foundations can learn from one another.

Organizational Leadership Helps Win Grants | The NonProfit TimesThe NonProfit Times

Organizational Leadership Helps Win Grants | The NonProfit TimesThe NonProfit Times: Effective collaboration happens when the organization’s leader and the grants professional understand their roles and can combine their strengths and knowledge to steer the grant seeking process together. To knock the proposal out of the park, Thompson said the leader and the professional should be on the same page about:

Record number of philanthropists gave �1m-plus last year | Third Sector

Record number of philanthropists gave �1m-plus last year | Third Sector: Sainsbury family, led by Lord Sainsbury of Turville, tops the Sunday Times Giving List 2014, which shows that 165 gave more than �1m

A record 165 philanthropists gave more than �1m to charity last year, according to the Sunday Times Giving List 2014.

The Sainsbury family, led by David – Lord Sainsbury of Turville – replaced the property developer David Kirch at the top of the list, becoming the biggest givers both in cash terms and as a proportion of their overall wealth.

Canadian charity, Part 4: SickKids Foundation invests in fundraising capacity � Philanthropy North Carolina

Canadian charity, Part 4: SickKids Foundation invests in fundraising capacity � Philanthropy North Carolina: Key to fund development at the SickKids Foundation are investment in staff, diversification of fundraising programs, a heightened fundraising role for the CEO, and a focus on major individual giving, planned giving, and direct marketing, said Ted Garrard, the Foundation’s president and CEO.

Do You Know the Value of Your Local CDFI? - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly

Do You Know the Value of Your Local CDFI? - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly: An article in the Star Tribune highlights the role of the Nonprofit Assistance Fund among Minnesota’s nonprofits. The specific case it references is the first million-dollar loan made by the Nonprofit Assistance Fund (NAF). The loan was made to help the Aliveness Project move to a space more conducive to their HIV/AIDS program.

NAF is a community development financial institution (CDFI) led by Kate Barr, one of NPQ’s favorite authors on nonprofit financial dynamics. CDFIs provide not just loans but financial advice, and there are around 400 of them in the United States. Barr is well suited to leadership of a

Medical magnate Paul Ramsay bequeaths $3bn estate to charity | World news | theguardian.com

Medical magnate Paul Ramsay bequeaths $3bn estate to charity | World news | theguardian.com: Ramsay kept a relatively low public profile, but was Australia's ninth-richest man, due to his $3.3bn stake in the global hospitals giant he founded in 1964.

Single with no children, Ramsay directed the bulk of his estate be transferred to the Paul Ramsay Foundation, where it will be "of enduring benefit to the Australian community", Ramsay Health Care said.

The foundation will retain the major shareholding in Ramsay Health Care, which will generate tens of millions worth of dividends each year.

Fundraising Training Exercise: Where's the Money?

Fundraising Training Exercise: Where's the Money?: Fundraising Training Exercise: Where's the Money?

May 2014

Excerpted from Train Your Board (And Everyone Else) to Raise Money

If you've ever discussed fundraising with your board—or any nonprofit board—you've probably heard the following phrases: "The economy's not good, people aren't giving," or "I don't know anyone with money." These are perhaps the two most pervasive and persistent misconceptions about fundraising. The data presented in this exercise help to debunk these and several other myths.

The Blackbaud Index: Overall Charitable Giving to Nonprofits Decreased 0.7% in March | Blackbaud News

The Blackbaud Index: Overall Charitable Giving to Nonprofits Decreased 0.7% in March | Blackbaud News: The Blackbaud Index today reported that overall charitable giving to nonprofits decreased 0.7% and online giving increased 12.8% for the three months ending March 2014 as compared to the same period in 2013.

Going to a gala? Here’s your checklist. - The Washington Post

Going to a gala? Here’s your checklist. - The Washington Post: Do your homework. Studies show that people are more likely to support a cause when asked by their friend. In fact, that’s how many people end up at galas and fundraising parties. But before you say yes, “Do your due diligence,” said Andrew Watt, head of Association of Fundraising Professionals International. “I do worry some people might spend more time researching getting a new pair of running shoes than [learning about] the causes their running for.” Along with understanding the organization’s mission, it also might save an embarrassing moment. One fundraiser recalled a friend who accepted an invitation blindly and ended up at an event that raised money for a cause opposed to her values.