Chronicle highlights philanthropy in Houston - Houston Chronicle

Chronicle highlights philanthropy in Houston - Houston Chronicle: Philanthropy is a natural part of Houston life. When it comes to the health of our local charities, we rank second in the nation. In fact, Houstonians and area organizations contributed nearly $12.4 billion to causes last year.

Your generosity inspires us. At Houston Chronicle Media Group, we host Houston's significant conversations. That is why we publish Houston Gives - now in its third year - to spotlight our city's great works, to champion its causes and to honor its heroes.

Rich Kinder, John Arnold among top Houston philanthropists this year - Houston Business Journal

Rich Kinder, John Arnold among top Houston philanthropists this year - Houston Business Journal: The forecast for the entire year is a total of $12.2 billion, an 8.8 percent increase over last year, reports Dallas-based Atlas of Giving.

Religious giving continues to lag as fewer people attend and join churches. Causes receiving the largest increases in donor funds include environmental, humanitarian, education and donor-advised funds.

2013-2014 Youth in Philanthropy Program applications now available - Your Houston News: Living

2013-2014 Youth in Philanthropy Program applications now available - Your Houston News: Living: Today’s philanthropists are getting younger and younger. As early as their teenage years, many students are discovering their passions and concerns about community and/or global issues, and increasingly using social networking sites to raise awareness and funds for charities. Our community’s students are a powerful asset and a force for social change within our county.

What can schools sell instead of candy? Trash bags - Houston Chronicle

What can schools sell instead of candy? Trash bags - Houston Chronicle: Some schools have done away with catalog sales altogether, instead asking parents to make direct donations. Alison Oleson, former president of the Sleepy Hollow PTA in Falls Church, Va., said with both parents working in so many families, people just don't have time "to go out and get their kids to sell things. And schools can't get the volunteers to sit there and sort the wrapping paper and candy when it comes in."

Another reason to drop catalog sales is that schools only keep a portion of what they sell — 42 percent on average, according to the Association of Fund-Raising Distributors and Suppliers. A letter to Sleepy Hollow parents explaining the switch noted that "the exciting part of this fundraising program is that 100 percent of your donation goes to support PTA programs (not 50 percent, as before) and it is tax deductible!"

Young Houston couple giving away $4 billion to big ideas - Houston Chronicle

Young Houston couple giving away $4 billion to big ideas - Houston Chronicle: Now, he and wife, Laura, are focusing their energies on giving the money away to organizations and projects that will help transform the world. Last year alone, the couple gave away or pledged $423 million for various projects that include a $26 million obesity study.

The Daily Pennsylvanian :: Nonprofit leaders talk shop with students at community dinner

The Daily Pennsylvanian :: Nonprofit leaders talk shop with students at community dinner: nstead of sitting down at 1920 Commons to discuss Spring Fling plans, some students caught a glimpse of what a life in service looks like.

Last night in Houston Hall, the Civic House Associates Coalition hosted the CHAC Community Dinner to facilitate discussion between local nonprofit organization leaders and Penn students.

The NBA's Adoption of Charity as a Central Business Model is Apparent During All-Star Week - Forbes

The NBA's Adoption of Charity as a Central Business Model is Apparent During All-Star Week - Forbes: The NBA’s presence in Houston was not over when the final buzzer sounded and the Western Conference beat the Eastern Conference in the 2013 NBA All-Star Game. Throughout the week leading up to the game, the NBA and its partners engaged in thousands of hours of community service projects in the greater Houston area. Additionally, numerous events held during All-Star week had a charitable component, leading to hundreds of thousands of dollars being donated to charity. These endeavors, which fell under the umbrella of the NBA’s “NBA Cares” program, ensured the sustained commitment of the NBA to the All-Star city of Houston after players and league officials left town following All-Star weekend.

Beer a New Giving Frontier as Cities Sprout Charity Pubs - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Beer a New Giving Frontier as Cities Sprout Charity Pubs - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: Beer a New Giving Frontier as Cities Sprout Charity Pubs

January 22, 2013, 10:37 am

A small but growing trend is emerging of urban charity pubs that pledge profits to nonprofit organizations, says The New York Times

Portland, Ore.; Houston; Washington, D.C.; Melbourne, Australia; and Hyderabad, India, are among the cities with new or planned bars adopting varied approaches to diverting revenue from microbrew sales to favored causes, with some letting patrons choose from a menu of organizations to support.

Title sponsorships - where the line between marketing and philanthropy blurs - Houston Chronicle

Title sponsorships - where the line between marketing and philanthropy blurs - Houston Chronicle: The line between philanthropy and marketing blurs when it comes to the dozen-plus title sponsorships in Houston

Houston culture grows, thanks to contributions - Houston Chronicle

Houston culture grows, thanks to contributions - Houston Chronicle: Philanthropy has given Houston a cultural full house, so to speak, making it one of few U.S. cities with its own ballet, opera, symphony and theater companies, plus major museums and many fine, smaller organizations.

Pastafarians rejoice: Houston restaurant giving free pastas to diners & helping the hungry too - 2012-Oct-17 - CultureMap Houston

Pastafarians rejoice: Houston restaurant giving free pastas to diners & helping the hungry too - 2012-Oct-17 - CultureMap Houston: For the month of October, Maggiano's is extending that promotion to help the hungry. This month every time a customer orders from the Classic Pasta menu, not only will they receive a second portion to take home, but Maggiano's will also donate another meal to Feeding America, the country's largest hunger-relief charity.

Rice University celebrates a century - Houston Chronicle

Rice University celebrates a century - Houston Chronicle: Our city and its leaders in government, business and philanthropy have been wonderfully supportive throughout this time. We have worked hard to contribute as much and more to this community in return. It's no accident that the Texas Medical Center was located next to Rice 33 years after our founding, or that Houston's extraordinary museum district sits at the other end of our campus. The histories of the Houston Symphony, the Houston Grand Opera, the Museum of Fine Arts of Houston, the Johnson Space Center and even the Houston Ship Channel all owe part of their origin and strength to Rice. William Marsh Rice's gift to the city of Houston - for that is what it was always intended to be - has been multiplied many times over the past century.

Houston enjoys its biggest charity season ever: The year of the $1 million gala makes a big difference - 2012-Jul-11 - CultureMap Houston

Houston enjoys its biggest charity season ever: The year of the $1 million gala makes a big difference - 2012-Jul-11 - CultureMap Houston: The Aubergine-themed Ballet Ball was just one in a long line of charity fundraisers that crossed the $1 million mark this past season. Never before has Houston seen such an outpouring of charitable dollars associated with society-driven fundraisers. In the wake of a struggling national economy, the city's philanthropic spirit, rather than shrinking, seems to be growing.

CultureMap counted 21 charitable fundraisers from January through May that raised $1 million or more.

Pratham Gala Raises $1.2 Million for Literacy in India | Indo American News

Pratham Gala Raises $1.2 Million for Literacy in India | Indo American News: Elegance and philanthropy were the hallmarks of the Pratham-Houston Gala 2012 when over 800 from this city’s diverse communities gathered at the Hilton Americas Hotel on April 21, to support the non-profit grass-roots organization’s literacy programs in India. The event themed We Are One World, chaired by Dr. Marie Goradia and Medha Karve, raised an unprecedented $1.2 million that will help educate over 60,000 underprivileged children and further Pratham’s vision of Every Child in School and Learning Well.

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.)

UT MD ANDERSON CANCER CENTER CAMPAIGN SURPASSES $1.2 BILLION GOAL - TheCypressTimes

UT MD ANDERSON CANCER CENTER CAMPAIGN SURPASSES $1.2 BILLION GOAL - TheCypressTimes: HOUSTON — The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center has completed its largest fundraising campaign ever. Thanks to the generosity of supporters across the globe, Making Cancer History�: The Campaign to Transform Cancer Care has raised $1.215 billion for:

Charitable giving has yet to go out of style in Coachella Valley | The Desert Sun | MyDesert.com

Charitable giving has yet to go out of style in Coachella Valley | The Desert Sun | MyDesert.com: Houston, who earned the first local Association of Professional Fundraisers' Outstanding Philanthropist award in 2007 with her husband, Jim, is irreplaceable, say local philanthropists.

“The old line had it right,” said Jim Casey, co-host of the annual Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards for the Desert AIDS Project. “It takes a village. Everybody who loves her is going to have to step up to the plate and continue her legacy.”

But the Coachella Valley is uniquely prepared to sustain charitable giving with a decades-old system to develop and nurture philanthropists. With three local chapters of the National Charity League to prepare seventh through 12th grade girls for lives of charity

Judge recuses himself from Three Cups of Tea suit - Houston Chronicle

Judge recuses himself from Three Cups of Tea suit - Houston Chronicle: MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) — A federal judge has recused himself from presiding over the lawsuit against "Three Cups of Tea" author Greg Mortenson, who is accused of duping millions of people into buying his books and donating to his charity based on lies.

The Missoulian (http://bit.ly/qbOLsg ) reports that U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy recused himself Tuesday because he owns the bestselling book and attended a lecture by Mortenson. The judge also says various family members bought the book and have discussed it with him and with each other.

Rice MBA students make their mark on Houston with nonprofit board service - Your Houston News: News

Rice MBA students make their mark on Houston with nonprofit board service - Your Houston News: News: For the fourth consecutive year, Rice University MBA students are making a mark on the city of Houston with their involvement in nonprofit boards as part of the Jones Graduate School of Business Board Fellows Program.

Donors keep Houston's pools, community centers open | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

Donors keep Houston's pools, community centers open | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle: "A $350,000 donation from energy companies has saved eight city pools and seven community centers from closing this summer.

U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston, announced the philanthropy by Marathon Oil and ConocoPhillips on Monday at an event she organized at Independence Heights Park. It included balloon-toting children and neighborhood activists shuttled in to surround her as she praised the energy industry and the generosity of Houstonians."