Hospitals report record fund-raising results

Hospitals report record fund-raising results: "Hospitals report record fund-raising results

January 5, 2008

By PATRICIA ANSTETT

FREE PRESS MEDICAL WRITER

Contributions from Michiganders and companies helped to make 2007 a record-breaking fund-raising year for many hospital systems despite the state's slumping economy.

In many cases, donations from grateful patients, board members, employees and civic leaders helped hospitals increase value by supporting costly new construction and technology or by converting semi-private rooms to private spaces."

Charity fears missing mail means lost donations -- dailypress.com

Charity fears missing mail means lost donations -- dailypress.com: "RICHMOND, Va. - A charity that helps children with hearing and speech difficulties fears that thousands of dollars in donations may have been lost because its mail was misplaced.

Workers at the Scottish Rite Childhood Learning Center put the mail on hold while they were out for the holidays and it disappeared from a Richmond post office. The U.S. Postal Service is investigating."

The Morning News: News : Taxing Charity

The Morning News: News : Taxing Charity: "FAYETTEVILLE -- Springdale's bingo balls may stop bouncing soon.

A weekly bingo game run by the Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Springdale has lost about $1,500 a month since the state legalized charitable bingo in July.

State taxes are cutting away at the money once raised for local charities, said post quartermaster Randy George.

'Some people think it's not even worth having now,' he said about the long-standing bingo game that attracts about 100 people to the post each Wednesday."

GoErie.com: Donor's identity of greater interest outside Erie

GoErie.com: Donor's identity of greater interest outside Erie: "When Yahoo included the $100 million anonymous gift to the Erie Community Foundation, which will benefit many social-service agencies, among its 10 most inspirational stories of 2007, the calls started again.

You might remember the deep interest reporters from across the globe took in this story in November. A representative from the British Broadcasting Corp. checked back last week to see if Erie was pleased to make the 'story of the year' category."

Hawaii contributors set Christmas fund record - The Honolulu Advertiser

Hawaii contributors set Christmas fund record - The Honolulu Advertiser: "Hawai'i's kindness and generosity reached new heights in 2007."

Memphis Daily News - Morgan Keegan Settles With Indiana Charity for Undisclosed Amount - 1/2/2008

Memphis Daily News - Morgan Keegan Settles With Indiana Charity for Undisclosed Amount - 1/2/2008: "Terms of the settlement between Morgan Keegan & Co. and the Indiana Children’s Wish Fund, a group that grants wishes to children with terminal illnesses, include a payment by the firm to the charity. That payment, the amount of which remains private, was made a little more than a week ago.

The Indiana charity, which lost almost $50,000 investing in the Regions Morgan Keegan Select Intermediate Bond Fund, was one of the first investors in the group of bloodied RMK funds to file a claim or lawsuit recently saying the funds’ volatility had not been fully disclosed."

Vermont Colleges Receive Influx of Donations - Chronicle.com

Vermont Colleges Receive Influx of Donations - Chronicle.com: "Vermont Colleges Receive Influx of Donations

Colleges in Vermont are on a fund-raising streak, receiving record donations and ending history-making campaigns, according to the Bennington Banner."

Seacoastonline.com: Polar Plunge planned to aid nonprofits

Seacoastonline.com: Polar Plunge planned to aid nonprofits: "PORTSMOUTH — The temperature is in the teens and 20s, the snow is falling and January is upon us. Time to swim.

The Portsmouth Rotary Club will hold its fifth annual Polar Bear Swim on Jan. 12 at Great Island Common in New Castle. In four previous years, the swims have raised and contributed more than $40,000 to the club in support of various local groups and organizations."

Maine bursting with nonprofits

Maine bursting with nonprofits: "While the issue for arts groups involves finding enough money, the driving factor for what some are calling a financial crisis in the arts is sheer volume.

Put simply, there are too many arts and cultural groups in Maine.

From 2000 to 2005, the number of Maine nonprofit organizations across all sectors grew by more than 500, from 1,805 to 2,333, according to the Maine Association for Nonprofits.

At 1.77 per 1,000 people, Maine has more nonprofit groups per capita than all but Vermont, Alaska and Montana, according to the association."

Editorial: New leading voices for philanthropy

Editorial: New leading voices for philanthropy: "The result is the Leadership Emergence and Development Project, or LEAD for short. It's on a mission to find and prepare the next generation of major donors and governing board members for Twin Cities nonprofit organizations, so that they are ready to step into the leadership of those organizations as their parents' generation retires."

Oshkosh Northwestern - Red kettle donations set record, but still short of goal

Oshkosh Northwestern - Red kettle donations set record, but still short of goal: "Red kettle donations set a record this holiday season for the Oshkosh Salvation Army, but fell short of the agency's $150,000 goal."

Consider giving to groups that aid working poor | www.azstarnet.com ®

Consider giving to groups that aid working poor | www.azstarnet.com ®: "The Arizona tax code gives a tax credit to people who contribute to groups that assist the working poor. This tax credit can be claimed in addition to credits given for contributions to public schools or private-school tuition organizations.
The tax credit allows gifts to the many charitable organizations that have certified they qualify to receive donations because they're exempt from federal income tax — 501(c)(3) organizations — or because they're designated community action agencies that receives federal community block grant"

Aspen Times News for Aspen Colorado - News

Aspen Times News for Aspen Colorado - News: "ASPEN — Boasting hundreds of nonprofit organizations, Pitkin County can put another feather in its philanthropic hat.

A study released earlier this month showed residents of Pitkin County to be the most generous in Colorado, giving an average of $12,978 to charities. Averaging $8,477 in charitable gifts per donor, Eagle County was second in the survey."

Three generations cycling and giving across NZ - Local News - The Southland Times

Three generations cycling and giving across NZ - Local News - The Southland Times: "The cycling party from the Pye family included grandad and grandmother, four sons and daughters, a 2-year-old toddler who rode on the back of her father's bike, two partners of the Pyes and a family friend.

Having started from the cape on December 7, they rode into Bluff on Saturday having completed 2400km, about 120km a day.

The family, in various combinations, have completed numerous cycle tours together around the world since 2000. Each time they pay their own expenses before raising money at home for different charity organisations in the country they are touring. Grandmother Jenny Pye said she did not like the feeling of 'just' being a tourist."

Winston-Salem Journal | Goodwill Comes Up Short: Slow economy may be reducing charitable giving, some suspect

Winston-Salem Journal | Goodwill Comes Up Short: Slow economy may be reducing charitable giving, some suspect: "On a day when all hands were on deck at Goodwill Industries on Westover Drive to handle the usual last-day-of-the-year crowd, Mark Stegall seemed uneasy.

“Usually there are trailer loads and pickup loads here,” said Stegall, Goodwill’s executive director, motioning to a relatively empty parking lot. “We’re usually swamped. This is kind of scary.”"

Lutheran Group Pledges $125 Million for Habitat Homes | Christianpost.com

Lutheran Group Pledges $125 Million for Habitat Homes | Christianpost.com: "A Lutheran financial organization committed tens of millions of dollars to build 322 Habitat for Humanity houses in 2008.

The homes will be built in 42 states through the partnership of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans - a nonprofit group offering financial products and services to Lutheran members – and Habitat for Humanity. The homes are funded by a four-year commitment of $125 million by Thrivent."

2007 a profitable year for nonprofits - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

2007 a profitable year for nonprofits - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Several Pittsburgh attractions had a record number of visitors in 2007. Others boast membership increases of more than 50 percent. Retailers may have reported a sluggish Christmas shopping season, but Pittsburgh's educational attractions expect the high attendance to carry over into the new year."

Charitable groups fight over ‘Big Sisters’ - Name change prompts lawsuit between two nonprofit groups

Charitable groups fight over ‘Big Sisters’ - Name change prompts lawsuit between two nonprofit groups: "Charitable groups fight over ‘Big Sisters’ - Name change prompts lawsuit between two nonprofit groups

By JON CHESTO
The Patriot Ledger

BOSTON - The Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay’s CEO says his mentoring organization will continue to work on collaborative efforts with the Big Sister Association of Greater Boston despite a legal battle between the two nonprofit groups.

John Pearson, CEO of the Boston-based Big Brothers group, said he has instructed his staff to continue to assist Big Sister even though Big Sister filed a service-mark infringement suit against his organization on Friday."

3 Years After Tsunami, Bay Area Residents Still Helping

3 Years After Tsunami, Bay Area Residents Still Helping: "Dubbed Project Hope, the complex includes an orphanage and school for more than 450 children. There also are homes for more than 200 widowed, poor and abandoned women who learn about computers, sewing and other skills in a vocational training center.

In less than a year, the Patel Foundation for Global Understanding helped raise $400,000, with much of it coming from prominent donors in the Tampa Bay area. But dollars also came from school children at the Academy at the Lakes in Land 'O Lakes, which collected $2,700; and restaurant workers in Tampa who started Waiting for Relief, an effort that raised more than $20,000.

In October, a group of 16 people representing the foundation traveled to Cuddlore. One of them was former University of South Florida president Betty Castor, who now is executive director for the think-tank USF Patel Center For Global Solutions."

Here are some examples, in no particular order, of people who made a difference in the Mahoning

Here are some examples, in no particular order, of people who made a difference in the Mahoning: "ublished:Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Here are some examples, in no particular order, of people who made a difference in the Mahoning Valley in 2007:"

Internal Revenue Bulletin - December 10, 2007 - Rev. Proc. 2007-70

Internal Revenue Bulletin - December 10, 2007 - Rev. Proc. 2007-70: "SECTION 2. SUMMARY OF STANDARD MILEAGE RATES

.01 Standard mileage rates
(1) Business (section 5 below) 50.5 cents per mile
(2) Charitable contribution (section 7 below) 14 cents per mile
(3) Medical and moving (section 7 below) 19 cents per mile

.02 Determination of standard mileage rates. The business and medical and moving standard mileage rates reflected in this revenue procedure are based on an annual study of the fixed and variable costs of operating an automobile conducted on behalf of the Service by an independent contractor. The charitable contribution standard mileage rate is provided in § 170(i) of the Internal Revenue Code.
SECTION 3. BACKGROUND AND CHANGES

.01 Section 162(a) allows a deduction for all the ordinary and necessary expenses paid or incurred during the taxable year in carrying on any trade or business. Under that provision, an employee or self-employed individual may deduct the cost of operating an automobile to the extent that it is used in a trade or business. However, under § 262, no portion of the cost of operating an automobile that is attributable to personal use is deductible."

pri NewsRoom

pri NewsRoom: "SANTA MONICA (2007-12-28) Aristotle said 'to give away money is an easy matter and in any man's power. But to decide to whom to give it, and how large and when, for what purpose and how, is neither in every man's power nor an easy matter.' Many Americans will be making those decisions in the final days of tax year 2007. 'To the Point' explores how we can target our charitable giving to be most effective."

Las Vegas SUN: Editorial: A drop in the bucket

Las Vegas SUN: Editorial: A drop in the bucket: "Charities are having a tough year. Fewer than half of the nation's charities are bringing in more money this holiday season than last, according to a survey by the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

The last three months of the year are crucial to many charities. Roughly 70 percent of the charities surveyed reported that at least 40 percent of their annual budget comes in during the holiday season."

For Modern Kids, 'Philanthropy' Is No Grown-Up Word - washingtonpost.com

For Modern Kids, 'Philanthropy' Is No Grown-Up Word - washingtonpost.com: "And in Club Penguin, a popular online game club for the elementary school set, more than 2.5 million kids gave their virtual earnings to charities in a contest this month. In response, the site's founders are giving $1 million to charities based on the children's preferences."

Groups that help needy feeling pinch this season - USATODAY.com

Groups that help needy feeling pinch this season - USATODAY.com: "Charities across the country are experiencing the same problems, says Michael Nilsen of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. 'The housing crisis and problems in the economy couldn't have hit at a worse time,' he says."

Uni funding must rise to match Oxford | The Australian

Uni funding must rise to match Oxford | The Australian: "AUSTRALIA will never have a world-class university such as Harvard or Oxford without dramatically increasing funding to the tertiary sector, the head of the nation's elite universities has warned.

Group of Eight universities chair Alan Robson said the country could not compete at the elite international level unless campuses were funded on a similar scale to Harvard - which benefits from a private endowment fund of more than $34.9 billion.

The University of Western Australia vice-chancellor also urged universities to diversify and called on the Rudd Government to set up a $20 million fund to reward 'high impact' research."

The Hindu News Update Service

The Hindu News Update Service: "In its first ever list of World's Top 50 Microfinance Institutions, the US business magazine has named Bangalore- based Bandhan at the second position."

Hilton to donate bulk of fortune to foundation - USATODAY.com

Hilton to donate bulk of fortune to foundation - USATODAY.com: "Barron Hilton, son of the international hotel chain's founder, said Wednesday that he will donate nearly all of his fortune to his family's philanthropic foundation that supports housing for the homeless, safe water in developing countries and other causes worldwide."

Groups that help needy feeling pinch this season - USATODAY.com

Groups that help needy feeling pinch this season - USATODAY.com: "Charities across the country are experiencing the same problems, says Michael Nilsen of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. 'The housing crisis and problems in the economy couldn't have hit at a worse time,' he says."

Hawaii nonprofit funding unusual - The Honolulu Advertiser

Hawaii nonprofit funding unusual - The Honolulu Advertiser: "Hawai'i's controversial system for approving grants to nonprofits appears to be unique and far less open than what typically happens in other states, according to national nonprofit executives, fundraising professionals and budget experts.

National data on how states handle nonprofit funding is hard to come by, but the experts said they weren't aware of a system similar to Hawai'i's."