Study Questions Efficiency of Charity Business Activities - Ideas & Advice - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Study Questions Efficiency of Charity Business Activities - Ideas & Advice - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: "Study Questions Efficiency of Charity Business Activities

By Nicole Wallace

As nonprofit organizations earn more unrelated business income—through such activities as merchandise sales or renting their donor lists—the proportion of their budgets that they spend on programs goes down, according to a new report.

The study analyzed 700 informational tax returns filed by 150 social-service organizations in Manhattan for the years 2000 to 2005. It was conducted by Rebecca Tekula, executive director of the Helene and Grant Wilson Center for Social Entrepreneurship at Pace University, in New York."

Latest Ideas About Philanthropy Communication | Philanthropy411 Blog

Latest Ideas About Philanthropy Communication | Philanthropy411 Blog: "Latest Ideas About Philanthropy Communication
Posted on November 8, 2010 by philanthropy411| Leave a comment

Philanthropy411 recently covered the Communications Network 2010 Fall Conference with the help of a blog team. Altogether there were 41 conference attendees who tweeted, blogged and conducted on the spot video interviews about the latest developments and challenges in effective foundation communications. Below is a list of all blog posts published for this event, and you can check out highlights from the video interviews here. A great is example is this video of Daniel Silverman, Director of Communications at one of our favorite clients, The James Irvine Foundation, discussing what he learned about “crowdsourcing” at the conference."

ASSOCIATION FOR HEALTHCARE PHILANTHROPY | With Charitable Pledges Down, and the Expense of Raising Donations on the Rise, Nonprofit Hospitals Strive to Keep Giving Levels Steady During the Recession

ASSOCIATION FOR HEALTHCARE PHILANTHROPY | With Charitable Pledges Down, and the Expense of Raising Donations on the Rise, Nonprofit Hospitals Strive to Keep Giving Levels Steady During the Recession: "With Charitable Pledges Down, and the Expense of Raising Donations on the Rise, Nonprofit Hospitals Strive to Keep Giving Levels Steady During the Recession

Doctors, Hospital Employees Take Up Some Slack by Donating More Money

WASHINGTON, Nov. 8, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- With charitable pledges - especially in the Western United States - declining due to the deepening recession, fundraisers were forced to spend significantly more money in fiscal year 2009 than in past years to secure gifts and grants for nonprofit hospitals and health care systems in the United States and Canada, according to benchmarking data released today by the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP).

'The recession's impact and duration were felt more strongly in the U.S. than in Canada, where health care philanthropy tended to advance slightly or at least hold its own despite lower levels of government support,' said William C. McGinly, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of AHP. 'U.S. nonprofit hospitals, however, often struggled just to keep giving levels steady, and some saw declines.'"

The Nonprofit Quarterly | @npquarterly | Nonprofit Ice Age: Struggle for Survival

The Nonprofit Quarterly | @npquarterly | Nonprofit Ice Age: Struggle for Survival: "November 8, 2010; Source: Washington Post | How are nonprofits adjusting to the prolonged impacts of the recession? In the metro D.C. area, the Nonprofit Roundtable's Chuck Bean reports that organizations are making 'lasting changes such as shedding nonessential duties, sharing back-office functions, reducing staff size and in some cases merging with other groups.'"

10 Things to Know About Applying for a Nonprofit Job - On Careers (usnews.com)

10 Things to Know About Applying for a Nonprofit Job - On Careers (usnews.com): "Is getting paid to make the world a better place your dream job? Here are 10 things you should know about making the transition to a nonprofit:

1. Nonprofits have all the same types of jobs as the for-profit sector—and then some. Just like businesses, nonprofits need accountants, web designers, managers, editors, and I.T. specialists, so there’s a good chance that whatever you do now has a counterpart in the nonprofit sector. On top of that, nonprofits have additional roles too, like volunteer organizers, fundraisers, and grant writers."

Paulette's Point of View: The Importance of Benchmarking

Paulette's Point of View: The Importance of Benchmarking: "Monday, November 1, 2010
The Importance of Benchmarking
When I’m out visiting chapters, one of the most popular questions I get is, “how is my organization’s fundraising doing compared to the rest of [insert region, state, province, country, world?]”

It’s a natural and logical inquiry. We all want to see how we’re doing compared to others and determine if we need to be doing better, and if so, in what areas. But to be able to tell you how your organization is faring, fundraisers and nonprofits need as accurate and as precise data as possible—as soon as possible."

Tough holiday season has Jacksonville-area charities bracing, but optimistic | jacksonville.com

Tough holiday season has Jacksonville-area charities bracing, but optimistic | jacksonville.com: "Charities around Northeast Florida are preparing for what could be one of the toughest holiday seasons in recent years.

With high unemployment lingering - and the unemployed going jobless for ever-longer stretches - many nonprofit agencies are concerned about donations or changing the way they respond to a growing need."

College leaders work to increase interest in humanities - The Boston Globe

College leaders work to increase interest in humanities - The Boston Globe: "WALTHAM — At college campuses around the world, the humanities are hurting. Students are flocking to majors more closely linked to their career ambitions. Grant money and philanthropy are flowing to the sciences. And university presidents are worried about the future of subjects once at the heart of a liberal arts education."

Opinion: 'Angel Lanes' Could Drive More Donations to Charity

Opinion: 'Angel Lanes' Could Drive More Donations to Charity: "The idea is simple: Commuters who ride the subway or travel along toll roads with electronic payment systems (like the East Coast EZ Pass) would be given the opportunity to have a donation to a designated charity automatically added to the commuting charge. Commuters passing through a subway terminal would be able to donate, say, 5 cents at the same time as they pay the normal fare. The subway authority would merely have to tally the number of swipes and adjust the total charge up by a nickel. Drivers could have a set amount added to their trip and donated to the American Red Cross, for instance, as they whiz through the toll booth."

Good Giving | The Harvard Crimson

Good Giving | The Harvard Crimson: "Senior-gift programs in which soon-to-be alumni are encouraged to give back to their school are quite common. Often, however, these programs rely on peer-pressure tactics and stigmas to solicit further donations from students who have not yet donated—in addition to Dartmouth, Cornell earned well-deserved criticism for the extreme pressure placed on students to give a gift. Indeed, a forced gift at the end of one’s college career is not a constructive way to generate philanthropic trends in alumni. Students should give to their universities because they believe in supporting the causes their money will help, not because their names will otherwise be published on a blog and they will be harassed by their peers."

What are the benefits of nonprofits working collaboratively? � TSNE – Strategic Communications Blog

What are the benefits of nonprofits working collaboratively? � TSNE – Strategic Communications Blog: "What are the benefits of nonprofits working collaboratively?"

A Growing Number Americans Don't Give to Charity, Poll Finds - Prospecting - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

A Growing Number Americans Don't Give to Charity, Poll Finds - Prospecting - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: "More and more Americans have stopped donating to charities because of the bad economy, and many do not feel any personal responsibility to be involved with efforts to make the world a better place, a new survey has found.

The percentage of people who said they are not making any charitable donations doubled to 12 percent this year, up from 6 percent in 2009, according to an online survey by Harris Interactive of 2,620 adults conducted in September."

Help Is On The Way | The AFP GLBT Community Blog

Help Is On The Way | The AFP GLBT Community Blog

The Gift Acceptance Policy: What Is It, and Why Does Your Organization Need It?

Some related material is collected on our FAQ Blog

http://afprc23.blogspot.com/search/label/NPGiftAcceptancePolicies

The Gift Acceptance Policy: What Is It, and Why Does Your Organization Need It?: "November 2010

Adopting, implementing, and monitoring sound governance policies to accomplish an organization's mission continue to be at the forefront of issues of concern to the nonprofit community. Even implementing the most basic policies encourages operational and managerial efficiency.

By now, most organizations have completed the inaugural filing cycle of the new Form 990 and are familiar with the 'Governance, Management and Disclosure' section, which addresses the existence—or lack thereof—of policies, including conflicts of interest, whistleblower, document retention and destruction, joint ventures, review of the 990, and executive compensation."

I Got Dumped: The Dark Side of Volunteer/Staff Relationships

I Got Dumped: The Dark Side of Volunteer/Staff Relationships: "2010


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I Got Dumped: The Dark Side of Volunteer/Staff Relationships

November 2010

Reprinted from Contributions Magazine

I feel the need to do a follow-up to my article about volunteer management, 'The Day We First Met.' In that article, I compared volunteer management to dating. I focused on the get-butterflies-in-your-tummy phase of courtship, the proposal phase, and ultimately, the marriage. But from the responses I got from volunteer managers, there is clearly a need to address the darker side. You know—after the period of bliss has passed. How do you handle these precious relationships when things go south or you begin to feel, well (gasp), married? Or even worse, you get dumped?"

When Nonprofits Invest In The Stock Market - Forbes.com

When Nonprofits Invest In The Stock Market - Forbes.com: "Recognizing that nonprofits are perpetually struggling just to stay afloat, some of the donors I've worked with over the years have found that by supporting nonprofits' growth and development, rather than targeting funds for specific programs, they can invest not only in an organization's current work, but also in its ability to adapt and sustain itself into the future. Indeed, these 'capacity building' grants are often the only funds an organization receives that it can access specifically for planning and infrastructure-building purposes. Without these funds, organizations either forsake these critical activities altogether or use precious general operating funds, thus depleting funds needed for crucial programming."

The Pendulum - Philanthropy encouraged, needed among students

The Pendulum - Philanthropy encouraged, needed among students: "A weekday walk through Moseley Center is interrupted by students at tables asking for money in exchange for cupcakes, bracelets or even just a 'thank you.' A weekend morning job is disrupted by the sight of dozens of students packaging meals for the underprivileged. Or an entire 24-hour span in spent in Alumni Gym, celebrating the lives of children.

All of these are examples of philanthropy at Elon University, or the giving of money and material goods, according to Mary Morrison, director of the Kernoodle Center for Service Learning and Community Engagement. Philanthropy is one of the practices the university is committed to fostering in its students as part of the Elon Commitment."

Americans’ Faith in Nonprofits Is Strong, Survey Finds - News - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Americans’ Faith in Nonprofits Is Strong, Survey Finds - News - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: "Americans’ Faith in Nonprofits Is Strong, Survey Finds

By Debra E. Blum

Seven in ten Americans trust nonprofit organizations more than they trust the government or businesses to solve society’s problems, according to a new poll. But nearly nine out of ten Americans say that nonprofit groups face financial problems of their own and that getting sufficient money is one of the biggest concerns for charities."

Fraternity ‘struts their stuff’ for YouthAIDS | The Daily Illini

Fraternity ‘struts their stuff’ for YouthAIDS | The Daily Illini: "For those of us with younger brothers, dressing them up may have been one of the most memorable parts of sibling bonding growing-up. For the girls at 13 sororities at the University of Illinois, these childhood memories were revived Tuesday when they got to dress and accessorize the freshmen members of Sigma Phi Epsilon."

Newman's Own hits $300M charity milestone - USATODAY.com

Newman's Own hits $300M charity milestone - USATODAY.com: "The company gives all after-tax profits to charity, and on Wednesday it announced it has surpassed $300 million in donations since its founding in 1982. 'My dad felt like he was so lucky,' says daughter Clea Newman Soderlund, who hosted a celebration in New York with her mother, Joanne Woodward. 'He felt that when you are given so much, you should reach out and help others that haven't been so lucky.'"

The College as a Philanthropy. Yes, a Philanthropy. - Commentary - The Chronicle of Higher Education

The College as a Philanthropy. Yes, a Philanthropy. - Commentary - The Chronicle of Higher Education: "After spending most of my adult life in private higher education, I've concluded that most of our students are unprepared for college. They may be academically ready and emotionally mature, but they don't understand what a college is or what its motives and mission are. Because they don't understand those things, they are often unprepared to meet our expectations. Worse, they are unprepared to receive the gifts we are waiting, and hoping, to give them."

Loan fund helps small nonprofits in metro Atlanta �| ajc.com

Loan fund helps small nonprofits in metro Atlanta �| ajc.com: "Few lenders were willing to work with smaller nonprofits, Goldenburg said.

Then he heard about a new loan program at the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta.

The foundation recently launched the program to help small and midsize nonprofits in a 23-county area that were dealing with short-term cash crunches.

The Nonprofit Loan Fund will help small and midsize nonprofits with annual operating budgets up to $3 million maintain their operations and possibly participate in growth opportunities as they wait for pledged public or private grants or government contracts to come through."

The Nonprofit Quarterly | @npquarterly | Law Said to Favor Religious Schools

The Nonprofit Quarterly | @npquarterly | Law Said to Favor Religious Schools: "Now, this week, the Supreme Court will hear arguments about a state law that allows residents to receive tax credits for donations to intermediary nonprofits, which in turn, award scholarships that allow parents to send their children to private schools. At issue isn't whether public money can be applied to private education. Instead, it appears most School Tuition Organizations (STOs) that receive the donations primarily hand out scholarships to religious schools. Opponents say the law violates the Constitution because it allows the state to effectively funnel money to religious schools via a type of front organization."

A philanthropy for the rest of us | Crosscut.com

A philanthropy for the rest of us | Crosscut.com: "Fighting global poverty is often thought to be a possibility only for large philanthropic foundations or well-to-do billionaires. A middle-class Seattle couple has turned that idea on its head.

The inspiration for Eugene Cho came several years ago during a trip to Myanmar when he visited Karen villagers who had built a makeshift school in the jungle. He asked how they were able to sustain the school’s teachers, and the villagers told him $40 a year per teacher. But many of the teachers moved to higher-paying jobs in Thailand because the Karens were unable to pay that sum."

Five Ways for Nonprofits to Scare Away Donors | Fast Company

Five Ways for Nonprofits to Scare Away Donors | Fast Company: "Five Ways for Nonprofits to Scare Away Donors
BY FC Expert Blogger Alice KorngoldWed Nov 3, 2010
This blog is written by a member of our expert blogging community and expresses that expert's views alone.

Hopefully, many of you do or will contribute generously to causes that you care about, and even step up to join nonprofit boards and help to fundraise. Fundraising is an exciting and very concrete way to build support for a mission that you are really passionate about."

Gender pay gap is smaller in the third sector, says research - Third Sector

Gender pay gap is smaller in the third sector, says research - Third Sector: "Women make up more than two-thirds of the third sector workforce and suffer from less of a gender pay gap than they do in the private and public sectors, according to a briefing paper published by the Third Sector Research Centre this week.

The paper, Women's Leadership, Employment and Participation in the Third Sector and Social Enterprises, says women account for 67 per cent of third sector employees, compared with 64 per cent in the public sector and 40 per cent in the private sector."

WHRV and WHRO set fundraising record - dailypress.com

WHRV and WHRO set fundraising record - dailypress.com: "Despite the sputtering local economy, a fall fund drive for Hampton Roads' public radio stations surged ahead, officials reported.

The two-week fundraising effort for Norfolk-based WHRV-FM (89.5) and WHRO-FM (90.3) netted $581,000, the most ever collected in a single drive."

WHRV and WHRO set fundraising record - dailypress.com

WHRV and WHRO set fundraising record - dailypress.com: "Despite the sputtering local economy, a fall fund drive for Hampton Roads' public radio stations surged ahead, officials reported.

The two-week fundraising effort for Norfolk-based WHRV-FM (89.5) and WHRO-FM (90.3) netted $581,000, the most ever collected in a single drive."

'Giving circle' pools money for CU's education school - Boulder Daily Camera

'Giving circle' pools money for CU's education school - Boulder Daily Camera: "Teacher Barb Quinlan gave $1,000 this year to the University of Colorado. By the time her donation reached the education school, it had snowballed to $30,000.

Quinlan is a member of a 30-woman 'giving circle' that's pooling money for the CU School of Education.

The group started last year with 18 women. They met over tea, agreed the education school needed more money, and each pitched in $1,000 a year to fund projects. They call themselves 'WISE,' which stands for Women Investing in the School of Education."

Consider Crowdsourcing as an Alternative Fundraising Technique : Page 1 of 2 : FundRaising Success

Consider Crowdsourcing as an Alternative Fundraising Technique : Page 1 of 2 : FundRaising Success: "At risk of stating the obvious, your organization can only achieve its objectives with the support — financial and otherwise — of its supporters. You ask them, and they respond to the need. That's the way it's worked ever since the first nonprofits started fundraising. But what if you were to ask them to help shape your organization's strategy as well? What if you opened up a debate on how to spend their donations?"