Johns Hopkins lawsuit highlights questions about schools’ obligations to donors - The Washington Post

Johns Hopkins lawsuit highlights questions about schools’ obligations to donors - The Washington Post: It took two years to negotiate the deal. But in the end, her family says, Elizabeth Beall Banks, well known in Montgomery County for her opposition to development, sold the 138-acre parcel where she raised Black Angus cattle to Johns Hopkins University for one simple reason: She believed that officials shared her vision for what would become of her beloved farm.

Now, seven years after Banks’s death, her heirs have taken Hopkins to court, alleging that the university has violated the terms of the deal it made with Banks 23 years ago. University officials maintain that they are abiding by Banks’s wishes as outlined in the two-page agreement.

Johns Hopkins lawsuit highlights questions about schools’ obligations to donors - The Washington Post

Johns Hopkins lawsuit highlights questions about schools’ obligations to donors - The Washington Post: It took two years to negotiate the deal. But in the end, her family says, Elizabeth Beall Banks, well known in Montgomery County for her opposition to development, sold the 138-acre parcel where she raised Black Angus cattle to Johns Hopkins University for one simple reason: She believed that officials shared her vision for what would become of her beloved farm.

Now, seven years after Banks’s death, her heirs have taken Hopkins to court, alleging that the university has violated the terms of the deal it made with Banks 23 years ago. University officials maintain that they are abiding by Banks’s wishes as outlined in the two-page agreement.

Undetermined charity to receive $100,000 from TCU class | TCU 360 - with news and sports from the TCU Daily Skiff, TCU News Now and Image magazine

Undetermined charity to receive $100,000 from TCU class | TCU 360 - with news and sports from the TCU Daily Skiff, TCU News Now and Image magazine: A hundred thousand dollars is a lot of money. There are many charities around Tarrant county in need of that money, and TCU students are in the process of deciding which one will receive it.

This is the second semester Ron Pitcock’s Nature of Giving class has been offered money to donate to charities. There are 25 students in his class who have the task of deciding how to divide up the money.

Calls swamp Bridgeport nonprofit after '60 Minutes' - NewsTimes

Calls swamp Bridgeport nonprofit after '60 Minutes' - NewsTimes: More than 350 calls had come in to The WorkPlace Inc., Monday morning after "60 Minutes" profiled the nonprofit's approach to helping the long-term unemployed find work again.

Product giving seen as good business | Philanthropy Journal

Product giving seen as good business | Philanthropy Journal: Companies can get a better return on investment by donating merchandise instead of liquidating or destroying it, a new study says.

Giving products to charities boosts corporate bottom lines, reduces waste in landfills, and provides relief for people in need, say The Business Case for Product Philanthropy by the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University.

Turnout steady at Komen charity race despite controversy

Turnout steady at Komen charity race despite controversy

Top endowments in state now exceed pre-recession levels | Richmond Times-Dispatch

Top endowments in state now exceed pre-recession levels | Richmond Times-Dispatch: Three Virginia universities with elite endowments have recovered from the recession, and Virginia Commonwealth University wants to join their billion-dollar ranks.

The public University of Virginia and the private University of Richmond and Washington and Lee University say their endowments exceed where they were before investments took a hit four years ago.

The market value of the University of Virginia's total investment pool rose from $4.4 billion to end fiscal 2011 at $5.34 billion, according to the University of Virginia Investment Management Co.

It's not what you tell them it's the way that you tell them... | Philanthropy UK

It's not what you tell them it's the way that you tell them... | Philanthropy UK: According to a leading economist, donors bombarded with fact and figures about impact may actually be less inclined to give.

Sir Howard Davies, former director of the London School of Economics and patron of Pro Bono Economics, made the claim to an audience of economists and charities in his lecture entitled ‘Why do people give their money away and how can we stop them acting so irrationally?’ at PricewaterhouseCooper’s London Bridge offices on February 7th.

A Receipt Is Not a Thank You: Online Donors vs Online Buyers

A Receipt Is Not a Thank You: Online Donors vs Online Buyers: So, why do nonprofits not worry about their online thank yous as much as their mailed thank yous? Why do thank you letters seem to warrant time and attention while the attitude toward online thank yous seems so nonchalant? This seems especially odd given that we also know that attrition for first time donors, especially online, is extremely high. Those donors are worth a lot, but only if we keep them.

Welcome | many helping hands 365

Welcome | many helping hands 365: We Are Many Helping Hands 365!

Welcome! This website is designed to make it easy for you to find ways to lend a hand and make a difference in the Cambridge (MA) community, and to help local nonprofit organizations make their volunteer needs known.

We encourage you to subscribe, so that you will know when new volunteer opportunities are posted.

You may also like us on Facebook and follow Many Helping Hands on Twitter (@MLKDayCambridge)

White House Explains Reasoning Behind Charitable Deduction Cap - NPQ – Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting an active an engaged democracy.

White House Explains Reasoning Behind Charitable Deduction Cap - NPQ – Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting an active an engaged democracy.: February 16, 2012; Source: White House Blog | The White House has heard from a number of charities expressing opposition to President Obama’s (fifth-time-around) proposal to cap charitable deductions at the 28 percent tax rate for individuals earning $200,000 or more (or households earning $250,000 or more). Although the charitable deduction would be the only major tax benefit exempted from elimination as part of the president’s proposed “Buffett rule” regarding the taxes of millionaires and billionaires, the value of the deduction would still be capped at 28 percent for the top two percent of income earners. Jonathan Greenblatt, director of the White House Office of Social Innovation, has posted on the White House blog to explain the elements of the president’s reasoning. Here they are, in paraphrased form:

Social Philanthropy - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Social Philanthropy - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: February 14, 2012, 2:16 pm
Valentines From the Nonprofit World

By Cody Switzer

We asked our followers on Twitter to share their best romantic messages in the language of nonprofits.

Below is a running list of some of the responses from the nonprofit world and the Chronicle staff. Join in and post using the hashtag #nonprofitvalentines.

6 steps for handling embezzlement - TheNonProfitTimes

6 steps for handling embezzlement - TheNonProfitTimes: Embezzlement and fraud have negative effects on all businesses, but they hit nonprofits especially hard given the nature of their finances.

Fundraising Roles, Responsibilities for Staff - Memphis Daily News

Fundraising Roles, Responsibilities for Staff - Memphis Daily News: art Four in a Five Part Series Have you heard this before: “We’ll hire the right person and they will raise the money”?

Hmm … if only fundraising were so simple. Here’s a short list of problems associated with this perspective. First, the board is ultimately responsible for fundraising and needs to be engaged at all times. Then there’s the issue of how to identify, hire, manage and retain experienced fundraisers. Let’s not forget the adage “people give to people,” which includes peer-to-peer fundraising.

Get Away From Your Desk And Remind Yourself WHY | Margaux Smith | 101fundraising

Get Away From Your Desk And Remind Yourself WHY | Margaux Smith | 101fundraising: That’s why last week, I was excited to get out of the office for a few hours and head south of the Thames to do a couple of interviews. I got to speak to two women who work for one of the UK’s leading medical charities, helping people to pick up the pieces and move on after being suddenly struck with a serious medical condition. By acting as a support system to their patients, aiding them with almost every aspect of their lives – sometimes for years as they recover, they are heroes to those they help.

Ray Charles Foundation Demands Gift Back as Arts Center Never Built - NPQ

Ray Charles Foundation Demands Gift Back as Arts Center Never Built - NPQ: Between 2001 and 2002, Ray Charles gave Albany State University in Georgia $3 million to build a performing arts center named after him. The celebrated artist never lived to see the center built, dying in 2004 at age 73. In fact, were Charles still alive today, he would still not see the center because it has never been built; and now the Ray Charles Foundation wants its money back.

True to your school: US college donations rise dramatically in 2011 | Education | guardian.co.uk

True to your school: US college donations rise dramatically in 2011 | Education | guardian.co.uk: True to your school: US college donations rise dramatically in 2011

Charitable giving to American universities was up to $30.3bn in 2011 – the second highest amount on record

• See America's top 20 fundraising universities (pdf)

Nonprofit’s giving portal aims to drive more donations to charities - The Washington Post

Nonprofit’s giving portal aims to drive more donations to charities - The Washington Post: The Catalogue for Philanthropy Greater Washington, an organization that connects local nonprofits with donors, has established a workplace giving portal which officials say they hope will help drive more corporate funding to charities.

College Giving Rebounded Last Year - News - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

College Giving Rebounded Last Year - News - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: After two lackluster years, donations to U.S. colleges and universities rose last year to an estimated $30.3-billion. That’s an 8.2-percent increase or 4.8 percent after inflation, according to a report by the Council for Aid to Education.

Weingart Foundation | Current E-Newsletter

Weingart Foundation | Current E-Newsletter: February News

Capacity-Building Planning Grant Award Announced
The Weingart Foundation is pleased to announce that the $100,000 planning grant for developing a comprehensive Capacity-Building Information Exchange has been awarded to a collaborative that includes Nonprofit Finance Fund, Center for Nonprofit Management and Taproot.

Assessing A Donor’s Legal Capacity - TheNonProfitTimes

Assessing A Donor’s Legal Capacity - TheNonProfitTimes: The nature of a charitable gift planner’s work is to come into regular contact with elderly donors. Along with this contact sometimes comes the question of whether the donor has the mental capability to make a gift.

In a presentation during the recent National Conference on Philanthropic Planning in San Antonio, Texas, Marcia Inger Navr�til and Laura Hansen Dean of The University of Texas at Austin discussed the issues that arise when a donor’s mental capacity becomes an issue.

massnonprofit.org ::

massnonprofit.org ::: ebruary 9, 2012 — Fifteen months after discovering that its executive director had embezzled funds, nearly forcing it to close, Boston Living Center, a nonprofit that helps people living with HIV/AIDS, announced that it will merge with Victory Programs, another Boston nonprofit that works with individuals and families facing homelessness, addiction, or other chronic illnesses.

The merger of Boston Living Center with Victory Programs on March 1, unanimously approved by both boards last month, was announced yesterday.

Could Philanthropic Equity Revolutionize the Nonprofit Sector?

Could Philanthropic Equity Revolutionize the Nonprofit Sector?: here is a fairly new concept in the nonprofit world that has the power to completely transform the sector. "Philanthropic equity" (or "growth capital") is just a fancy term for the money many nonprofit organizations desperately need.

Payroll Giving In New Zealand - Charity Matters

Payroll Giving In New Zealand - Charity Matters: ince 7 Jan 2010 when Payroll Giving became an option, around $2 million has been given this way, is this a lower level of take up than was to be expected; from feedback received it would appear it is, at least from charity point if view.

The Nonprofit Quarterly | @npquarterly | A Global Nonprofit Ponzi Scheme? Lessons Learned from a Fiscal Sponsor’s Collapse

The Nonprofit Quarterly | @npquarterly | A Global Nonprofit Ponzi Scheme? Lessons Learned from a Fiscal Sponsor’s Collapse: When a nonprofit implodes, the tendency is to avert one’s gaze and hope that it was simply that one nonprofit or its specific cast of characters that made it a “one-off.” When the nonprofit International Humanities Center (IHC), a fiscal sponsor for over 200 projects around the world, imploded, it’s estimated that it took with it more than $1 million in donations that never made it to the intended recipients in what begins to look like a nonprofit version of a Ponzi scheme.

In Education: Multimillion-Dollar Gifts to Pittsburgh and Ontario Schools - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

In Education: Multimillion-Dollar Gifts to Pittsburgh and Ontario Schools - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: he University of Pittsburgh has received $22-million from the Richard King Mellon Foundation to further studies in energy technology and sustainability, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes.

The three-year gift will pay for faculty and graduate fellowships, equipment, and operational costs at Pitt’s Center for Energy and will supply a fund to encourage innovative research, the university said in announcing the pledge Thursday.

Some Corporate Donors Continue Support for Komen - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Some Corporate Donors Continue Support for Komen - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: Some Corporate Donors Continue Support for Komen

February 9, 2012, 11:07 am

The Huffington Post has surveyed corporate donors on whether they plan to keep supporting Susan G. Komen for the Cure despite the controversy over its relationship with Planned Parenthood. Of the 35 companies that responded to the survey, nearly all said they would continue the relationship, though some expressed concern that the charity had taken a political stand.

Association takes over reins at annual meeting - Jewish News of Greater Phoenix

Association takes over reins at annual meeting - Jewish News of Greater Phoenix: Now it was time to convene the first meeting of the Jewish Community Association of Greater Phoenix as the successor to the federation, with the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center consolidated into it as a "support agency."

The new entity is the outcome of a financial crisis that engulfed the federation, so that it sought operating efficiencies by consolidating office functions and other operations with the VOSJCC. However, changes to how the federation would operate - determining communal needs and funding them via councils operating under a Community Planning Board - were in the works before the financial issues came to light.

In Biggest Campaign Yet, Cornell Raises $3.8 Billion | The Cornell Daily Sun

In Biggest Campaign Yet, Cornell Raises $3.8 Billion | The Cornell Daily Sun: Despite a financial crisis that caused philanthropy to plummet nationwide, the University raised 80 percent, or $3.83 billion, of its “Cornell Now” fundraising campaign goal as of Feb. 3, putting it ahead of track to reach its target of $4.75 billion by 2015.

The Uncataloged Museum: Mission Accomplished?

The Uncataloged Museum: Mission Accomplished?: How often does your museum staff think about your mission? You know, that thing that says, "the mission of x is to do y?" In the past month, I've visited one museum that totally missed the opportunity to clearly share its mission, talked about mission with a group of small history museum staff and volunteers, and co-written a new mission statement for the Pickle Project. Each of those situations made me really think about why missions matter--and how we can delve deeper into them.