Maine high court upholds Hebron Academy tax exemption | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram

Maine high court upholds Hebron Academy tax exemption | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram: PORTLAND — Maine's highest court has upheld a lower-court ruling that exempts certain properties at Hebron Academy from property taxes even though they're rented for outside use.

Philanthropist Richard A. Herman leaves fortune to local charity, symphony, opera - The Washington Post

Philanthropist Richard A. Herman leaves fortune to local charity, symphony, opera - The Washington Post: Family Matters of Greater Washington is set to hold a splashy news conference Wednesday at the National Press Club to announce that Herman, who died in November at 100, left the organization 60 percent of his vast estate — $28 million, which the group says is one of the largest gifts ever to a local social service organization.

Nine insights on taking community information projects from idea to impact - Knight Foundation

Nine insights on taking community information projects from idea to impact - Knight Foundation: It’s almost time for our sixth annual Media Learning Seminar, where community and place-based foundations will gather to discuss how to create informed, engaged communities. This year, we’ll give them something new to consider – a case study of how foundations have been able to put together their community information projects.

The AFP Blog: Embrace Fundraising...or Don't!

The AFP Blog: Embrace Fundraising...or Don't!: There's a new study out which I'm sure will create a lot of conversation within the sector. It shows that charities are having a hard time finding qualified development directors and that vacancies for fundraising positions are averaging six months and often longer. Smaller organizations are having an especially difficult time, which is further compounded by many development directors indicating they are planning to leave their current jobs within two years.

New CGAs Target A Different Level Of Donors - TheNonProfitTimes

New CGAs Target A Different Level Of Donors - TheNonProfitTimes: Some of the nation’s largest nonprofits are reporting fewer charitable gift annuities (CGA) in recent years amid historically low interest rates, but the CGAs they do receive are larger than in the past.

Stormy Weather Pushed Giving Higher for 2012 - TheNonProfitTimes

Stormy Weather Pushed Giving Higher for 2012 - TheNonProfitTimes: Charitable giving in the United States is estimated to have grown 1.7 percent on a year-over-year basis during 2012, with small organizations doing the best and large organizations losing ground. Had it not been for Super Storm Sandy last October, fundraising might have posted an overall loss.

Online giving is estimated to have made a rebound of 10.7 percent, with medium-sized organizations leading the way but all sizes showing gains.

Liberating 990 Data | Stanford Social Innovation Review

Liberating 990 Data | Stanford Social Innovation Review: The IRS does make nonprofits’ Form 990 returns available, but only on DVDs for a high fee. A single year’s worth of 990s costs over $2,500, arguably to recoup the costs of pressing and mailing all these dics. But there is no reason to charge for the Form 990 data at all. Just as most people have gotten accustomed to sharing large files via a service like Drop Box, it would be simple for the IRS to publish the returns online for anyone to download in bulk for free. This week two groups committed to government transparency, Public Resource and the Internet Archive, used their own resources to post 12 years of returns online, demonstrating that it can be done.

7 heavenly virtues of fundraising - Future Fundraising Now

7 heavenly virtues of fundraising - Future Fundraising Now: 7 heavenly virtues of fundraising

Yesterday, we looked at the 7 Deadly Sins of Fundraising. Today we'll look at their antidotes, the 7 Heavenly Virtues of Fundraising.

Big news but no surprise...vicious cycle, Part 3 - Joyaux Associates

Big news but no surprise...vicious cycle, Part 3 - Joyaux Associates: I hope you’ve now read Underdeveloped: A National Study of Challenges Facing Nonprofit Fundraising. This study, released in January 2013 by CompassPoint and the Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Fund, provides useful information to fundraisers, bosses, and boards.

Lots of people are talking, writing, and blogging about this report. For example, check out the articles in The Chronicle of Philanthropy, January 13, 2013, and in the Nonprofit Quarterly, January 19. Another example: Pam Grow’s well-titled blog, “If you’re not committed to funding your mission, you’re not committed to your mission.”

Campaign Just Wants to Say ‘Know’ to Kidney Disease - NYTimes.com

Campaign Just Wants to Say ‘Know’ to Kidney Disease - NYTimes.com: A public service advertising campaign that seeks to help in the fight against kidney disease is using new technologies not only to lower production costs but also to gain attention.

Museums Grapple With Onerous Restrictions on Donations - NYTimes.com

Museums Grapple With Onerous Restrictions on Donations - NYTimes.com: For museums and other institutions confronted with the sometimes onerous restrictions that donors place on major gifts, forever can be a very long time.

New National Center on Service Draws Leader From Academe - People - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

New National Center on Service Draws Leader From Academe - People - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: Mr. Werkheiser, 39, says the National Center for Service and Innovative Leadership—located in the Presidio, a former military post in San Francisco that is now a national park—will offer a “shared home” to leaders in a wide variety of public-service roles.

“For the first time we’ll have a collaborative space where leaders can come together,” he says. “I’m fascinated to see what folks in social enterprise can learn from leaders of military service, and vice versa.”

Rising hay prices putting pinch on Boulder County ranchers, nonprofits - Boulder Daily Camera

Rising hay prices putting pinch on Boulder County ranchers, nonprofits - Boulder Daily Camera: Inquiries to the organization from people seeking to surrender their horses have "for sure, doubled and almost tripled," she said. Colorado Horse Rescue also has 55 horses on site, leaving only five spaces open.

In addition to the continued rising cost of feed -- which can put further crimps in an already tight operating budget -- Smetana said her biggest concern is that horses will face neglect or be sold to slaughterhouses.

No chill, but Freeze Your Fanny charity race still draws 400 participants - Longview News-Journal: Local News

No chill, but Freeze Your Fanny charity race still draws 400 participants - Longview News-Journal: Local News: A warmer-than-usual morning greeted bikers and runners in Saturday’s 25th annual Freeze Your Fanny fundraiser.

More than 400 participants ran and rode to raise money for East Texas Lightning, an organization that provides recreational and athletic events for residents with mental disabilities.

Polar Plunge sets record donations for Special Olympics Virginia | WAVY.com | Virginia Beach

Polar Plunge sets record donations for Special Olympics Virginia | WAVY.com | Virginia Beach: VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) - About 3,310 people braved the icy waters of the Atlantic Ocean Saturday and helped raise more than $1.25 million at the annual Polar Plunge Winter Festival for Special Olympics Virginia.

This year's Plunge set an all-time record for most money raised and marked the third year in a row Plungers raised more than $1 million.

College Endowments Sputter After Two Years of Sharp Growth - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

College Endowments Sputter After Two Years of Sharp Growth - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: The annual survey of more than 800 institutions by nonprofit investment manager Commonfund and the National Association of College and University Business Officers showed endowments collectively lost 0.3 percent of their value in the fiscal year that ended June 30. Schools’ assets gained 19.2 percent in 2011 and 11.9 percent in 2010.

Attention Maine Job-Seekers: Think Nonprofit

Attention Maine Job-Seekers: Think Nonprofit: ORTLAND, Maine - Employment in the nonprofit sector in Maine has outstripped that of the state's private sector, according to a new report that comes amid news of higher-than expected hiring nationwide in January.

The report, compiled by the Maine Association of Nonprofits (MANP), found that one in seven jobs in the state is in the nonprofit field - including hospitals, charities, arts and culture groups

Museum Group Tightens Rules on Acquiring Antiquities - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Museum Group Tightens Rules on Acquiring Antiquities - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: Museum Group Tightens Rules on Acquiring Antiquities

January 31, 2013, 10:36 am

The Association of Art Museum Directors has strengthened its regulations on acquisition of ancient artifacts, adding a requirement that institutions publicize information about items that do not meet previously established standards, writes The New York Times.

Nonprofit CEO Pay: Excessive or Too Low and How Do We Know? - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly

Nonprofit CEO Pay: Excessive or Too Low and How Do We Know? - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly: The salary levels of nonprofit CEOs have come under fire quite a bit in recent years. Scandals at a variety of organizations around the country and revelations of multi-million dollar pay levels at some organizations have shocked some people. In fact, as NPQ recently noted, several states are considering or enacting legislation to regulate the pay scale of senior execs at organizations that are receiving government funding. Now comes Forbes with an article asking the question of whether or not a $1 million salary is too high for a nonprofit CEO. The article states that there are two ways to look at this issue.

Richest Black S. African Motsepe Joins Buffett Charity Vow - Bloomberg

Richest Black S. African Motsepe Joins Buffett Charity Vow - Bloomberg: Patrice Motsepe, chairman of African Rainbow Minerals Ltd. (ARI) and the richest black South African, pledged some of his wealth to charity, joining Warren Buffett’s initiative to boost philanthropy.

Charities saw 2012 contribution boom ahead of possible tax deduction curb - Business - The Boston Globe

Charities saw 2012 contribution boom ahead of possible tax deduction curb - Business - The Boston Globe: The threat of losing a tax break, it seems, can make some people feel especially generous.

Charitable giving soared in the final months of 2012, the heads of major Boston fund-raising organizations said, as donors raced to make gifts before Congress has a chance to limit deductions on such contributions this year.

OUDaily.com | Salvation Army sets donation record despite shortened season

OUDaily.com | Salvation Army sets donation record despite shortened season: Citizens of Cleveland County dropped a record amount of change into the Salvation Army’s red kettles during the 2012 Christmas season, according to a press release.

9 Ways for Nonprofits to Overcome 'Founder's Syndrome' : Page 1 of 2 : FundRaising Success

9 Ways for Nonprofits to Overcome 'Founder's Syndrome' : Page 1 of 2 : FundRaising Success: A disease found in nonprofits has its genesis in the inspiration and personality — or personalities — that created the organization. The ailment is called "Founder's Syndrome."

Nonprofits Hurt By New Postal Rules - TheNonProfitTimes

Nonprofits Hurt By New Postal Rules - TheNonProfitTimes: Nonprofits Hurt By New Postal Rules - 01/28/2013

Six of the United States Postal Service’s (USPS) new workshare discount rates, that took effect yesterday, are shallower for nonprofit mailers than for commercial mailers, and unfairly discriminate against nonprofits, contends the Association of Nonprofit Mailers (ANM), based in Washington, D.C.

Three of the new discounts -- high density letters, high density flats, and automated 5-digit flats -- are higher than the old rates, two categories (high density plus letters and high density plus flats) are new and the discount for non-automated 3-digit flats is slightly lower than the old rate. But the key issue is the discrepancy between the nonprofit and commercial rates.

Development Directors Are Not Miracle Workers - Against the Grain - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Development Directors Are Not Miracle Workers - Against the Grain - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: Several weeks ago I had lunch with a board member of a small community-based nonprofit that does important work in the D.C. region. The board member also happens to be a seasoned consultant who has written several books on fundraising.

Take Control of the Message through a Media Frame: A Case Study in Cooperative Recasting - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly

Take Control of the Message through a Media Frame: A Case Study in Cooperative Recasting - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly: Many groups are interested in convening colleagues to build an online hub of shared resources that will get members “on message,” but few invest the necessary time, energy, and financial resources to have an impact. Reflecting on their work over the past four years, the Security and Rights Collaborative, a Proteus Fund initiative, recently released a report, “Building a Field-Wide Communications Hub: Lessons Learned,” describing how a network of organizations concerned about Islamophobia went about reframing the public discourse on the “war on terror” and progressive national security policy. The report makes for an outstanding case study for any organization seeking to impact the national dialogue and public policy by engaging a cohort of nonprofits.

Writing Good. Writing Good? Writing. Good. | Agents of Good

Writing Good. Writing Good? Writing. Good. | Agents of Good: What is “good” writing?

John’s recent blog, What is “good” design? got my wheels turning about what is good writing. So I’m sharing the 6 things that circle (and circle and circle) through my head each and every time I write, and edit, fundraising copy.

Foundation Center - Press Release - Online Resource of Mexican Philanthropy Launched

Foundation Center - Press Release - Online Resource of Mexican Philanthropy Launched: Mexico City, Mexico, and New York, NY, USA — January 30, 2013. A new searchable database of more than 22,000 Mexican philanthropies, Fondos a la Vista, has been launched by the Foundation Center in New York in partnership with the Mexico-based Alternativas y Capacidades and the Philanthropy and Civil Society Project at ITAM (Instituto Tecnol�gico Aut�nomo de M�xico). The online resource provides the Mexican public with reliable, comprehensive information about domestic donors and their philanthropic activity, including the organizations they support.

What Type of Nonprofit Should We Register For?

What Type of Nonprofit Should We Register For?: "What type of nonprofit should we be considering? Does an unincorporated association make sense? I haven't done any other state filings. We are not a registered 501c3. Right now I'm leaning toward not needing a non-profit 501c3 tax status, since we don't plan on needing to write grants. We are doing this work in our volunteer ‘spare’ time.”

I asked nonprofit attorney Mollie Cullinane of the Cullinane Law Group and key author of the 501C Nonprofit Law Blog, to assist with the reader’s question. Here is her reply

Nonprofit Hiring Expected to Increase in 2013 - Jobs - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Nonprofit Hiring Expected to Increase in 2013 - Jobs - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: Forty-four percent of nonprofit groups plan to hire more workers in the coming year, another sign charities are starting to feel confident about the economy, according to a new survey.

Health nonprofits, followed by environment and animal-welfare groups, were most likely to report plans to hire.