Friday, April 04, 2014

Krispy Kreme kicks off 45 days of philanthropy | QSRweb.com

Krispy Kreme kicks off 45 days of philanthropy | QSRweb.com: For six consecutive years, Krispy Kreme has held a fundraiser to provide summer camp experiences for children with chronic or serious illnesses via its Drive for 45 Campaign.

According to a news release, the campaign specifically benefits the Victory Junction Camp in Randleman, N.C. The 45-day philanthropic effort runs April 5 through May 19 at participating Krispy Kreme U.S. locations.

IRS Lets Taxpayers Claim Donations Early for Philippines Typhoon Relief

IRS Lets Taxpayers Claim Donations Early for Philippines Typhoon Relief: Taxpayers who make cash contributions on or before April 14, 2014, for Philippines typhoon relief can get an immediate tax benefit by choosing to claim them on their 2013 returns, according to the Internal Revenue Service.

Under special legislation enacted last week, taxpayers can choose to treat cash contributions made on or after March 26, 2014, and before midnight on Monday, April 14, 2014, as if they were made on Dec. 31, 2013.

Nonprofits need relief from accountability red tape - Inside Tucson Business: Jacquelyn Jackson

Nonprofits need relief from accountability red tape - Inside Tucson Business: Jacquelyn Jackson: With the economic downturn, corporate giving shriveled, wealthy individuals and foundations scaled back on philanthropy and state and federal grants became scarcer. Unfortunately, the humans impacted by the diminished economy, try as they might, could not cut to nothing their own hunger or their need for a job, roof, quality education and health care.

Call in the nonprofits.

Since 2008, nonprofits in the region have worked to respond to the growing human need.

Bermuda Chapter Of The AFP Launched | Bernews.com

Bermuda Chapter Of The AFP Launched | Bernews.com: The Bermuda Chapter for The Association of Fundraising Professionals [AFP] hails amongst the newest recruits amidst 235 chapters worldwide.

The official announcement was made at the AFP Annual Conference in San Antonio, Texas on 22 March, which boasted some 3,000 attendees for the 2 1/2 day conference. Also new to the AFP family was the Okanagan Chapter in British Columbia.

The Association of Fundraising Professionals [AFP] represents more than 30,000 members in 235 chapters throughout the world, working to advance philanthropy by enabling people and organizations to practice ethical and effective fundraising.

Pick.Click.Give donations continue annual growth - Fairbanks Daily News-Miner: Local News

Pick.Click.Give donations continue annual growth - Fairbanks Daily News-Miner: Local News: Pick.Click.Give is a statewide campaign that aims to make it easier for Alaska residents to donate to their favorite Alaska nonprofit organizations by giving the money directly from their PFD. Though the filing period has ended, people can still return to their applications online and add a donation through Pick.Click.Give. through Aug. 31.

Outcomes that Outlast the Event: PANO / Creating the Future Conference | Walking the Talk to Create the Future

Outcomes that Outlast the Event: PANO / Creating the Future Conference | Walking the Talk to Create the Future: Outcomes that Outlast the Event: PANO / Creating the Future Conference

The Cavalier Daily :: CONNOLLY: More than “voluntourism”

The Cavalier Daily :: CONNOLLY: More than “voluntourism”: his spring break, I had the good fortune to attend an Alternative Spring Break (ASB) trip to San Juan, Texas. My experience was phenomenal. And I was not alone in this assessment; each person I asked told me that his or her ASB trip was exceptionally fun and worthwhile. I would highly recommend the ASB experience to any University student.

But ASB and other comparable service trip experiences are not without controversy. Critics deride them as “voluntourism,

Thursday, April 03, 2014

City’s donor woes resurface amid Balboa Park Centennial, San Diego Opera dramas

City’s donor woes resurface amid Balboa Park Centennial, San Diego Opera dramas: In its “State of Nonprofits” annual report for 2013, the University of San Diego’s Caster Family Center for Nonprofit and Philanthropic Research found that San Diego faces a bleak charitable future.

The report found that “the overall philanthropic climate in San Diego is under-resourced as nonprofits are highly dependent— actually, disproportionately dependent compared to their counterparts throughout California and the nation—on government support and earned revenue.

Philanthropy’s Results Movement Dealt a Blow - Foundations - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Philanthropy’s Results Movement Dealt a Blow - Foundations - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: Comment (0)

April 3, 2014
Hewlett Ends Effort to Get Donors to Make Dispassionate Choices on Giving

By Doug Donovan

For at least a decade, movers and shakers in philanthropy have been trying to persuade donors to behave more like data-driven investors.

But the so-called effective-philanthropy movement suffered a significant setback last month when the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, a prominent champion of the idea, announced that it was ending an eight-year, $12-m

Fundraising, Part 10: Communication, planning key for human services � Philanthropy North Carolina

Fundraising, Part 10: Communication, planning key for human services � Philanthropy North Carolina: Human-services organizations, faced with uncertain government funding, are turning increasing attention to communicating more effectively and planning more strategically, says Michael Nilsen, vice president for public affairs at the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Mudslide Giving: To Make a Difference, Be Smart

Mudslide Giving: To Make a Difference, Be Smart: The speed and content of news delivery has greatly affected charitable giving. Even if we are on the other side of the country, a mudslide in rural Washington state is figuratively right in our living room or smartphone just minutes after it happened, with images, data, and interviews with people on the scene. It is a little more than a week since the tragic Oso mudslide and, at least for me, grief has been growing with the reports of devastation, and as the number of dead and missing hits 40. This tragedy will be felt in that community for years, if not decades, to come.

Nonprofit boards should learn from Berlowitz scandal - Editorials - The Boston Globe

Editorial from The Boston Globe

Nonprofit boards should learn from Berlowitz scandal - Editorials - The Boston Globe: Now, an internal report issued by the academy after its own months-long investigation more than confirms the charges against Berlowitz, who stepped down last summer. The report, released Monday, showed how vulnerable a small nonprofit like the academy — and hundreds of others across the state — can be to a mischievous leader. And as such, the investigation provides a cautionary example. If anything belongs in the public domain, it’s the story of how Berlowitz boosted her salary by nearly $2.2 million during her tenure.

BITCOIN Ruling a Death Knell? | Planned Giving Design Center

BITCOIN Ruling a Death Knell? | Planned Giving Design Center: For those that wanted to hide from taxation by trading Bitcoin for goods and/or services, the IRS has indicated it will be reportable as any other barter transaction. There will be trading risk in every transaction in such a way that the thought of utilizing Bitcoin or any of the other alternative currency surrogates will become unpalatable and unwieldy. Essentially, the wind has been permanently knocked out of the sails (or, is that sales?).

For the non-profit world, this may be a non-event, though I’m certain a few charities have been preparing their websites to accept gifts of Bitcoin. Actually, if there was any level of trust in the Bitcoin economy, a gift to a charity of appreciated Bitcoin would at least avoid capital gains tax and produce a charitable income tax deduction. I’m waiting for the first charity to begin that campaign. I think I’ll be waiting a while.

Compliance Tips for Type III Supporting Organizations | Planned Giving Design Center

Compliance Tips for Type III Supporting Organizations | Planned Giving Design Center: The so-called “Type III supporting organization” (“SO”),[1] which first came into existence as a result of the enactment of Section 509(a)(3) under the Tax Reform Act of 1969,[2] is one of the most complex and difficult to understand forms of Section 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations. Although it may often bear a striking resemblance to a private foundation, particularly in the case of a charitable trust whose sole purpose it to make payments to one or more publicly supported organizations,[3] a Type III SO is classified as a public charity and is therefore not subject to the strict and burdensome tax regime, chock-full of potential excise tax penalties, applicable to private foundations.[4] Over the years, both Congress and the IRS have struggled with the treatment of Type III SOs, particularly in light of their perceived abuses, from considering eliminating them altogether t

Is It Time for a Murder Board?

Is It Time for a Murder Board?: Do you just stand there waiting for the bus to hit you, or is there something you can do?

There is. It's what presidential debate teams, CEOs with oil spills, and appointees with Senate confirmations do. It's called a murder board, and you don't need to be a pro to do it pretty well for yourself, with the help of your staff.

Hopefully you've already got a media crisis plan in place; that's the first step. You need one because things might still go south even with good preparation.

Wednesday, April 02, 2014

Presentation High students stage ‘Dunk for Nuns’ for charity | www.ktvu.com

Presentation High students stage ‘Dunk for Nuns’ for charity | www.ktvu.com: SAN FRANCISCO —

A group of students from San Francisco’s Presentation High School have undertaken a unique fundraising event to help raise money for health clinics in Central America as part of this year’s “We Day” campaign.

It was called ‘Dunk for Nuns’ and basketball game and pitted the students against the teachers. I

Tuesday, April 01, 2014

Conscious coupling: Miami University of Ohio prides itself on alums who tie the knot with fellow grads� - NY Daily News

Conscious coupling: Miami University of Ohio prides itself on alums who tie the knot with fellow grads� - NY Daily News: The university, which has an undergraduate enrollment of about 15,500, has been keeping tabs on alums who marry since the early '70s. The alumni office sends them Valentines cards every year and highlights the matches in university publications. In 2009, Miami organized a vow-renewal ceremony for 1,087 couples that set a Guinness World Record. In addition to inviting Miami Mergers, the university included their families and Miami graduates who were not married to other alums.

The Blackbaud Index: Overall Charitable Giving to Nonprofits Experienced Modest Growth in February | Blackbaud News

The Blackbaud Index: Overall Charitable Giving to Nonprofits Experienced Modest Growth in February | Blackbaud News:the Blackbaud Index today reported that overall charitable giving to nonprofits increased 0.7% and online giving increased 13.8% for the three months ending February 2014 as compared to the same period in 2013.

As reported in the recently released Charitable Giving Report, overall charitable giving grew 4.9% and online giving grew 13.5% for the full year 2013 compared to the full year 2012. View the interactive infographic to view highlights from the report.

The Matrix Map: A Powerful Tool for Mission-Focused Nonprofits - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly

The Matrix Map: A Powerful Tool for Mission-Focused Nonprofits - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly: t’s easy to embrace the concept of the Dual Bottom Line, but harder to apply it in a real-world board setting. For example, board members—and many staff—are seldom familiar with all of the programs and activities of the organization. While there may be a strong sense that “all our programs are great,” there may not have been any discussion about which programs are, in fact, those with the greatest or most important impacts. Even people with financial expertise may feel uncertain about how to make decisions that are more nuanced than “stick to the budget and at least break even.”

Board meetings unintentionally support this kind of fragmentation. They take each subject on its own: first the financial report, then the program report, and then the fundraising report. The Matrix Map aims to change that.

Ten Years of Performance Measurement | Stanford Social Innovation Review

Ten Years of Performance Measurement | Stanford Social Innovation Review: n my December 2012 entry recapping the year in performance measurement, I shared two studies that suggest nonprofits and funders continue to struggle with the kind of measurement that drives continuous improvement. But viewed over a longer time period, I’d argue that the social sector has made some pretty impressive gains in this area.

Monday, March 31, 2014

Where Is That Starbucks Fortune Going to Go? Clues Are Coming�In - Inside Philanthropy: Fundraising Intelligence - Inside Philanthropy

Where Is That Starbucks Fortune Going to Go? Clues Are Coming�In - Inside Philanthropy: Fundraising Intelligence - Inside Philanthropy: The Schultz Family Foundation is ramping up. In October, they hired Daniel Pitasky, former Gates Foundation Special Assistant To Director of Postsecondary Success and Special Initiatives, to serve as the foundation’s first-ever executive director. Previously, SFF, which is run by Howard Schultz, Starbucks CEO, and his wife Sheri, gave piecemeal grants of a few hundred or a few thousand dollars to a wide range of community, educational, and Jewish organizations, many of them based in Seattle. Now, they are rolling out two substantial grantmaking programs, Onward Youth and Onward Veterans, and have committed—get ready for it—$30 million to the latter.

Immigrant giving shapes a new culture of philanthropy | Seattle Globalist

Immigrant giving shapes a new culture of philanthropy | Seattle Globalist: Noelle Ito, Senior Director of Community Philanthropy for the national organization Asian American/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP), says that organizations like theirs grew from recognizing the capacity of immigrant communities, and the need to fill gaps in what mainstream charities where focusing on.

Nonprofit Salary Differentials: The Ethicist Weighs In - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly

Nonprofit Salary Differentials: The Ethicist Weighs In - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly: Dear Nonprofit Ethicist,

Our agency has a board committee that reviews personnel evaluations and makes salary recommendations to the executive director, although he is not bound to follow them. Nevertheless, when the committee developed a policy referencing a statewide, reputable salary survey of nonprofits, our staff expected salaries to be brought into line with the market. Now, four years later, our director is near the top of the executive scale while everyone else is stuck in the 25 percent to 50 percent range, although our evaluations typically exceed expectations. Our director says, “No one actually is in the 75 percent to 100 percent range, and 50 percent is the most anyone should expect.” Our agency’s finances are good and not a barrier to increasing wages. How do we increase our salaries and deflect admonitions to “just be grateful that you have a job”?

Frustrated

Challenges and Benefits of Nonprofit Event Fundraising | GuideStar Blog

Challenges and Benefits of Nonprofit Event Fundraising | GuideStar Blog: Challenges and Benefits of Nonprofit Event Fundraising
March 25, 2014 � by Courtney Cherico � in Fundraising. �

Spring is here and so is the event fundraising season! Events that raise money for causes and nonprofits can take many forms from 5k runs and walk-a-thons to endurance bike rides. In recent years, nonprofits have expanded these activities to include mud runs, polar plunges, even head-shaving! But just like any large undertaking, planning a fundraising event has its benefits and challenges. They can bring in a lot of revenue for the organization, but can also put tremendous strain on a nonprofit’s resources. The operations and logistics can test your organization’s limits; however, the reward can certainly outweigh the risk if executed correctly.

Trend Report: Sector-Switching - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly

Trend Report: Sector-Switching - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly: Until recently, the boundary between for-profit and nonprofit, at least in theory and public perception, was clear. There was a distinction, codified by legal status and crystalized in a collective understanding of disparate motivations and bottom lines. The for-profit world made a profit, and the nonprofit world made a difference.

Today, that boundary has become increasingly blurred, at least in terms of discourse. The term social enterprise is bandied about with very little exactitude.

Why Fund-Raising Is Fun - NYTimes.com

Why Fund-Raising Is Fun - NYTimes.com: ONCE, I asked a class full of aspiring social entrepreneurs — all with business plans and ambitions to start nonprofits — how many of them were looking forward to fund-raising. Exactly zero hands went up. The consensus was that raising money might be a necessary evil, but it was a distraction from a social enterprise’s “real” work.

To their disappointment, I told them that today, soliciting donations is often the single biggest part of a nonprofit leader’s job. For example, I lead a research institution in Washington. Private philanthropy makes up our entire budget, so I travel every week, and the majority of my time is spent fund-raising.

Hilarity for Charity: Comedy for ten straight hours | FSView | fsunews.com

Hilarity for Charity: Comedy for ten straight hours | FSView | fsunews.com: Which makes next weekend’s on campus Hilarity for Charity campaign medically mandatory. Florida State’s rollicking and [word with a p that means produces a lot of work in a short amount of time] improv troupe No Bears Allowed will be teaming up with UF and UCF’s teams in order to pull off a legendary comedy show for the ages: 10 straight hours of uproarious, gut busting humor promised to brighten your day and lower your blood pressure. [Note: show may not actually lower your blood pressure.]

Breaking Down The Benefits Of In-Kind Giving -- And The Regulations Around It

Breaking Down The Benefits Of In-Kind Giving -- And The Regulations Around It: In kind giving is the low hanging fruit of corporate philanthropy (check out my past blog on this point), an excellent way for business leaders to give back by leveraging their company’s strengths and assets. It can be an easy lift for companies, with the reward of a nice tax deduction accompanying the significant impact in one’s community or across the world (in the case of donating materials to assist with global disasters, for example). Not to mention increased employee engagement, recruitment, retention and the plain ol’ good karma of responsible corporate citizenship.

Tyler Morning Telegraph - Palestine's Action Fund new idea in philanthropy

Tyler Morning Telegraph - Palestine's Action Fund new idea in philanthropy: A new entity, The Action Fund is “the only giving circle in Palestine” and represents a new concept in philanthropy for this town, Ahnise Summers, chairwoman, said.

“We are really excited about it and it has been well received,” she said.

By joining The Action Fund, members pool their philanthropic monetary donations are able to make a bigger impact with their gifts in the community than individually, Ms. Summers said.

Center for the Future of Museums: Monday Musings: Museum as Creative Hotspot

Center for the Future of Museums: Monday Musings: Museum as Creative Hotspot: Which leads me to my brief musing of the day. Flip Jasper's thought: consider the Newsroom Caf�, and think about how museums might provide workspaces for the public. Not only would it cultivate the image of museums as convivial third place, it would provide a venue for interaction with creative people looking for opportunities to contribute. What if the museum posted its current challenges (strategic, financial, technological, logistic) and invited the peripatetic workers to weigh in? It could lead to some beautiful, and mutually beneficial, relationships.

Donor Relations Guru: Why Honor Rolls of Donors are the Most Wasteful Donor Relations Practice Possible

Donor Relations Guru: Why Honor Rolls of Donors are the Most Wasteful Donor Relations Practice Possible: Why Honor Rolls of Donors are the Most Wasteful Donor Relations Practice Possible
There are many things I believe we do in donor relations that make absolutely no sense. Top of my list is the honor roll of donors. I hope you read this post and share it with as many others in the nonprofit world as humanly possible.

Good Works Co. - What Does Your Legacy Prospect Want?

Good Works Co. - What Does Your Legacy Prospect Want?: But this time, I’m going to step aside and give the platform to someone who deserves to be listened to more carefully – and much more often. That person is your donor.

For eleven years now, I’ve been listening very carefully to donors from all types of charities and sectors talk about how they want to communicate with you about legacy giving. The first – and most important – point is that they’re absolutely open to having the legacy conversation.

Continuing rebound in fundraising reported � Philanthropy North Carolina

Continuing rebound in fundraising reported � Philanthropy North Carolina: After two flat years followed by growth in 2012, a slightly bigger share of charities in the U.S. and Canada posted fundraising gains in 2013, a new survey says.

Sixty-two percent of over 500 nonprofits responding to an online survey early in 2014 by the Nonprofit Research Collaborative saw an increase in fundraising receipts in 2013.

That was the biggest share since 2007, the year before the economy crashed, and was u