Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Charitable organizations not all equal; AG’s office: Do your homework first

Charitable organizations not all equal; AG’s office: Do your homework first: "The AG’s office released its annual “worst charities” list Friday, a document that relies largely on an IRS filing called a 990. Every year, nonprofits are required to file a 990, detailing how much money the organization takes in, how it’s spent and how much directors and other key personnel are paid.

The 20 charities on the AG’s list, all of which are based outside of Oregon, are notable for their use of professional fundraising firms, which eat up much of the money contributed by donors."



'via Blog this'

Busy Time Of Year For Goodwill! | MyCentralOregon.com

Busy Time Of Year For Goodwill! | MyCentralOregon.com: "All of Central Oregon is expected to bring in a total of 9.8 million pounds by the end of 2014, up 12% over last year.

And by midnight December 31st, thanks to our more than 3-million Pacific Northwest donors, this charity expects to collect a worldwide record of more than 195-million pounds of donations."



'via Blog this'

Nonprofits use variety of tactics, overcome obstacles to succeed in their missions - Louisville - Louisville Business First

Nonprofits use variety of tactics, overcome obstacles to succeed in their missions - Louisville - Louisville Business First: "'Tis the season for donating to worthy causes. So Louisville Business First decided to take a look at the business side of nonprofits in our area. In 2013, the largest 42 nonprofits in the Louisville area received a combined $748.7 million in local gross revenue — a combination of donations, grants and other revenue streams, according to Business First's list of the area's largest nonprofit organizations. The list, which ranked nonprofits by their 2013 local gross income, was published on Oct. 24. "



'via Blog this'

Tsunami Orphans Recount Journey to Philanthropy

Tsunami Orphans Recount Journey to Philanthropy: "LONDON:  A decade after being orphaned by the Asian tsunami, British brothers Rob and Paul Forkan are successful entrepreneurs who are giving back to the Sri Lankans who helped them by building an orphanage."



'via Blog this'

Hawaii Community Foundation's FLEX grant program donated $4.2 million to nonprofits in 2014 - Pacific Business News

Hawaii Community Foundation's FLEX grant program donated $4.2 million to nonprofits in 2014 - Pacific Business News: "As its name suggests, the two-year-old FLEX program provides grants that can be spent flexibly, for expenses such as operating and program costs or salaries. Traditionally, grants and donations often come with restrictions or expiration dates.
The nonprofits selected for FLEX grants were deemed "high-performing" organizations by the foundation. "



'via Blog this'

How To Donate Bitcoin To Charity And Get A Big Tax Deduction

How To Donate Bitcoin To Charity And Get A Big Tax Deduction: "Along with the growing popularity of Bitcoin,  the number of charitable organizations that accept virtual currencies has been growing. At the same time, so has government scrutiny, creating uncertainty about the continuing value of Bitcoin, Ripple, Litecoin,  and other, smaller currencies.  In March, the Internal  Revenue Service issued its long awaited opinion on the taxation of virtual currencies, ruling they should be treated as property, not currency.  That creates administrative and paperwork problems for those using Bitcoin, but also allows donors to obtain generous charitable income tax deductions for donating Bitcoin that is worth more than they paid for it, just as they do for giving appreciated stock to charity."



'via Blog this'

Choosing where to donate to charity is tough. Here's a simple guide to help. - Vox

Choosing where to donate to charity is tough. Here's a simple guide to help. - Vox: "It's the holiday season, and for many households that means it's time to decide on a charity to donate to this year. According to the Blackbaud Charitable Giving Report, 17.5 percent of charitable giving happens in December — over twice the share you'd expect if giving were spaced evenly throughout the year.

If you still need to pick a cause for 2014, here are a few pointers: do your research first, give abroad, and consider just giving cash."



'via Blog this'

Madoff victims' payout nearing $7.2 billion: trustee | Reuters

Madoff victims' payout nearing $7.2 billion: trustee | Reuters: "Victims of Bernard Madoff's massive Ponzi scheme will get afresh $322 million payout if a U.S. judge approves the request by the trustee liquidating the convicted fraudster's firm, bringing the recovery total to more than $7 billion."



'via Blog this'

Setting Fees in Your New Consulting Career | Michael Wyland | LinkedIn

Setting Fees in Your New Consulting Career | Michael Wyland | LinkedIn: "Here's some advice I gave to a woman considering starting a consulting practice. She was concerned about how to set her fees:

There are at least three ways to price your services: 1) based on your costs (time, materials, etc.); 2) competitive with the marketplace; and 3) so-called "value-based fees," where consultants price their services based on the benefit to the client."



'via Blog this'

[Guest Post] 5 Reasons Your Peer to Peer Program is Failing | FundraisingCoach.com

[Guest Post] 5 Reasons Your Peer to Peer Program is Failing | FundraisingCoach.com: "5 Reasons Your Peer to Peer Program is Failing

by Dave Linn

Peer to peer fundraising is booming. It's the fastest growing slice of the fundraising pie, and advances in technology, particularly in mobile, have helped create a perfect storm of effectiveness. We live in a social world and peer to peer fundraising allows us to tap into our supporters' networks to generate not just funds but donor creation opportunities and valuable data for donor cultivation."



'via Blog this'

City A.M.'s World Charity Index 2014 - who's made the list of top givers? | City A.M.

City A.M.'s World Charity Index 2014 - who's made the list of top givers? | City A.M.: "Introducing City A.M's unique ranking of charitable giving from the private sector.
Welcome to this fourth edition of the City A.M. World Charity Index. Its ranking is becoming more and more prestigious, with the increased profile of the index making it worthy of a dedicated special supplement. This upgraded status makes us, researchers at the Center for Philanthropic Studies at VU University Amsterdam, very grateful for a number of reasons. "



'via Blog this'

Monday, December 22, 2014

Biking for the needy: Nyack charity raises $1 million

Biking for the needy: Nyack charity raises $1 million: "Atlanta?

To some, the question is completely absurd. To Kaete Nazaroff, it's the question that has driven her and an army of online followers to raise more than $1 million, bring much-needed medical supplies to needy children and offer comfort and support to dozens of families across the country.

And her Nyack-based charity, Ride to Give, is still in its second year."



'via Blog this'

Year-End Charitable Giving Bonanza is a Myth | Atlas of Giving - Fundraising Forecasting

Year-End Charitable Giving Bonanza is a Myth | Atlas of Giving - Fundraising Forecasting: "Posted on December 22, 2014
There is an assumption in the U.S. that the best charitable giving season is October, November, and December each year (Year-End). The facts do not support this myth.

Most believe that there are two reasons that year-end giving is good. First, they assume that donors are in the giving mood as they engage in all types of holiday gifting. The second theory is that donors are anxious to make gifts that they can deduct on their upcoming 2014 tax returns. Facts don’t support these assumptions. People give because they are asked…not because they are feeling the ‘giving spirit’. Only 36% of Americans itemize their taxes and about 80% of those take a charitable deduction. This means that fewer than 30% of all Americans could even possibly be motivated by tax benefits in their giving. And, many of those donors made their gifts at other times of the year. In fact, the 10 largest gifts made in 2014 were NOT made in the 4th quarter."



'via Blog this'

Transparency in Philanthropy: Get On Board or Get Run Over - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly

More material on Transparency

Transparency in Philanthropy: Get On Board or Get Run Over - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly:



'via Blog this'

Holiday Postings

Posting to the Resource Center blogs will be intermittent during the Holidays.

Holiday Notice: AFP IHQ and the AFP Foundation for Philanthropy will close at noon on Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2014.
- AFP IHQ will reopen on Monday, Jan. 5, 2015.
- The AFP Foundation will be open for one day during the holiday week on Dec. 29, 2014, then close again and reopen on Monday, Jan. 5, 2015. Gifts can be made at any time online or call Diane LaVigna at (518) 360-4736.

Last days of December critical to nonprofit fundraisers

Last days of December critical to nonprofit fundraisers: "With two weeks to go in their fundraising year, Metro Detroit charities are reporting an uptick in giving or at least holding steady.

Many are crossing their fingers, hoping that the year-end rush to donate will fill the coffers that fund their missions."



'via Blog this'

Checkout Charity: Could You Give While You Pay? - DailyFinance

Checkout Charity: Could You Give While You Pay? - DailyFinance: "irst, Samantha Kemp-Jackson started noticing something unusual at the local grocery store. Then it started happening to the Toronto mom of four at the department store. Then the liquor store. Then, pretty much everywhere else. She was getting hit up for a charitable donation at pretty much every cash register she encountered. And it was driving her bananas.
"



'via Blog this'

The AFP Blog: Worth Fighting For

The AFP Blog: Worth Fighting For: "But the financial incentives involved in most giving are also an important aspect of philanthropy.

That fact is, even if some donors don’t take a deduction or credit, tax incentives make a huge difference in giving.

I was on the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) America Radio Network recently talking with its president, Ted Hart, ACFRE, about its recent study of how different governments support charity through incentives."



'via Blog this'

Public Policy Update (12/20/2104): President Obama has signed into law H.R. 5771, which includes the Charitable IRA Rollover provision

Association of Fundraising Professionals - AFP: "Public Policy Update (12/20/2104): President Obama has signed into law H.R. 5771, which includes the Charitable IRA Rollover provision. But the provision, which allows donors to transfer up to $100,000 per year to a charity without having to count the gifts as part of their taxable income (and forego the deduction) is only extended through the end of 2014!"



'via Blog this'