In the Arts: New Generation of Curators Helps Museums Modernize - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

In the Arts: New Generation of Curators Helps Museums Modernize - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: "A new guard of curators is taking root at major American art museums as the organizations aim to recharge programming and attract younger audiences, The New York Times reports in a special section on the museum scene.

The article profiles nine up-and-coming curators, all in their 30s, at New York's Museum of Modern Art, Washington's National Gallery, and other venerable institutions."

The NonProfit Times - Market A Day, Hope For A Lifetime

The NonProfit Times - The Leading Business Publication For Nonprofit Management: "The newest volunteering incentive is Disney’s “Give a Day, Get a Day” program, where volunteers who dedicate their time will receive a one-day pass to a Disney theme park. Those who sign up can search through volunteer opportunities on the Disney Web site and manage their volunteering accounts.

Susan Ellis, president of Energize, Inc., in Philadelphia, said the Disney giveaway and other days of service “validate that you only have to do the minimum. Go do something for one day and get in.” Firms offering these volunteer days and incentives mean well but might be sending the wrong message, according to Ellis."

Mixing It Up On Nonprofit Boards: Diversify or Fail | Leading Companies for Good | Fast Company

Mixing It Up On Nonprofit Boards: Diversify or Fail | Leading Companies for Good | Fast Company: "Diverse perspectives and heuristics can be engines of joy,' says Page. This is one of the primary reasons that I so enjoy training and placing business executives on nonprofit boards. Through nonprofit boards, people from diverse backgrounds and perspectives have the opportunity to come together to help drive towards a common mission for which they are passionate.

As board members, they also gain a deeper understanding about the issues that their organizations address--whether the issue is the availability of potable water in the world, poverty and hunger, or human rights. Board members have the chance of a lifetime to learn from people they might never have otherwise met, travel together to the nonprofits' sites, see the world through the eyes of others, and help nonprofits to find and implement solutions to address global challenges. The experience is often transformative."

Insuring against the next recession | Philanthropy Journal

Insuring against the next recession | Philanthropy Journal: "'For the most part, it's an uninsurable exposure,' says Melanie Lockwood Herman, executive director of the Nonprofit Risk Management Center, located in Leesburg, Va. 'Most of the harm nonprofits faced during the recession were things for which there was no insurance.'

Because of competitive forces in the insurance industry, many nonprofits have solid coverage these days, with excellent policies offered for relatively low rates.
'The downturn hasn't turned up any gaps in coverage, but it has exposed weaknesses in risk management,' says Herman."

Fundraisers facing major hurdles

Fundraisers facing major hurdles: "Ms. Fredricks, now a consultant based in New York, will share details next week of how she and her staff at Pace were able to mount a successful fundraising effort in that difficult time. She is scheduled to be a keynote speaker at a conference of the Association of Fundraising Professionals' Western Pennsylvania Chapter and the Pittsburgh Planned Giving Council.

The other keynote will be on planned giving and will be delivered by Debra Ashton, a Quincy, Mass.-based consultant. She has held staff positions at Boston University, Boston College and WGBH, the Boston public television and radio station, and has run her own firm for the last decade."

Are corporate social responsibility rankings irresponsible? / The Christian Science Monitor - CSMonitor.com

Are corporate social responsibility rankings irresponsible? / The Christian Science Monitor - CSMonitor.com: "Corporate social and environmental performance is all the rage in today’s investment environment. With increasing frequency, analysts are monitoring, evaluating, and ranking that performance. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) lists – ranging from Corporate Knight’s Global 100 to Ethisphere Institute’s Most Ethical Companies and Corporate Responsibility magazine’s 100 Best Corporate Citizens – grow more plentiful and visible each day. Publishers now vie to position their lists as strategic holy grails for corporations making the cut, and Wall Street has taken notice. Nearly one out of every nine dollars of professionally managed assets in the United States – valued at an estimated $2.71 trillion – has been invested in companies that perform well in CSR rankings."

A small act, multiplied (video)

A small act, multiplied (video): "As an impoverished youth in Kenya, Harvard Law alum Chris Mburu LL.M.’93 was threatened with expulsion from his primary school because he couldn’t afford the fees. A woman named Hilde Back decided to help, and wrote a check for $15 dollars to sponsor the Kenyan"

The Nonprofit Quarterly | The Nonprofit Quarterly | Nonprofit Newswire | Survey: The Ultra-Wealthy Are Giving Less

The Nonprofit Quarterly | The Nonprofit Quarterly | Nonprofit Newswire | Survey: The Ultra-Wealthy Are Giving Less: "Based on a sample of 1,046 respondents, (867 nationally and 179 from South Florida, over half with more than $1 million in assets, the remainder had more than $500,000 in assets), polled in the last quarter of 2009, PNC found sharp reductions in charitable giving by the ultra wealthy (with $5 million or more in assets): donation totals of $1 million or more were made by 15 percent of PNC’s ultra-wealthy in 2007 to 1 percent in 2009."

Number of Charities and Foundations Passes 1.2 Million - Government & Politics Watch - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Number of Charities and Foundations Passes 1.2 Million - Government & Politics Watch - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: "The number of charities and private foundations registered with the Internal Revenue Service increased by 4.3 percent from 2008 to 2009, reaching a total of more than 1.2 million, according to figures released by the tax agency."

Paulette's Point of View: Preventing Exploitation and Putting Donors First

Paulette's Point of View: Preventing Exploitation and Putting Donors First: "Preventing Exploitation and Putting Donors First
One of the issues I’ve seen arise from time to time, and on several occasions over the past few weeks, is controversies of contributions and donor intent when gifts are made by elderly and/or sick donors."

The Nonprofit Quarterly | The Nonprofit Quarterly | Nonprofit Newswire | Philanthropic Gusher in Alaska Expected

The Nonprofit Quarterly | The Nonprofit Quarterly | Nonprofit Newswire | Philanthropic Gusher in Alaska Expected: "Two years ago the state established the 'Pick-Click-Give' program that encourages Alaskans to designate a portion of their Permanent Fund Dividend, which in 2009 totaled $1,300 a piece. (Donations are done online at a state website at the same time residents apply for their annual dividend.) At the time, the Rasmuson Foundation pledged nearly $1 million the support the program, including costs to administer and promote it, during the first two years."

MinnPost - 'Silent philanthropist' Margaret Cargill's new foundation suddenly surfaces as Minnesota's largest

MinnPost - 'Silent philanthropist' Margaret Cargill's new foundation suddenly surfaces as Minnesota's largest: "A new and largely unknown charitable entity, the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation, has sailed into the top spot as the state's largest philanthropic foundation."

New Inland Empire United Way chief takes job among tough times | Local News | PE.com | Southern California News | News for Inland Southern California

New Inland Empire United Way chief takes job among tough times | Local News | PE.com | Southern California News | News for Inland Southern California: "Gregory Bradbard had been on the job for only four days when he was asked about the challenges he faced as the new president and CEO of the Inland Empire United Way.

'Yes, it's a tough time for fundraising,' he said, 'but it's also time for people who are doing well to do whatever they can for those who aren't doing so well.'"

KnightNews.com » ZBT Rolls Out Signature Philanthropy

KnightNews.com » ZBT Rolls Out Signature Philanthropy: "The Delta Iota chapter of Zeta Beta Tau will be unveiled their signature spring philanthropy just before Spring Break on the University of Central Florida campus. The brothers of Zeta Beta Tau rolled out a giant, 6-foot ball throughout the campus to raise money for the Children’s Miracle Network."

Generations X and Y Make Up Majority of Potential Donors, Study Finds - News - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Generations X and Y Make Up Majority of Potential Donors, Study Finds - News - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: "Members of Generation Y, the term most often used for this group, tend to be less loyal to an organization and hold high expectations for online attempts to attract them. But they also have a strong desired to help others and to raise money and attention for their favorite causesfrom friends and acquaintances.

Those are just a few of the findings of a new survey released by Convio and Sea Change Strategies about how members of different generations learn about charities, interact with them, and support them."

Nonprofits, state can achieve symbiosis | delawareonline.com | The News Journal

Nonprofits, state can achieve symbiosis | delawareonline.com | The News Journal: "It's now that they need the support of a strong nonprofit sector.

Unfortunately, that sector itself is vulnerable. For decades, as Delaware's population has grown older and poorer, its nonprofits have grown more financially fragile. More than one-third of the state's nonprofits operated in the red each year from 2002-07, and corporate, foundation and individual giving provide them less support than they need to ably serve their increasing and increasingly needy constituents."

Disrupting Philanthropy Report: A Conversation | Geoff Livingston's Blog

Disrupting Philanthropy Report: A Conversation | Geoff Livingston's Blog: "Today, Lucy Bernholtz, Edwards Skloot, and Barry Varela hosted a conversation at the Pew Conference room on their recent Disrupting Philanthropy Report. In attendance where folks from some of the largest foundations and technology companies in the world. The following is a liveblogged account of the conversation."

Wood River Valley non-profit groups seek regional training

Wood River Valley non-profit groups seek regional training: "Smith unveiled the results of a new study sponsored by such organizations as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in a workshop organized by the Wood River Women's Charitable Foundation.

Smith said that the new study, which he planned to introduce to others in several states on Friday, indicated that non-profits are 'passion-rich but resource-poor.'

Leaders need to be able to take a step back and assess what their staff needs. But grant makers tend to award grants to 'sexy' things rather than the day-to-day operating needs, which often are where the biggest needs are, Smith said."

Even with bad times, people are giving | Salisbury, NC - Salisbury Post

Even with bad times, people are giving | Salisbury, NC - Salisbury Post: "n Rowan County, the trend seems to lean more toward people continuing to give in spite of the economy.

When it comes to donating, people seem to remember Main Street Mission in China Grove, said Director Anne Corriher.

'We have benefited in a bad economy and it's been amazing to see,' she said.

Beginning around the holidays in 2009, Corriher said she anticipated few donations."

Charities urged to tap philanthropists to grow revenue

Charities urged to tap philanthropists to grow revenue: "The poll surveyed 476 high net worth individuals in the UK about their attitude towards helping charities become more self-sufficient."

Leveraging Good Will: New Data Reinforces That Nonprofit-Corporate Partnerships Are Win-Win | Leading Companies for Good | Fast Company

Leveraging Good Will: New Data Reinforces That Nonprofit-Corporate Partnerships Are Win-Win | Leading Companies for Good | Fast Company: "The latest Cone Trend Tracker reports that 59% of American consumers 'are more likely to buy a product associated with the [nonprofit-corporate] partnership,' and that 50% of consumers are 'more likely to donate to the nonprofit' when nonprofits partner with companies. By leveraging their good will, companies advance their own interests, while also helping nonprofits to promote their causes in making the world better."

NGOs in China say threatened by new donor rules - San Jose Mercury News

NGOs in China say threatened by new donor rules - San Jose Mercury News: "BEIJING—China has surprised thousands of aid groups by stepping in to regulate overseas donations for the first time, complicating efforts to get money from supporters in the United States and elsewhere. Some groups warned that losing the support could force many to shut down."

Denver charity getting part of Obama Nobel money - KRDO.com Colorado Springs and Pueblo News, Weather and Sports

Denver charity getting part of Obama Nobel money - KRDO.com Colorado Springs and Pueblo News, Weather and Sports: "DENVER (AP) - The American Indian College Fund in Denver is 1 of 9 charitable organizations that will receive donation's from President Barack Obama's Nobel Peace Prize money."

#ideas10 Opening General Session « SNAP Blog

Lynn Morton's quick summary of plenary at #ideas10

#ideas10 Opening General Session « SNAP Blog: "#ideas10 Opening General Session
07Mar10

Guy Kawasaki: The Art of Innovation

1. Make Meaning – You want to change the world. So change it. Do it for a reason"

Is Buffett, Not Carlos Slim, the Richest Man? | Market Features | Financial Articles & Investing News | TheStreet.com

Is Buffett, Not Carlos Slim, the Richest Man? | Market Features | Financial Articles & Investing News | TheStreet.com: "Still, one of the biggest points raised -- or, more to the point, not raised -- by the annual list is the extent to which charitable giving influences the flip-flopping at the top of the Forbes list of billionaires. We adjust for inflation, but when it comes to billionaires, Forbes doesn't adjust for charitable giving."

News & Star | News | No fundraising at Uppies and Downies games this year

News & Star | News | No fundraising at Uppies and Downies games this year: "Organisers, who usually raise about £7,500, said they will not be asking people to dip into their pockets mainly because locals have already donated money to the flood funds."

The Nonprofit Quarterly | The Nonprofit Quarterly | Nonprofit Newswire | Donor Confidentiality vs. Accountability in Political Advertising?

The Nonprofit Quarterly | The Nonprofit Quarterly | Nonprofit Newswire | Donor Confidentiality vs. Accountability in Political Advertising?: "March 10, 2010; ProPublica | Confidentiality of donors to nonprofits has long been a core tenet of the nonprofit sector, meant to limit the nonprofits’ critics’ ability to harass and deter their donors. The large unmonitored flows of corporate and special interest funds into partisan “issue ad” electioneering may have changed things so significantly that the public good will be better served by disclosure than confidentiality of the sources of donations for these election purpose."

Survey shows pay for nonprofit executives not out of line | StarNewsOnline.com

Survey shows pay for nonprofit executives not out of line | StarNewsOnline.com: "The study “challenges the popular myths that nonprofit executives are overpaid,” said the Raleigh-based organization, which serves as a resource for nonprofit board members and staffers.

The study also found that turnover among nonprofit staffers is about half that of the average American industry, and that three-quarters of state nonprofits offer medical coverage and two-thirds of them a retirement plan."

Study looks at economic impact of six Framingham cultural organizations - The Boston Globe

Study looks at economic impact of six Framingham cultural organizations - The Boston Globe: "A newly released study suggests that the Danforth and five other Framingham cultural institutions generate nearly double their budgets in local spending annually, creating scores of jobs along the way.

“For people who believe in the arts, they get it when we tell them art is good because we know it’s good,’’ said Danforth’s executive director, Katherine French. “But that’s preaching to the converted. When we go to funders or business leaders or town officials, we need to be able to point to an argument that isn’t a matter of opinion.’’"

Editorials | Rethink capping itemized charitable deductions | Seattle Times Newspaper

Editorials | Rethink capping itemized charitable deductions | Seattle Times Newspaper: "he center's estimate is a 4.8-percent reduction in charitable donations. That is 4.8 percent of a very large number, or a $3.87 billion reduction in itemized giving by affected households.

That sum equals the combined budgets of very large charitable agencies, amounts of money unlikely to be made up in supplemental government spending."