- Volunteers and fairies-at-heart

- Volunteers and fairies-at-heart: "There's one thing in particular that amazes me about living in Covington: That's the number of volunteers and volunteer-based organizations that are at work in this community year 'round. Among our friends, all are volunteering somewhere. It can become a way of life. It's been in my blood for years since I was invited onto the board of the Atlanta Community Food Bank and worked the check-out register in its cavernous food warehouse."

Philanthropy on $10 a Day

Philanthropy on $10 a Day: "(APRIL 19) -- Not long after Reed Sandridge was laid off from his job at a nonprofit in Washington, D.C., he remembered something his mother would say: When you're going through tough times, that's when you most need to give back.
So last December, on the third anniversary of her death, Sandridge started giving away $10 a day to a different person for a year."

The Nonprofit Quarterly | The Nonprofit Quarterly | Nonprofit Newswire | Want to see Lady Gaga's Monster Ball Tour for free? Try Volunteering

The Nonprofit Quarterly | The Nonprofit Quarterly | Nonprofit Newswire | Want to see Lady Gaga's Monster Ball Tour for free? Try Volunteering: "For the 2009 tour, Virgin claimed that a similar deal resulted in 30,000 hours of community service and $80,000 in charitable donations, and “definitely raised awareness to the plight of homeless youth,” according to Virgin Mobile’s CEO, Dan Shulman. According to Shulman, Lady Gaga helped create a PSA that ran before each of her performances during the last tour asking her “little monsters” to donate, which she would match up to $25,000."

Scale, Sustainability and Community: Aravind and the Hilton Prize | onPhilanthropy

Scale, Sustainability and Community: Aravind and the Hilton Prize | onPhilanthropy: "Last week, the world’s largest humanitarian prize was awarded to an innovative eye care provider that has saved millions from blindness in India and is now recognized as a low-cost model for efficient healthcare globally. Aravind Eye Care System, the world’s largest eye care provider that has developed innovative technologies allowing it to perform 300,000 eye surgeries each year – 70 percent subsidized or free for the poor – received the $1.5 million Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize April 20 in in a ceremony in Redwood City."

The NonProfit Times - The Leading Business Publication For Nonprofit Management

The NonProfit Times - The Leading Business Publication For Nonprofit Management: "Convio Goes Public at $9 A Share

Shares in online fundraising firm Convio opened at $9 on NASDAQ this morning, in its first day as a public company. The firm had been seeking between $10 and $12 as an opening share price. The price jumped 74 cents a share in early trading."

In the Arts: Met Sought Donor Consent to Free Endowment Funds - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

In the Arts: Met Sought Donor Consent to Free Endowment Funds - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: "In the Arts: Met Sought Donor Consent to Free Endowment Funds

Facing financial pressure last year, the Metropolitan Opera asked donors to lift restrictions on how the organization used their gifts, allowing the group to shift money from its endowment to cover operating costs, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The Met freed about $22-million from its restricted endowment and used about a third of the money for operating expenses during the current season. The group's general manager, Peter Gelb, said the organization 'felt it needed to take these steps to address its mounting financial burden' during the 2009 fiscal year, during which its costs were more than double its earned revenue."

Dismantling the Executive Director Role, Moving Toward Collective Leadership | Rosetta Thurman

Dismantling the Executive Director Role, Moving Toward Collective Leadership | Rosetta Thurman: "Both organizations ended up with a shared directorship held by three co-executive directors.

Shared Leadership Roles

Both organizations didn’t want it to be about one person moving them into the heartland, but about all the staff moving the organization in the same direction. With three co-directors, 50 percent of their time is divided among their particular program/leadership area (for instance, fundraising, finance, advocacy) and the rest of time is divided up so that everyone is equally responsible for administrative activities. They seek to take advantage of everyone’s individual strengths and their models are fluid enough that they can switch leadership priorities based on where the organization is in its life cycle."

Ten Things You Must Know Before You Join A Nonprofit Board | Fast Company

Ten Things You Must Know Before You Join A Nonprofit Board | Fast Company: "You certainly want to join the board of an organization where you find the mission meaningful. But be careful not to wind up in a situation that you will soon regret. You can save yourself and the nonprofit from a bad match by taking a few steps before committing to join a board.

Here are the ten things you need to know and do:"

Top Ten 'Hot' Fundraising Predictions | Pro Bono Australia

Top Ten 'Hot' Fundraising Predictions | Pro Bono Australia: "President and CEO, Association of Fundraising Professionals, Paulette Maehara says it is clear that Not for Profits will become more donor centric and will put expanded emphasis on collaborating with constituents as partners in the years to come.

Maehara says this shift will be critical to the success of Not for Profits in an ever-changing world.

Blackbaud’s Top 10 Predicted Not for Profit Trends are:"

Arts groups square off against City Hall, mayor - latimes.com

Arts groups square off against City Hall, mayor - latimes.com: "L.A. arts advocates are girding for two more battles at City Hall.

One is fighting Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's plan to take away $415,000 in arts grants from groups that qualified under the standard competitive application process, in favor of four that he chose."

White House Official to Visit Local Orgs - Memphis Daily News - Business, Government, Politics, News, Public Records, Public Notices, Crime Report, Neighborhood Report, Marketing Lists, Research

White House Official to Visit Local Orgs - Memphis Daily News - Business, Government, Politics, News, Public Records, Public Notices, Crime Report, Neighborhood Report, Marketing Lists, Research: "The White House official who finds new ways to address the nation’s social issues will be in Memphis next month to visit two charities and speak at a conference for nonprofit organizations.

Sonal Shah, director of the newly created White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation, is coming at the invitation of the Alliance for Nonprofit Alliance. She is scheduled to give the keynote address at the Alliance’s annual conference."

Georgetown University: Students Award $31,000 to Local, Global Nonprofits

Georgetown University: Students Award $31,000 to Local, Global Nonprofits: "A new sociology course, “Philanthropy and Social Change,” lived up to its name this spring when its students decided to distribute $31,000 to nonprofit organizations.

The course came about after Kathy Kretman, director of Georgetown’s Center for Public and Nonprofit Leadership, received a call from the Sunshine Lady Foundation, a private family foundation established by Warren Buffett’s sister, Doris."

Philanthropy Week promotes fundraising | Stanford Daily

Philanthropy Week promotes fundraising | Stanford Daily: "Last week marked the beginning of Stanford’s first Philanthropy Week. Beginning Monday, April 19, students received e-mails from classmates in their respective years, describing a new tradition at Stanford.

Philanthropy Week focused on donations to The Stanford Fund (TSF), which helps finance scholarships, academic programs and student groups on campus. Each day was defined by a theme, varying from scholarships to athletic programming. The week culminated with students filming thank-you responses in White Plaza at the spring Activities Fair."

Corporate Philanthropy Grapples With How to Create Giving Programs - Conference Notebook - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Corporate Philanthropy Grapples With How to Create Giving Programs - Conference Notebook - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: "Many companies are in the midst of transformation in the way they think about creating social good -- and are interested in finding models in which they can simultaneously improve the world and their bottom line, participants in a session for corporate grant makers said today."

Venture philanthropists - Mauinews.com | News, Sports, Jobs, Visitor's Information - The Maui News

Venture philanthropists - Mauinews.com | News, Sports, Jobs, Visitor's Information - The Maui News: "If generosity is genetic, the Baldwin family must have philanthropy running through its blood. The longtime Maui family, whose roots run deep in Hawaii's history, knows that paying it forward is more than a motto - it's a lifestyle. 'We give what we can when we can. I feel like it's just something we do in our family and it's always been ingrained in us,' says Kristina Lyons, Fred Baldwin Memorial Foundation board of trustees president, and fifth-generation family member. Lyons' father is the late Maui businessman and philanthropist Michael Lyons II."

Young Grant Makers Urged to Make Bigger and Riskier Grants - Conference Notebook - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Young Grant Makers Urged to Make Bigger and Riskier Grants - Conference Notebook - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: "That's much of what's wrong with philanthropy today, Bill Somerville, founder of Philanthropic Ventures Foundation, told an audience of young grant makers here at the first conference of Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy. He said the figures on grant size were based on information from the Foundation Center."

A strategy for charitable giving makes donations go further - latimes.com

A strategy for charitable giving makes donations go further - latimes.com: "Do you have a charitable giving plan? President Obama placed a spotlight on charity when he published his tax return information recently, showing a vast array of causes supported by the First Family.

While that strategy may be wise for the Obamas, who have the means to donate generously and can use their high-profile giving to highlight the many causes that need money, it's not a good approach for most ordinary folks, experts say."

Olympic figure skaters shine on Harvard's ice for charity event - Allston-Brighton, MA - Allston/Brighton TAB

Olympic figure skaters shine on Harvard's ice for charity event - Allston-Brighton, MA - Allston/Brighton TAB: "Each year, world-class skaters come out to perform for two nights to raise money for the Jimmy Fund, an organization that supports adult and pediatric cancer research and care at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

“It’s a great tradition,” said skater Melissa Gregory, who came back to perform with her partner and husband, Denis Petukhov, for the fifth year and have since brought their young skating group, Performing Arts on Ice, to participate."

Technician - It’s more like a Happy Meal

Technician - It’s more like a Happy Meal: "The Krispy Kreme Challenge has quickly entered the ranks of N.C. State’s most hallowed traditions. It transcends class and major, bringing more than 6,000 people together for charity in one of the most difficult physical challenges most competitors have ever experienced. The 2,400 calories from the 12 doughnuts and the four-mile run that brackets them are incredibly difficult — uniquely so. The challenge is so tricky, in fact, that Sports Illustrated named it one of the “101 Things to Do Before You Graduate.”

In some sort of strange adaptation of the KKC, UNC-Chapel Hill’s Interfraternity Council will host the Chick-fil-A Challenge Saturday. The event, which is based on the success of N.C. State’s groundbreaking philanthropy run, will raise money for the N.C. Children’s Hospital."

Jayne Blog on nonprofits/ngos, communications, community engagement, volunteerism, aid & development, women's empowerment, & random thoughts

Jayne Blog on nonprofits/ngos, communications, community engagement, volunteerism, aid & development, women's empowerment, & random thoughts: "There are several trends affecting those who support and involve volunteers -- not just in the USA. I research these trends on an ongoing basis, and ask volunteer managers for their feedback at every opportunity.

Here's the list I've been presenting. How are these trends affecting you, as either someone who supports and involves volunteers or as someone who volunteers (or wants to)"

‘American Idol’ Philanthropy Ratings Down | onPhilanthropy

‘American Idol’ Philanthropy Ratings Down | onPhilanthropy: "Once a year, American Idol ventures into philanthropy with its star-studded Idol Gives Back special. This, reports Business Insider, the ratings for the mega-special were down."

More than 1,000 ready to participate in Craven Relay for Life | participate, ready, craven - Local - ENCToday

More than 1,000 ready to participate in Craven Relay for Life | participate, ready, craven - Local - ENCToday: "Hopes are high for this week’s annual Craven County Relay for Life, with a record number of participants, increased corporate sponsorship and a fundraising goal that is halfway home.

The two-day event is Friday and Saturday at Grover C. Fields Middle School, with 100 teams and 1,152 participants registered."

Oops! Charity returns coin collection found in donated dresser

Oops! Charity returns coin collection found in donated dresser: "Manager My Hong Bui discovered a box of old collector's coins in a dresser donated to the store Tuesday. Assuming it was unintentionally donated, the store found the donor's receipt and called him back.

And boy, was the donor glad."

Institute tells nonprofits: Tap new donors - CharlotteObserver.com

Institute tells nonprofits: Tap new donors - CharlotteObserver.com: "That observation, made by a group of local charity experts, has become the basis for a new effort that seeks to remake the way the area charities raise money.

It’s called The Institute for Philanthropic Leadership, and its first move has been to create something called the Major Gift School, which aims to show nonprofits how to find new major donors."

Nonprofits worrying that growth is fleeting | HeraldTribune.com

Nonprofits worrying that growth is fleeting | HeraldTribune.com: "Federal stimulus dollars and private funds have allowed some nonprofit groups providing social services to hire and expand. JFCS, the Salvation Army and Catholic Charities have become conduits of economic relief in this recession.

But there are concerns that much of the additional cash will soon run out, even as demand for social services remains high."

massnonprofit.org ::

massnonprofit.org ::: "April 17, 2010 — Twenty-four of the 50 largest employers in Massachusetts are nonprofit organizations, according to the latest ranking compiled by the Boston Business Journal, underscoring the importance of the sector to the state.

Fifteen of the 24 nonprofits are healthcareinstitutions, while the remaining nine are colleges and universities, according to the listing published this week."

Politics Mixes with Everything! | IMAGINE 2050

Politics Mixes with Everything! | IMAGINE 2050: "South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu delivered the keynote for the International Conference of the Association of Fundraising Professionals on April 13, 2010. As he addressed 3,000 professional fundraisers from dozens of countries, I wondered how his remarks would be received. The 79 year old slightly stooped priest was the only major speaker who did not use props, gimmicks, or PowerPoint. He just gripped the podium and preached to the crowd. You could have heard a pin drop."

The Nonprofit Quarterly | The Nonprofit Quarterly | Nonprofit Newswire | Bill Clinton, Philanthropist

The Nonprofit Quarterly | The Nonprofit Quarterly | Nonprofit Newswire | Bill Clinton, Philanthropist: "Public attention to former President Bill Clinton’s interviews and speeches the past couple of days focused on his insights concerning historical parallels with the “Tea Party” movement, garnering an over-the-top reaction from Rush Limbaugh. We were more interested in Clinton’s comments on “This Week” with Jake Tapper relating to philanthropy. Here is the former president in his own words:"

Neal Glickfield, Bunk Beds for Kids

Neal Glickfield, Bunk Beds for Kids: "Unfortunately, we quickly realized that Haiti couldn't receive beds because they needed houses first. Still desiring to give away these beds, I decided instead to reach out to local Habitat for Humanity affiliates to see if they needed bunk beds for families in the Washington region. They did. Ever since then, I've been traveling and focusing on getting bunk beds to give away. I've been getting some great deals with factories to help give these to children in need."

NorthJersey.com: Giving hits low level for charities

NorthJersey.com: Giving hits low level for charities: "More charities saw their fund-raising totals go down than up last year — the first time that's happened since the Association of Fundraising Professionals started its annual survey of non-profits in 2001.

'We looked at organizations by budget size, by subsector of non-profit, by geography, and we found no differences,' said Michael Nilsen, AFP's senior director of public affairs. 'It's universal.'

The survey was sent to development directors and other fund-raising professionals employed by non-profits. Of the 350 who responded, 46 percent said their organizations raised less money than they had in 2008, while 43 percent said they had raised more."