IRS, nonprofits still grapple with new tax rules | The Tennessean | tennessean.com

IRS, nonprofits still grapple with new tax rules | The Tennessean | tennessean.com: Some 4,500 organizations in the state have lost their nonprofit or tax-exempt status for not filing an annual report with the Internal Revenue Service, and about 9,300 additional organizations may face similar sanctions if they fail to file by Oct. 15.

Volunteering: Treat your charitable giving like an investment - Bakersfield.com

Volunteering: Treat your charitable giving like an investment - Bakersfield.com: A nonprofit organization ought to be run like a business."

I hear this comment often in my role as President and CEO of Kern Community Foundation. However, I do not necessarily agree with it. Instead, I believe that a nonprofit organization ought to be run like a good business, especially if I am going to make a personal donation to support its mission. Like many people, I have limited personal financial resources and want to see results from the charitable investments I make.

Facebook App 9/11 Memorial Lets You Dedicate Status Updates to Victims

Facebook App 9/11 Memorial Lets You Dedicate Status Updates to Victims: 573


Facebook, in collaboration with The National September 11 Memorial & Museum, will ask members to update their profile photos or dedicate their statuses in remembrance of the victims who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001.

Six Ways to Make a Donor Thank You Letter Better - Donor Thank You Letters Deserve Your Best Effort

Six Ways to Make a Donor Thank You Letter Better - Donor Thank You Letters Deserve Your Best Effort: Here are six articles that will help you dot your "i"s, cross your "t"s and make your thank you letters sweet.

Best Links: Content Ideas, Landing Pages, Social Media for Volunteers

Best Links: Content Ideas, Landing Pages, Social Media for Volunteers: Nonprofit Blog Carnival

Kivi Leroux Miller organized the August Nonprofit Blog Carnival around all things kooky. Read the "out there" ideas she got from nonprofit pros in Quirky, Kooky, and Off-Beat Nonprofit Marketing and Fundraising. They may inspire your own bravery as well as creativity

Steel Magnate Pledges $265-Million to Carnegie Mellon - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Steel Magnate Pledges $265-Million to Carnegie Mellon - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: Carnegie Mellon University has received the largest gift in its history, a $265-million pledge from a prominent Pittsburgh businessman, reports the Associated Press.

The unrestricted gift from William S. Dietrich II, former chairman of the steel supplier Dietrich Industries, will pay for programs at the Pittsburgh university after the 73-year-old donor dies. It brings Carnegie Mellon close to meeting a $1-billion target for a fund-raising campaign now under way.

The Lessons of 9/11 Philanthropy, a Decade Later - Opinion - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

The Lessons of 9/11 Philanthropy, a Decade Later - Opinion - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: Could the nearly inconceivable challenges be met? How could nonprofit organizations play an effective role in the recovery?

The answer wasn’t immediately clear, but over time I learned two things that worked:

Local nonprofit organizations stepped away from their traditional missions and adapted quickly to respond to sharply changed circumstances. That decision was risky, because it could have hurt the people who had relied on the groups before the disaster, but few charities suffered such problems.
New leaders and organizations brought a fresh perspective to fill the gaps left by established players. While some people worried that the groups would duplicate efforts, the new charities’ impressive accomplishments overcame that concern.

An Overview of Secure Credit Card Donation Processing & PCI Compliance : Page 1 of 2 : FundRaising Success

An Overview of Secure Credit Card Donation Processing & PCI Compliance : Page 1 of 2 : FundRaising Success: The reality is that online credit card processing is very safe and secure, thanks in large part to the Payment Card Industry Data Security StandardsOpens in a new window (PCI DSS) created by the PCI Security Standards CouncilOpens in a new window (PCI SSC). PCI SSC was created by the major credit card companies to unify their security standards. The objective was to protect sensitive credit card information and reduce credit card fraud.

McKnight Dance and Choreography Fellowships Find New Partner in Northropthropy Potluck

Minnesota Council on Foundations Blog – Philanthropy Potluck: McKnight Dance and Choreography Fellowships Find New Partner in Northrop
September 6, 2011

Good news for the Minnesota dance scence – the McKnight Foundation’s Artist Fellowships for Dancers and Choreographers has found a new partner in the University of Minnesota Northrop Concerts and Lectures administration.

Volunteering Will Save Your Career (Or Put You In A New One) | Fast Company

Volunteering Will Save Your Career (Or Put You In A New One) | Fast Company: Starting today, LinkedIn will let users list their public-spirited deeds and philanthropic efforts alongside job experience under a new section called "Volunteer Experience and Causes." According to a survey by the social network, more then ever volunteer experience is valuable information that could give job hunters the boost they need to get promoted or hired.

Identify Your Funding Model That Makes the Most Impact - Resource Center - AFP

Identify Your Funding Model That Makes the Most Impact - Resource Center - AFP: (Sept. 6, 2011) Following up on their previous work about funding models, The Bridgespan Group has released a new guide for nonprofit leaders aimed at helping organizations identify strategies for identifying, creating and implementing long-range funding models.

The Bridgespan Group had previously released a paper on “Ten Nonprofit Funding Models.” This guide, “Finding Your Funding Model,” builds on that knowledge, outlining six steps organizations should take to determine the most effective funding model for their operations and how to implement them.

Sports scandal blemish could hamper University of Miami fundraising

Sports scandal blemish could hamper University of Miami fundraising: "As it stands now, the scandal should hurt Miami's fundraising ability to some extent, but there could be a bigger impact if more damaging information comes out, said Michael Nilsen, a spokesman for the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
"I could see this having an impact for a couple of years, but I don't see it having a major impact," Mr. Nilsen said. "But if it gets bigger, and becomes an institutional thing, or if it involves (Univer"

Boston Mayor Offers Credits to Nonprofits for Hiring Local Jobless - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Boston Mayor Offers Credits to Nonprofits for Hiring Local Jobless - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: Boston Mayor Offers Credits to Nonprofits for Hiring Local Jobless

September 6, 2011, 10:00 am

Boston hospitals, universities, and other nonprofit groups would get the equivalent of a tax break for hiring out-of-work city residents under a jobs plan unveiled Monday by Mayor Thomas M. Menino, The Boston Globe writes.

Feeney's new formula for giving | The Australian

Feeney's new formula for giving | The Australian: Feeney's new formula for giving

Jill Rowbotham
From: The Australian
September 01, 2011 12:00AM



Mr Charles F Feeney, Founding Chairman, The Atlantic Philanthropies and Professor Susan D. Desmond-Hellmann MD MPH Chancellor of the University of Californa, San Francisco at a University of Queensland reception held in Customs House , Brisbane last night Picture: Sproule David Source: The Australian

ENCOURAGING responses to pilot philanthropy projects at the University of Tasmania and the University of New South Wales have reinforced American billionaire Chuck Feeney's new strategy for donating.

Mr Feeney, 80, is renowned for the $500 million he has donated to medical research facilities in Australia in the past 13 years. It is always a condition of a grant made by his foundation, The Atlantic Philanthropies, that institutions to which it donates find matching funding.


But in the past three months Mr Feeney has held talks with local high net worth individuals to encourage them to join him in Giving While Living networks, collaborating on donations to various projects, Atlantic's Australian director, David Kennedy says.

10th Anniversary of 9/11 Unlike Any Other

10th Anniversary of 9/11 Unlike Any Other: On the other hand, it is hard to escape the 10th anniversary of 9/11. Not that anyone wants to, sad as it is. In a USA Today article about the trauma of the anniversary, sociologist Brian Monahan said, "There's an inherent sadness, but alongside that is a celebratory undercurrent for how far we've come."

One of the nicest things any of us can do for the 9/11 anniversary is to visit 911.org and join the "I Will" campaign.

In down economy, nonprofits explore profit-making ventures - The Washington Post

In down economy, nonprofits explore profit-making ventures - The Washington Post: The panel discussion is one in a series of conferences that Booz Allen has organized since 2007 to provide small nonprofits with management and fundraising insights.

Panel members spoke about their successes, failures and challenges with launching an earned-income venture, which is the sale of goods and services by a nonprofit.

The AFP Blog

Featuring Guest Blogger Andrea McManus, CFRE

The AFP Blog: Earlier this summer, I had the pleasure of attending the Institute of Fundraising’s (UK) annual conference in London. Part of the great experience I had there was meeting with leaders of different fundraising organizations from around the world.

If Donors Are Investors, They Need A Motley Fool - Tony Martignetti

If Donors Are Investors, They Need A Motley Fool - Tony Martignetti: As that continues, investors will need investment advisory services, like The Motley Fool, Raymond James, MorganStanley SmithBarney and others. They’ll seek advice on where to place their money to get maximum return on investment. There are companies providing such services today, but they all serve wealthy donors investing in our charitable sectors.

The need for this expertise will reach modest investors, just as Motley Fool offers a comparatively low-cost, web-based advisory practice for people who need not have millions in investible assets. They recommend buying, selling, holding or watching individual stocks.

Five ‘must dos’ of bequest fundraising | SOFII

Five ‘must dos’ of bequest fundraising | SOFII: There are many ways you could approach the development of a bequest programme. Staff on the road making face-to-face asks, direct mail programmes, phone programmes, press advertisements, online programmes, or a combination of all of these. There are some highly successful programmes out there and no one magic formula. But there are some things you can do to really maximise your chances of success.

Having had the opportunity to analyse and work on a broad range of bequest programmes, I’ve come across some essential ‘must dos’ that underpin each successful one.

Shore Line Trolley Museum Damaged by Irene Floods - East Haven, CT Patch

Shore Line Trolley Museum Damaged by Irene Floods - East Haven, CT Patch: ronically, the museum’s board of trustees had just inaugurated an “Elevating the Collection” fundraising campaign in March aimed at building elevated housing for the collection to protect it against even the most devastating hurricane.

SPEA partnership explores gift influence to nonprofit groups | Campus | Indiana Daily Student

SPEA partnership explores gift influence to nonprofit groups | Campus | Indiana Daily Student: The School of Public and Environmental Affairs is partnering with charity Good360 to investigate how unsold, donated items influence nonprofit organizations, showing collaboration in sustainability and philanthropy.

Freshman Engineers Unlikely Day School Gift | The Jewish Week

Freshman Engineers Unlikely Day School Gift | The Jewish Week: he 17-year-old, a freshman mechanical engineering major at the upstate university, decided her alma mater needed the cash more than her family, which had already budgeted for the full tuition.

Editorial: Thank you, Austin, and welcome aboard, Herbst - Commentary - The Daily Campus - University of Connecticut

Editorial: Thank you, Austin, and welcome aboard, Herbst - Commentary - The Daily Campus - University of Connecticut: Acknowledging that the role of a university president is steeped in philanthropy, President Herbst recently announced that she and her husband were donating $100,000 of their own money as an example of how donations are important to the university's future. In an interview with "UCONN Magazine," President Herbst said, "We must all accelerate our efforts in philanthropy. I will work hard with our alumni, donors, and other stakeholders to build our endowment and achieve more protection against difficult economic trends. Public higher education is what made America what it is."

Golfers get to see where charity goes | Golf | Sports | London Free Press

Golfers get to see where charity goes | Golf | Sports | London Free Press: Not only do the golfers, who raised $24,000 at FireRock Golf Club in June, leave the tournament knowing all the money is going to a worthwhile cause but also some of them will head to Bolivia next month to help build homes in a partnership with Habitat for Humanity.

After Irene: 5 Things Organizations Involved in Disaster Response Should Be Doing at VolunteerMatch | Engaging Volunteers

After Irene: 5 Things Organizations Involved in Disaster Response Should Be Doing at VolunteerMatch | Engaging Volunteers: Following Tropical Storm Irene, like many disasters, the real work will begin after the storm settles. Widespread flooding and wavering federal support for cleanup means the communities affected by the storm will also need help from the independent sector.

If your organization is involved in disaster preparation and response, here are a few tips for making the most of VolunteerMatch following the disaster:

Steve Jobs' philanthropy: whose business is it? - San Francisco Business Times

Steve Jobs' philanthropy: whose business is it? - San Francisco Business Times: Scratch at that surface, however, and it is highly unlikely that the couple does not engage in some level of philanthropy. Mrs. Jobs sits or has sat on numerous nonprofit boards (Teach for America, New Schools Venture Fund , KQED , Global Fund for Women, to name a few) and has helped to start more than one nonprofit. Only someone with a deep social commitment would do these things. And as anybody with even a passing understanding of the nonprofit sector knows, most nonprofit board seats come with an implicit or explicit financial commitment, particularly at high profile, big-budget organizations like Teach for America and KQED. Even more so if your last name is Jobs and the world knows your financial wherewithal.

Charities Struggle With Smaller Wall Street Donations - NYTimes.com

Charities Struggle With Smaller Wall Street Donations - NYTimes.com: Operation Hope built a nonprofit powerhouse over the last decade, spinning a stockpile of donations from Wall Street firms into 27 financial education centers across the country.

But the charitable organization’s donor base has retrenched in the wake of the financial crisis. Citigroup’s foundation last year cut its giving 60 percent, to $115,000. The ING Foundation delayed paying its $300,000 commitment to Operation Hope. And the CIT Group, a lender that was once one of the organization’s biggest benefactors, stopped giving altogether.

Steve Jobs’s philanthropy | Felix Salmon

Steve Jobs’s philanthropy | Felix Salmon: Some of Sorkin’s points are good ones. There’s no good reason, for instance, for Jobs failing to reinstate Apple’s philanthropic programs, which he cut on the grounds of wanting “to restore the company’s profitability.” Similarly, Apple’s failure to match its employees’ charitable giving does make it stand out — and not in a good way — from its Silicon Valley peers.

I think this is maybe a downside of Jobs’s famous micromanaging: if he’s personally not interested in something, then his entire company becomes uninterested in it.

Nonprofits Retained More Donors in 2010, Report Shows - Press - AFP

Nonprofits Retained More Donors in 2010, Report Shows - Press - AFP: Nonprofits Retained More Donors in 2010, Report Shows

(Aug. 30, 2011) Nonprofit organizations in the U.S. were better at retaining donors and shored up their net losses in donations in 2010, according to the latest report of the Fundraising Effectiveness Project (FEP).

The FEP, a report of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and the Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy at the Urban Institute, compares gains and losses of donors and donation amounts. More than just a look at total revenue and the total number of donors to a given organization, the FEP indicates year over year growth by comparing how many new donors are acquired with how many stopped giving, and the donation levels of each.

On Charity, Steve Jobs Has A Right To Remain Silent - Deborah L. Jacobs - DJ Working - Forbes

On Charity, Steve Jobs Has A Right To Remain Silent - Deborah L. Jacobs - DJ Working - Forbes: Wouldn’t it be something if Jobs has been giving anonymously all long?

One of the few surveys on anonymous giving concluded that the primary reason donors like to keep their identities a secret is to avoid solicitations from other organizations. The 1991 study, Survey on Anonymous Giving, by the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, was based on responses from 563 senior development officers who had either graduated from a training course at the university’s fund-raising school or been certified as fund-raisers by the National Society of Fund-Raising Executives.