Univ. works to include students in fundraising - News - The Diamondback - University of Maryland

Univ. works to include students in fundraising - News - The Diamondback - University of Maryland: Last week, the university's Alumni Association hosted PHILanthropy Week, where students participated in free events and wrote thank you notes to alumni and donors. Because 30 percent of the university's 2011 fiscal year budget came from private gifts and philanthropy, it's important for students to value these donations — especially in a time when they are dwindling, according to university officials.

Philanthropy is about more than giving – the outcome of the action is essential | Voluntary Sector Network | Guardian Professional

Philanthropy is about more than giving – the outcome of the action is essential | Voluntary Sector Network | Guardian Professional: The death of Steve Jobs has resulted in numerous commentaries on his apparent lack of philanthropy – both personal and corporate, through Apple. I see this as a positive step that the new norm for wealthy and successful individuals is to also be philanthropic. There is a growing trend towards asking "why not?" rather than "why?" when it comes to charitable giving.

How a New Foundation Listens to Its Community - Making Change - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

How a New Foundation Listens to Its Community - Making Change - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: For a startup community foundation, serving the needs of a single county can be a challenge. The Community Foundation of South Jersey is finding ways to work with eight counties, encompassing both impoverished rural regions and wealthy suburbs.

The foundation, now in its second year of operations, is finding that its best strategy is to listen and be flexible.

Give to the Max: Greater Washington: Thank you to the 17,839 people who gave "to the Max" on November 9th! Your incredible generosity helped raise $1,886,584 and strengthen the nonprofits who make our community a great place to live and work. Including the $148,000 in award money, Greater Washington raised $2,034,584 for regional nonprofits!

Charities Participate in 'Give to the Max' Day - Fairfax Station, VA Patch

Charities Participate in 'Give to the Max' Day - Fairfax Station, VA Patch: Today is ‘Give to the Max Day,’ a one-day fundraising online event that unites local Virginia, Maryland, and Washington D.C..

As part of Give to the Max Day: nonprofits large and small can earn their share of $125,000 in cash awards, including up to $25,000 for nonprofits with the most individual donors and the most money donated. The individuals who bring the most donors on behalf of their cause can add an extra $10,000 to their donation.

massnonprofit.org ::

massnonprofit.org ::: November 6, 2011 — The Peabody Essex Museum in Salem has raised $550 million toward a $650 million goal, the largest capital campaign ever undertaken by a Massachusetts museum, which, when completed, will give it the largest endowment of any museum in the state and one of the top 10 in the country.

Proceeds from the Peabody Essex Museum capital campaign, reportedly underway since 2006, announced in The Boston Globe today, will be used as

Nashville Fundraiser Wins International Award for Service to the Profession - Press - AFP

Nashville Fundraiser Wins International Award for Service to the Profession - Press - AFP: Nashville Fundraiser Wins International Award for Service to the Profession

November 4, 2011

(Arlington, Va.) The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) has bestowed the Barbara Marion Award for Outstanding Leadership to AFP, the association’s highest volunteer and leadership recognition, to Susan Earl Hosbach, CFRE, of Nashville, Tenn.

Hosbach is currently the executive director and CEO of The Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation and has been a member of AFP since 1994, serving in a variety of leadership positions and spearheading several important initiatives for the association.

Test Your Knowledge Of The Nonprofit World - TheNonProfitTimes

Test Your Knowledge Of The Nonprofit World - TheNonProfitTimes: More than 1.4 million nonprofits were registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in 2009, an increase of 19 percent between 1999 and 2009. Total giving in 2010 reached $290.89 billion, up 2 percent from the estimate provided in 2009, after adjusting for inflation.

And, volunteers contributed 15 billion volunteer hours during 2010, worth $283.84 billion. The amount is calculated at $21.36 an hour, established by Independent Sector as the estimated dollar value of a volunteer hour. The rate will vary by state.

People earning less than �32k 'give higher proportion of their income than others' - Third Sector

People earning less than �32k 'give higher proportion of their income than others' - Third Sector: People earning less than �32,000 give on average more than 1 per cent of their income to charity, whereas those on more than �52,000 typically give only 0.8 per cent, according to research by the Charities Aid Foundation and the National Council for Voluntary Organisations.

The Basics of Charity Registration - Tony Martignetti

The Basics of Charity Registration - Tony Martignetti

The Charlotte Post - Promoting passion of philanthropy

The Charlotte Post - Promoting passion of philanthropy: Giving back is good for the mind and soul.

Philanthropy, defined as “the effort or inclination to increase the well-being of humankind, as by charitable aid or donations,” is generally associated with the wealthy, but one doesn’t have to be wealthy to give away some of their money, time or resources.

It could mean donating an umbrella to a homeless person or $10 for a pair of children’s shoes or recognizing a person in need and helping them plug into services.

$1.5M gift to help center study religious giving - 13 WTHR

$1.5M gift to help center study religious giving - 13 WTHR: INDIANAPOLIS - A $1.5 million donation will endow the directorship at the nation's only university-based institute dedicated to exploring the relationship between faith and philanthropy.

Study finds charitable giving remains stagnant | Campus | Indiana Daily Student

Study finds charitable giving remains stagnant | Campus | Indiana Daily Student: Charitable giving in the United States has remained stagnant in the past 40 years.

This continues to be true despite the number of natural disasters tripling and the number of armed conflicts nearly doubling, according to a report released Friday by two IU professors.

The Nonprofit Quarterly | @npquarterly | Innovation and Impact: Enough Talk, More Do

The Nonprofit Quarterly | @npquarterly | Innovation and Impact: Enough Talk, More Do: If you’re a nonprofit news junkie, you know it’s nearly impossible to go a day without reading or hearing the words “innovation” and “impact.” Just check out the feeds of the nonprofit Twitteratti, where those complex concepts are distilled to 140 characters or less every day.

But for those of us who care about linking rigor to innovation and impact (especially impact assessment), making them more operational, and integrating them more systematically into nonprofit/philanthropic practice, it’s hard to find serious discussion that is more about practice and less about how savvy some of the folks who opine about these concepts want to appear.

Fort Worth Zoo visitors check out exhibits online, virtual video conference | The Republic

Fort Worth Zoo visitors check out exhibits online, virtual video conference | The Republic: The answer for Dorris came by investing in much-needed technology and joining Connect 2 Texas, a network of museums and scientific nonprofit organizations that provide lessons via video conferencing for a relatively modest fee.

These "virtual field trips" have been available, for example, at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, the Sid Richardson Museum, the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History and the Sixth Floor Museum in Dallas for several years.

Warren Hellman – bluegrass philanthropist funds annual festival

Warren Hellman – bluegrass philanthropist funds annual festival: Hellman – one of the wealthiest citizens of San Francisco – is widely known as a philanthropist and financier. He is the great-grandson of Isaias W. Hellman, a prominent Banker and philanthropist, and a founding father of the University of Southern California.

For the past 11 years, as part of his philanthropic agenda, Warren Hellman has held this free music festival – Hardly, Strictly Bluegrass.

Fundraising Atlas Does More Than Shrug | The Agitator - Fundraising, Direct Marketing and Advocacy Strategies for Nonprofits

Fundraising Atlas Does More Than Shrug | The Agitator - Fundraising, Direct Marketing and Advocacy Strategies for Nonprofits: Fundraising Atlas Does More Than Shrug
By rcraver | November 2, 2011

At the end of April I reported on a new forecasting service, The Atlas of Giving.

I called it an important innovation because fundraisers have largely sought guidance through the rear view mirror of past performance, as opposed to steering through the windshield of the present and future. After all, ‘til the Atlas of Giving came along, all we had to rely on were ‘old’ services like Giving USA and the various Blackbaud Charitable Indexes.

The AFP Blog: Bill Drayton and the Next Generation

The AFP Blog: Bill Drayton and the Next Generation: For many of us this is a hard lesson to learn. For the next generation of fundraisers it's instinctive—hardwired into their systems. Let's have the humility to learn from them.

If you haven't already, check out the Ashoka website and get to know Bill Drayton. When you have, you'll wish you'd done it many years ago.

Family Dollar Founder Takes Hands-On Approach to Giving - NYTimes.com

Family Dollar Founder Takes Hands-On Approach to Giving - NYTimes.com: Leon’s gone after philanthropy in much the same way as he did making money,” said Hugh L. McColl Jr., former chief executive of Bank of America, which is based in Charlotte. “He sees donations as investments in worthwhile projects, he does a lot of due diligence when looking at potential recipients, and he’s diligent about holding their feet to the fire about doing what the money is supposed to do.”

Kindness: Charity, Philanthropy, & Social Responsibility - USATODAY.com

Kindness: Charity, Philanthropy, & Social Responsibility - USATODAY.com: But the real headliner? Cash made a comeback in 2010. Indeed, while many corporations pulled back on cash grants during the recent economic crisis, 61% of companies increased cash contributions last year, focusing on such items like disaster relief and matching gift contributions.

While not back to pre-recession levels, this is an important reversal of a trend that has plagued charitable fundraising efforts at many U.S.-based non-profits in recent years.

Other highlights from the report? From the CECP report:

All pledge all the time | Marketplace From American Public Media

All pledge all the time | Marketplace From American Public Media: Kai Ryssdal: I'm about to speak two of the most dreaded words in public broadcasting. Here you go.

Pledge drive.

No, it's not that time again. But there is a cable station launching today in Pittsburgh, Penn., where it's that time all the time. Yeah, you heard it right: A public television station that reruns nothing but pledge drives -- all day long.

Tess Finkle: Cause ... It Matters

Tess Finkle: Cause ... It Matters: This transition within the corporate giving structure is being expedited by the up rise of the Millennial Generation -- young people/consumers who demand more responsibility from "the man." Which is awesome.

So, my team and I spend our days helping brands recognize they need to support causes their customers advocate in a way that is genuine and effective do just that, but also making sure their needs as a business are met. Additionally, we identify a clear call to action that helps the cause partner reach its goals within this alliance. More times than not, part of my company's role in addition to partnering and strategizing is to procure celebrities to engage on some level of the campaign to attract media and mobilize the masses.

Click-through Rates, Compelling Links and Your End of Year Fundraising Appeal | NetWitsThinkTank.com

Click-through Rates, Compelling Links and Your End of Year Fundraising Appeal | NetWitsThinkTank.com: Wondering how to get more from your holiday email appeals?

Reviewing the way you use links may be a good place to start – effective link copy and placement can have huge effects on click through rates and related fundraising results.

massnonprofit.org ::

massnonprofit.org ::: The report, commissioned by Boston-based New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA), noted that the creative sector has a major impact on the larger economy and is “a steady, reliable industry, less subject to the cyclical ups and downs of the overall economy than the average New England business.”

Canvassers take the cause to the street - The Globe and Mail

Canvassers take the cause to the street - The Globe and Mail: Canadians do lots of things to avoid the reach of the street canvasser.

Emily Smits, who’s done the job for four years, recalls the businessman who sailed off the sidewalk into traffic, shimmying along a parked van to dodge her philanthropic pleas.

“I said, ‘I don’t bite. Have a nice day,’ ” Ms. Smits said.

Empire Theatre Donation: Couple Donates $2 Million to Empire Theatre in Richmond, VA - wtvr

Empire Theatre Donation: Couple Donates $2 Million to Empire Theatre in Richmond, VA - wtvr: RICHMOND, VA (WTVR) - Richmond philanthropists Neil and Sara Belle November have donated two million dollars to the Barksdale Theatre/Theatre IV.

Philanthropy's Shift Toward Entrepreneurism | Fast Company

Philanthropy's Shift Toward Entrepreneurism | Fast Company: Undoubtedly the answer is that we need all three. The question is in what proportion should these be balanced? For the better part of the 20th century, philanthropists were not inclined to think too much about it. If you were a wealthy American, you paid your taxes and you wrote checks to charities. You let others figure out how best to spend your money.

That has changed dramatically. The shift is toward more direct involvement in philanthropic work. In a word, philanthropy has become entrepreneurial. As tax burdens likely increase on America's wealthy, that trend will continue to grow.

Podcasting as Digital Storytelling: Behind the Scenes Look | NTEN

Podcasting as Digital Storytelling: Behind the Scenes Look | NTEN: f course, in its most rudimentary form, a podcast is simply a digital audio recording delivered to listeners who can hear it at their convenience. But a podcast can be a vehicle for storytelling, if you make the effort to infuse it with a narrative.

In the case of the “askDeborah podcast,” the narrative began even before the recording sessions. After the CTK team and I had compiled a list of frequently asked nonprofit technology questions, I started emailing and calling some of my favorite colleagues. I'd explain, “It's sort of like Car Talk, except that I'm not two Italian-American brothers. But real nonprofit professionals will submit real questions about their technology challenges. The running joke is that I never know the answer, but that I know whom to call, and in this case it's you. We'll discuss the question, and we'll have

ROC the Day to raise money for nonprofits on Dec. 8 - Brighton, NY - Brighton-Pittsford Post

ROC the Day to raise money for nonprofits on Dec. 8 - Brighton, NY - Brighton-Pittsford Post: The online project ROC the Day will raise funds for nonprofits in Monroe, Genesee, Livingston, Ontario, Orleans, Seneca, Wayne, Wyoming and Yates counties from midnight to 11:59 p.m., on Thursday, Dec. 8.

ROC the Day in the Greater Rochester area is the first fundraiser of its kind all of New York State

Fundraiser Collects $140,000 for Pakistan Flood Victims - Milpitas, CA Patch

Fundraiser Collects $140,000 for Pakistan Flood Victims - Milpitas, CA Patch: Most recently, Shea has focused his efforts on helping victims of the devastating floods in Pakistan. On Saturday, Oct. 29, Shea was the guest speaker at "Us Now 2011," a fundraising dinner at the Computer History Museum coordinated by South Asian Relief and sponsored by numerous non-profits, like UNICEF and Islamic Relief. The fundraiser aimed to look beyond political barriers, reach out to victims and successfully raised $140,000.

According to UNICEF, the floods affect 8.1 million people including 2.7 million children. A total of 1.8 million people have been displaced, 2 million are sick, and 1.5 million homes have been destroyed.