10 Traits of a Great Consultant - Good Advice - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

10 Traits of a Great Consultant - Good Advice - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: You need chutzpah, audacity.” That’s how Tom Wilson, a vice president at the consulting firm Campbell & Company, answered the question of what it takes to be a great consultant. Tom was one of a number of consultants we interviewed at the recent conference of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Lisa M. Dietlin: Making a Difference: The World of Giving Careers in the Nonprofit Sector

Lisa M. Dietlin: Making a Difference: The World of Giving Careers in the Nonprofit Sector: But it's rare to hear about the wonderful careers in the philanthropic (nonprofit) world. It's just not on the radar when we consider our choices. And it is not something that career counselors even discuss, let alone raise as a possibility.

This is not a surprise. Just this spring Indiana University awarded five graduates the first-ever bachelor's degree in philanthropic studies. Yes, the first.

Met Opera Conductor Gets 39% Pay Boost to $2.1-Million - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Met Opera Conductor Gets 39% Pay Boost to $2.1-Million - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: The Metropolitan Opera gave its music director, James Levine, a 39-percent pay increase last year, raising his compensation to $2.1-million, reports Bloomberg.

Mr. Levine’s wages and benefits for the year ending in July 2011 exceeded that of the general manager, Peter Gelb, whose compensation rose by 4 percent to $1.4 million, according to the organization’s tax return.

Million-Dollar Donations Are on the Decline in 2012 - The Giveaway - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Million-Dollar Donations Are on the Decline in 2012 - The Giveaway - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: America’s wealthy are in a less generous mood so far this year.

The number of donations of $1-million or more has dropped 8 percent since the beginning of 2012 compared with the same period last year, according to a Chronicle tally.

The League of Extraordinary Women 2012 | Fast Company

The League of Extraordinary Women 2012 | Fast Company: Every change agent needs an agency. We've chosen 60 notable members of the League of Extraordinary Women and the organizations, both for-profit and not-for-profit, that are their vehicle to tackle areas of dire need, such as developing the next generation of female entrepreneurs.

Bigger Annual Fund Gifts for Smaller Nonprofits

massnonprofit.org ::: eventually ask qualified donors for sizably larger gifts. The gifts are solicited during an in-person visit when passion and financial capacity align.

What size gifts are we talking about? Depending on your donor base, major gifts for smaller nonprofits are likely to fall into the $10,000 to $100,000 range. G

Opinion: U.Va. Firing Flap Shows Growing Sway of Rich Donors - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Opinion: U.Va. Firing Flap Shows Growing Sway of Rich Donors - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: Opinion: U.Va. Firing Flap Shows Growing Sway of Rich Donors

June 19, 2012, 10:08 am

A University of Virginia media-studies professor writes in the online magazine Slate that the controversial firing of the school’s president shows the downside of U.S. colleges’ “addiction to philanthropy.”

Giving USA 2012 Indicates Long, Slow, Uphill Slog…If We Are Lucky - NPQ – Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting an active and engaged democracy.

Giving USA 2012 Indicates Long, Slow, Uphill Slog…If We Are Lucky - NPQ – Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting an active and engaged democracy.: If there is one takeaway for most nonprofits from this year’s Giving USA Report, it is that many nonprofits will be acutely feeling the effects of the recession for many years to come. This is unhappy news for many groups who may already feel that they have had to cut into their musculature to survive.

But before we address the numbers, we have one caveat: not everyone will feel the worst effects of this recession. Some organizations have done extraordinarily well over the past few years, but that is precisely what makes these numbers bad news for many. When the charitable giving numbers are relatively flat and some nonprofits are doing extraordinarily well, conversely, that means some are doing much worse than usual. Thus, we see some groups failing either because they are in a troubled field, or because they are in an economically troubled geographic region, or because they never had much to spare to begin with and the recession has rendered them too spare to survive.

Study Finds Generation Gap Among Wealthy Americans' Financial Planning | PND | Foundation Center

Study Finds Generation Gap Among Wealthy Americans' Financial Planning | PND | Foundation Center: Study Finds Generation Gap Among Wealthy Americans' Financial Planning

Unlike younger and older high-net-worth Americans, nearly half of wealthy baby boomers do not believe it is important to leave an inheritance for their children, a new report from U.S. Trust, a division of Bank of America, finds.

Charitable Donations Barely Grew Last Year, 'Giving USA' Finds - Fund Raising - The Chronicle of Higher Education

Charitable Donations Barely Grew Last Year, 'Giving USA' Finds - Fund Raising - The Chronicle of Higher Education: Charitable Donations Barely Grew Last Year, 'Giving USA' Finds

By Holly Hall

For the second year in a row, charitable giving barely grew, rising just 0.9 percent after inflation in 2011, according to Tuesday's release of "Giving USA," the annual yearbook of American philanthropy, which found that donations to educational institutions also edged up by 0.9 percent.

The report estimated that the total donated was $298.4-billion.

Giving to Arts and Culture Rose to $13 Billion in 2011 - Businessweek

Giving to Arts and Culture Rose to $13 Billion in 2011 - Businessweek: Donations to the arts in the U.S. rose about 4.1 percent in 2011, to $13.1 billion, according to a report released today by the Giving USA Foundation.

Such gifts fell 2.9 percent in 2009, the year following the collapse of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., and then rose about 5.7 percent in 2010. Arts and culture organizations received 4 percent of U.S. charitable donations last year.

2011 Giving Estimated at $298.42B - TheNonProfitTimes

2011 Giving Estimated at $298.42B - TheNonProfitTimes: Giving in the United States reached an estimated $298.42 billion during 2011, an increase of roughly 4 percent from 2010. Giving by individuals led the way, as usual, at 73 percent or $217.79 billion.

U.Va. donors may withhold funds over leader's ouster | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com

U.Va. donors may withhold funds over leader's ouster | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com: A top donor to the University of Virginia said she plans to withhold future contributions unless members of the school's governing board who are responsible for the ouster of President Teresa Sullivan are removed.

Another donor said she is worried about her family's investment - more than $170 million over the years - at the historic campus. More than a dozen other smaller donors have withdrawn pledges totaling thousands of dollars, and university officials are bracing for more.

Everything You Need to Know About Working for a Nonprofit - On Careers (usnews.com)

Everything You Need to Know About Working for a Nonprofit - On Careers (usnews.com): f the idea of getting paid to make the world a better place appeals to you, consider making the switch to a job at a nonprofit organization. Here are eight things you need to know about how nonprofit jobs are (and aren't) different:

Where in the World Are Those JDS Alumni? | eJewish Philanthropy: Your Jewish Philanthropy Resource

Where in the World Are Those JDS Alumni? | eJewish Philanthropy: Your Jewish Philanthropy Resource: Imagine you had to choose the group of people who are most likely to become Jewish day school donors. Who would you pick?

How about alumni? If you can find these grads and give them your spiel, bags bursting with money will soon be trucking their way into your development office, right?

Well, not exactly.

United Way event aims at young NH philanthropists | New Hampshire NEWS02

United Way event aims at young NH philanthropists | New Hampshire NEWS02: MANCHESTER — Granite United Way’s Emerging Leaders Society (ELS) will hold a networking event, “A Night at the Ballpark with ELS,” this week to introduce young professionals with an interest in philanthropy and service.

Newark needs more money to meet Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's $100 million challenge | NJ.com

Newark needs more money to meet Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's $100 million challenge | NJ.com: Nonprofits often find their fundraising efforts stymied by philanthropic groups who prefer dedicated donations, said Andrea McManus, chairwoman of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

How much can Sri Lanka help itself? | Tom Widger | Global development | guardian.co.uk

How much can Sri Lanka help itself? | Tom Widger | Global development | guardian.co.uk: How much can Sri Lanka help itself?

Indigenous charity and philanthropy could transform development in Sri Lanka – but will it be for better or for worse?

- Sent using Google Toolbar

Long economic slog saps church, charity assistance in Oregon

Long economic slog saps church, charity assistance in Oregon: PORTLAND, Ore. — Economists say the recession is over, but Oregon churches and charity organizations say they don't see it. Demand for private and public aid is rising, they say, and the money to provide it is down.

Organizations are dipping into reserves, scaling back programs or turning people away, The Oregonian (http://bit.ly/Nu2lP4 ) reported Tuesday. Other organizations are dealing with volunteer burnout and donor fatigue.

Embracing Failure Does Not Mean Embracing Mistakes

Embracing Failure Does Not Mean Embracing Mistakes: Jamie wrote a piece referencing one of the great (and unexpected) takeaways from our Blogworld New York session on Humanize. In the book, we cite NTEN as one of our shining examples of a truly human organization. The intel Amy Sample Ward shared as our panelist was REALLY AWESOME, even more than I thought it would be, so much so that we plan to create a whole new case study series of posts about it either here on SocialFishing or over on Get Me Jamie Notter. She showed us how NTEN views authenticity, experimentation, guiding principles, transparency, and a whole lot more.

Mass. Nonprofits Challenged to Chart a New Course of Action

massnonprofit.org ::: une 7, 2012 — While the Massachusetts nonprofit sector has shown “enormous innovation, introspection, and creativity” in response to the economic crash four years ago, its future well-being depends on charting a new course of action, according to a major report released today by The Boston Foundation.

Noting that the sector is threatened by “its challenging financial health,” the report—Passion and Purpose Revisited, a follow-up to a similar analysis completed in 2008—calls on Massachusetts nonprofits to map their future based on research, better alignment of programs and funding, and evidence-based performance measures.

Deconstructing Philanthropy: The fossilized newsletter?

Deconstructing Philanthropy: The fossilized newsletter?: But when I started thinking, I realized that the question was wrong. To me, the question isn’t whether or not newsletters are relevant. The question is where and with whom newsletters work. Let’s start by looking at two charities (invented by me!) with two scenarios – and see if we can’t bring a clearer and sharper perspective to the newsletter issue.

Write a Book! Questions to Ask Yourself Before Submitting a Book Proposal - Resource Center - AFP

Write a Book! Questions to Ask Yourself Before Submitting a Book Proposal - Resource Center - AFP: Write a Book! Questions to Ask Yourself Before Submitting a Book Proposal

Ditch Your Board Composition Matrix | Blue Avocado

Ditch Your Board Composition Matrix | Blue Avocado: hat's wrong here is that these board composition matrices focus our attention on what people are, rather than on what the organization needs board members to do.

Three traps of the board composition matrix

Donor-Advised Funds: Non-Transparent Tax Shelters for Good | Blue Avocado

Donor-Advised Funds: Non-Transparent Tax Shelters for Good | Blue Avocado: Nonprofits are probably most familiar with donor-advised funds (DAFs) at community foundations: a donor gives, let's say, $1 million to a community foundation and gets a $1 million tax deduction that year. Over the next several years, the donor "advises" the foundation to pay out the $1 million in grants to various nonprofits that the donor selects. Donor-advised funds are also administed by commercial institutions such as Fidelity and and Chase. Writer Jeff Angus took a closer look at DAFs for Blue Avocado:

Charities open their finances to donors via smartphone apps – USATODAY.com

Charities open their finances to donors via smartphone apps – USATODAY.com: Potential donors in New Jersey and Washington state can already check out charities on their smartphones before they write checks. Other states are likely to follow, says Patrick Rooney, executive director of the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University.

Good Works Co. - Tools and Resources from AFP Techknow

Good Works Co. - Tools and Resources from AFP Techknow: I’m just back from the inaugural AFP TechKnow Conference, which took place earlier this week in Orlando. It was a jam-packed few days and I’m still processing all the information I took in.

Over the two days of the conference, speakers referred to many tools and websites that could be used for reference, analytics and measurement. As well, a few of us were storifying sessions, and many speakers posted their handouts to Slideshare or the Techknow website. I thought it would be worth pulling all those great references together into one place.

Volunteers help after thieves sabotage lifeline service

Volunteers help after thieves sabotage lifeline service: Emergency response volunteers were called out to help after thieves cut off a vital medical alert telephone line in the Highlands.

More than 200 vulnerable people in the West Highlands were put at risk on 8 June when metal thieves interfered with a subsea communications cable in Loch Carron.

The disruption immediately cut off local telephone and internet services, including special telecare services. These are used by vulnerable people to summon medical help in the event of an emergency in their homes.

Nonprofits struggle with fewer resources as demand grows - Editorials - The Olympian - Olympia, Washington news, weather and sports

Nonprofits struggle with fewer resources as demand grows - Editorials - The Olympian - Olympia, Washington news, weather and sports: Thurston County nonprofits are straining under the weight of the recession, withdrawing programs and restructuring staff in order to meet their new fiscal realities.

It’s the same story across the state and the nation. State and federal funding has steeply declined along with private and corporate giving, leaving nonprofits to execute painful downsizing, even as the demand for services has been increasing at an alarming rate.

Study: Arts earn their keep in Portland | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram

Study: Arts earn their keep in Portland | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram: A new study by a national arts advocacy organization offers a more complete snapshot.

Americans for the Arts collected data specific to Portland for its Arts & Economic Prosperity IV survey.

It suggests that Portland's nonprofit arts and culture sector is a $49.1 million industry, with organizational spending of $26.5 million and audience expenditures of $22.6 million.