Flat-pack philanthropy | Campden FB

Flat-pack philanthropy | Campden FB

I.R.S. Action May Signal Impending Probe of Political Nonprofits - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

I.R.S. Action May Signal Impending Probe of Political Nonprofits - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: I.R.S. Action May Signal Impending Probe of Political Nonprofits

June 28, 2012, 10:37 am

The Internal Revenue Service is preparing to question some large 501(c)(4) advocacy groups about their political activities, signaling a possible investigation into whether the organizations are violating their nonprofit status, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Holly Paz of the I.R.S.’s tax-exempt division told a conference of certified public accountants Friday that the agency is working on a questionnaire to send to such groups. The agency has not set a date for when the queries will go out.

Tell Us What You Think of the Health-Care Ruling - Government & Politics Watch - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Tell Us What You Think of the Health-Care Ruling - Government & Politics Watch - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

U. of Virginia Board Reverses Course and Reinstates President - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

U. of Virginia Board Reverses Course and Reinstates President - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: U. of Virginia Board Reverses Course and Reinstates President

June 27, 2012, 10:42 am

The University of Virginia’s Board of Visitors voted unanimously Tuesday to restore Teresa A. Sullivan as president, reversing a decision that roiled the campus for two weeks and became a national flashpoint in debates about the course of U.S. colleges, The Chronicle of Higher Education and The Washington Post report.

Fire Trucks in Baltimore: Brought to You by... - The Takeaway

Fire Trucks in Baltimore: Brought to You by... - The Takeaway: Council member William "Pete" Welch proposed the idea after city officials decided to close three fire stations. He says the advertisements could help save those fire stations, or avert similar cuts in the future. The legislation appoints a committee that will determine the size, shape, and nature of possible advertisements that would be placed on the fire trucks. This supervising body, Welch says, would be made up of the firefighters themselves.

Community Servings Raises $525K at Annual Dinner Party

massnonprofit.org ::: Community Servings Raises $525K at Annual Dinner Party

June 22, 2012 — Community Servings, a Jamaica Plain nonprofit that delivers meals to disadvantaged, critically ill patients throughout Massachusetts, announced that it raised $525,000 at its recent annual dinner party, exceeding its goal, to support its programs.

The AFP Blog: Your Last Wakeup Call

The AFP Blog: Your Last Wakeup Call: You may have seen the 2011 giving figures from the GivingUSA Foundation and the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University already. If you haven’t, take a look. It’s not pretty.

Reinventing the Nonprofit Capital Campaign | Social Velocity

Reinventing the Nonprofit Capital Campaign | Social Velocity: Yesterday I wrote a post at the About.com Nonprofit blog about how nonprofits launching a capital campaign should consider a capacity capital campaign instead. You can read the whole post here. But below is an excerpt:

The Currency of Social Change | Barr Foundation

The Currency of Social Change | Barr Foundation: Now, a new case study from SSIR (“Networking a City”) introduces what may prove to be a vital sixth condition – what the magazine dubs the “return on relationships” and what is more commonly referred to as social capital. The case study features the Barr Fellowship and the novel idea that the bonds of trust and respect that form among leaders are truly the “currency of social change.”

Foundation, Operating Charity Investment Turn Negative - TheNonProfitTimes

Foundation, Operating Charity Investment Turn Negative - TheNonProfitTimes: Two companion studies of the nonprofit sector show that investment returns were slightly negative in FY2011 after increasing in the range of 12 percent during FY2010 and 21 percent in FY2009.

Harford: Governor signs land patent formally transferring 19-acres of state-owned property at Broad Creek Reservation to Boy Scouts - baltimoresun.com

Harford: Governor signs land patent formally transferring 19-acres of state-owned property at Broad Creek Reservation to Boy Scouts - baltimoresun.com: At a Board of Public Works meeting in the Governor's Reception Room in the State House, under a portrait of George Calvert, the first Lord Baltimore, Gov. Martin O'Malley signed an actual sheepskin land patent, granting 19.014 acres of previously state-owned land at Broad Creek to the Baltimore Area Council, Boy Scouts of America.

Why Raise Taxes When You Can Raise Money? Governments Take a Dip in the Donor Pool - NPQ – Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting an active and engaged democracy.

Why Raise Taxes When You Can Raise Money? Governments Take a Dip in the Donor Pool - NPQ – Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting an active and engaged democracy.: A by-product of the Great Recession and the growing calls to restrain spending, governments at the state and local level are turning to traditional fundraising in a surprising number of ways. Of course, fundraising for public entities and services has happened for years, usually at arms-length via friends’ groups or foundations for state universities, libraries, parks and, increasingly, local schools. But as federal stimulus money ends and the economy continues its uneven path, state and local budgets remain embattled. Seeking private gifts, which are voluntary and convey the notion of marketplace approval, is a path increasingly being chosen or considered across the nation.

What Is Government up to?

Some government efforts are new and range from creative to questionable:

Indianapolis Opera stays afloat as other troupes fold, but financial future remains cloudy

Indianapolis Opera stays afloat as other troupes fold, but financial future remains cloudy: INDIANAPOLIS — A collaboration with Indiana University will help keep Indianapolis Opera afloat for another season, but the company is still in search of a business model that will put it on solid footing.

"I would say it's all up for grabs right now," Executive Director John Pickett said.

Cyclists Ride in Portland's Disaster Relief Trials � OPB Arts & Life

Cyclists Ride in Portland's Disaster Relief Trials � OPB Arts & Life: To test the feasibility of including bicycles as an official component of a large municipal disaster response effort, the Portland Office of Emergency Management sponsored this year's Disaster Relief Trials. Participating riders were tasked with locating and retrieving emergency supplies along a 30-mile route around the city of Portland, and then returning the supplies to the starting location. Along the way, various obstacles were set up to simulate real-world disaster scenarios.

Geri Stengel: 7 Must-Haves for Nonprofits Planning to Scale

Geri Stengel: 7 Must-Haves for Nonprofits Planning to Scale: In a world where social needs are increasing and resources decreasing, it's critical to scale organizations that efficiently and effectively address social problems. For the last three years, the Social Impact Exchange has been convening leaders in the field to address this issue.

"Scaling a nonprofit's programs without i

Beauty queen who shaved head for charity wins Miss Alaska title, will compete for Miss America

Beauty queen who shaved head for charity wins Miss Alaska title, will compete for Miss America: Ebben shaved her head in March to raise more than $4,000 for the St. Baldrick's Foundation, which donates money for childhood cancer research. She said she did it to let children who lost their hair because of cancer treatments know that it was OK to be bald.

CAP program helps advisers help clients explore reasons for... | www.palmbeachdailynews.com

CAP program helps advisers help clients explore reasons for... | www.palmbeachdailynews.com: Once the upcoming season begins, there’s a new designation every philanthropically minded individual needs to be made aware of.

It begins with working with an adviser who has earned his or her CAP — or Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy designation — and ends with inspiring donors to make their priority that of focusing on giving from the heart to the foundations and charities they truly care about.

UVa Creates Archive Documenting Sullivan's Resignation - Wired Campus - The Chronicle of Higher Education

UVa Creates Archive Documenting Sullivan's Resignation - Wired Campus - The Chronicle of Higher Education: he University of Virginia library staff is archiving materials related to the recent events that forced Teresa A. Sullivan to resign as president of the institution.

This is the first time the libraries have tried to preserve materials from a large-scale, continuing event, said Bradley Daigle, director of digital-curation services. The staff did not begin collecting materials on the subject until a rally on June 18. As of June 22, the team has archived nearly 20,000 tweets, 61 blog posts, over 200 media posts, and about 100 physical objects, such as signs from protests.

To Give or Not to Give, Up to $5.12 Million - NYTimes.com

To Give or Not to Give, Up to $5.12 Million - NYTimes.com: TIME may — or may not — be running out for one of the biggest tax breaks for wealthy Americans: the chance to give up to $5.12 million to heirs tax-free and then pay a comparatively low 35 percent rate on any gift above that. The break is scheduled to expire in six months, but no one will hazard a guess about its fate because it is just one of many tax and spending measures expiring at the same time.

How I Learned to Use Twitter for Good

How I Learned to Use Twitter for Good

Corporate giving at lowest levels since 1970s, philanthropy expert says - Philly.com

Corporate giving at lowest levels since 1970s, philanthropy expert says - Philly.com: Corporations are clearly not stepping up," said Patrick Rooney, executive director of the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, speaking to dozens of fund-raisers from the region at the Union League.

It wasn't quite so clear to Wynnewood lawyer Laura N. Solomon, whose firm specializes in nonprofits. Raising her hand at the gathering, she told Rooney and the other panelists that what she was seeing were businesses funneling their donations through their marketing departments, rather than their corporate foundations.

Nonprofits take ownership of Staunton's R.R. Smith Center | The News Leader | newsleader.com

Nonprofits take ownership of Staunton's R.R. Smith Center | The News Leader | newsleader.com: STAUNTON — Local supporters of the R.R. Smith Center for History and Art have negotiated a deal that has reduced the debt on historic tax credit fees by $100,000, allowing the building's ownership to be transferred to the three nonprofit organizations that led a multimillion-dollar renovation.

Senators Question IRS Authority to Request Confidential Donor Information | Planned Giving Design Center

Senators Question IRS Authority to Request Confidential Donor Information | Planned Giving Design Center: Citing concerns over privacy protections, 11 Senators today pressed the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for additional answers on the agency's decision to request confidential donor information from organizations applying for tax exempt status. In a letter led by U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, the lawmakers said such action circumvented current statutory privacy protections and questioned the targeting of groups specifically seeking the approval or renewal of a tax-exempt designation under section 501(c)(4).

United Way charity redesign leaves some local nonprofits lacking funds | Daily Progress

United Way charity redesign leaves some local nonprofits lacking funds | Daily Progress: The agency reviewed 44 proposals from a variety of local nonprofits and organizations to determine whether the programs would have “measurable impact” in one priority or another.

“By focusing our investments on specific goals and priorities, and through encouraging partnerships and collaborations with similar or complimentary programs with long-term goals and measurements, we hope to create substantial positive change,” said Cathy Train, United Way president.

Oklahoma State Loses Another Court Case on Donor-Insurance Plan - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Oklahoma State Loses Another Court Case on Donor-Insurance Plan - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: Oklahoma State Loses Another Court Case on Donor-Insurance Plan

June 21, 2012, 10:51 am

An Oklahoma judge has rejected efforts by Oklahoma State University and its top booster, billionaire oilman T. Boone Pickens, to recoup millions of dollars the school spent on life-insurance policies for leading donors, the Associated Press reports.

48 Heroes Of Philanthropy - Forbes

48 Heroes Of Philanthropy - Forbes: This is our fifth annual roster of the region’s top philanthropists, and it includes a Korean who gave a huge swatch of unspoiled land to the Korea Forest Service, an Australian who opened a museum in Tasmania with some bizarre exhibits and a Singaporean woman who helped bring three dinosaur skeletons from the U.S.

Paul Clolery: Time to Step Up: Corporate Charity Accounted for Only 5% of Giving in 2011

Paul Clolery: Time to Step Up: Corporate Charity Accounted for Only 5% of Giving in 2011: That's just about the way the for-profit sector treats its philanthropy. "Look at us. Look at us. Aren't we great?" There is a conga line of companies lining up for the new "benefit corporation" status in California, constructed for companies that want a do-gooder label. For-profits all want to scream about how much they do for their communities and for philanthropy.

Vosene in Twitter hashtag fundraising campaign for NSPCC | UK Fundraising

Vosene in Twitter hashtag fundraising campaign for NSPCC | UK Fundraising: For every follow and tweet including #VoSing received until 23:59 on 3 July, Vosene will donate �2 to the NSPCC, the company's chosen charity, up to a maximum of �10,000.

Tweets can be for a special occasion, “good luck” messages or simply a "hello". They will be selected at random for James to sing.

Philanthropy center releases 2012 update on giving — Living — Bangor Daily News — BDN Maine

Philanthropy center releases 2012 update on giving — Living — Bangor Daily News — BDN Maine: PORTLAND, Maine — The Maine Philanthropy Center released its 2012 update on foundation and individual giving in Maine as part of its ongoing “Giving in Maine” report. The update reveals growth in philanthropic assets of foundations, but challenges in individual giving levels.

Tempel Going Back To Center on Philanthropy - TheNonProfitTimes

Tempel Going Back To Center on Philanthropy - TheNonProfitTimes: Eugene R. Tempel is returning to the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University as a senior fellow to play a major role in the university’s effort to establish a new School of Philanthropy.