Retired Steelcase chairman, philanthropist Peter Wege dies at 94 | MLive.com

Retired Steelcase chairman, philanthropist Peter Wege dies at 94 | MLive.com: GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Peter Melvin Wege loved giving away his money.

And give it away he did — millions of dollars in grants large and small — a fortune he had amassed as the former chairman and largest stockholder of Steelcase, Inc., the office furniture company his father founded.

Ten Nonprofits Get Grants to Increase Their Effectiveness

massnonprofit.org ::: July 8, 2014 — The Boston Foundation yesterday announced that it has awarded $61,550 to 10 Greater Boston nonprofits as part of a program that awards grants for small-scaled projects that increase impact and effectiveness of nonprofits.

The grants, of up to $7,500, from the Vision Fund program of The Boston Foundation (TBF), are designed to support capacity building efforts, pilot or demonstration projects, program design, evaluation or research, as well as board assessment/development, explorations of mergers and restructuring or other components of a strategic planning effort.

Crowdfunding: What It Is — And What It’s Not | Idea Lab | PBS

Crowdfunding: What It Is — And What It’s Not | Idea Lab | PBS: The initiative was described to me as being similar to crowdfunding, likely because of its gamified flavor. Although the folks behind it weren't using the language of crowdfunding, several observers were. But it wasn't crowdfunding, and there are a number of important reasons why.

Before I get into that, let's be clear: I'm not making a point about the technical definition of the term crowdfunding. My critique is not that this initiative missed many opportunities to create a compelling campaign that crowdfunders and crowdfunding platforms make use of every day. The following criticisms are not specific to this case, either. They're common problems among inexperienced (and reluctant) online fundraisers, particularly in the non-profit space. That's why I'm not going to name the initiative here, instead I'm going to refer to it as Acme Non-Profit Initiative.
what isn’t crowdfunding

12 Reasons Why You Should Gracefully Resign from a Nonprofit Board | Nonprofit Law Blog

12 Reasons Why You Should Gracefully Resign from a Nonprofit Board | Nonprofit Law Blog: Are you a valuable and valued board member for a nonprofit? If not, a graceful resignation and reassignment may be good for you and the organization.


12 reasons why you should resign from a nonprofit board:

Consultant Tony Elischer says charities should focus fundraising on minority communities to reap rewards | Third Sector

Consultant Tony Elischer says charities should focus fundraising on minority communities to reap rewards | Third Sector: Managing director of Think Consulting Solutions tells the Institute of Fundraising national convention that fundraisers are missing out by ignoring multiculturalism

COMMENTARY: Red Cross mum on Sandy funds - The Monitor: Opinion

COMMENTARY: Red Cross mum on Sandy funds - The Monitor: Opinion: Americans are especially generous following natural disasters. They sent $312 million in donations to the American Red Cross after the storm. Unfortunately, the charity hasn’t been very forthcoming in how it spent that money. It seems to be stonewalling ProPublica, which has been writing about how post-Sandy money has been spent. It reports:

Just how badly does the American Red Cross want to keep secret how it raised and spent over $300 million after Hurricane Sandy? The charity has hired the expensive law firm of Gibson Dunn to fight a public request we filed with New York state, arguing that information about its Sandy activities is a “trade secret.” The Red Cross’ “trade secret” argument has persuaded the state to redact some material, though it’s unclear how much since the documents weren’t released.

How to get your charity in the news

How to get your charity in the news: So you want media coverage for your organisation? David Ainsworth shares his step-by-step guide to help you get your story in the news pages.

Opinion: Specific Sense of Connection Motivates Bigger Giving – Philanthropy Today - Blogs - The Chronicle of Philanthropy

Opinion: Specific Sense of Connection Motivates Bigger Giving – Philanthropy Today - Blogs - The Chronicle of Philanthropy: Research on behavioral economics indicates that people who feel a sense of agency and belonging when approached about giving donate in greater amounts, suggesting new ways for cause-driven groups to marshal support, a Yale

Index Aims to Measure When Entertainment Leads to Activism – Philanthropy Today - Blogs - The Chronicle of Philanthropy

Index Aims to Measure When Entertainment Leads to Activism – Philanthropy Today - Blogs - The Chronicle of Philanthropy: articipant Media, the company created by eBay co-founder Jeff Skoll to produce movies with a social message, is working on a tool to assess the impact of such activist entertainment in spurring viewers to action, according to The New York Times.

How to Manage your Nonprofit’s Bad Press | Third Sector Today

How to Manage your Nonprofit’s Bad Press | Third Sector Today: How do you manage bad press?

The first rule of public relations is to do something good and then talk about it. But what if something bad happens? PR is even more important.

It’s likely that your organization doesn’t have a dedicated Public Relations team and you might not have the budget to hire a firm. But it’s incredibly important for you to have a plan in place to deal with negative publicity.

Twitter's Biz Stone on Charitable Giving

Twitter's Biz Stone on Charitable Giving: witter co-founder Biz Stone recommends starting your philanthropy now to achieve what he calls "the compound interest of altruism." As with compound interest on a bank account, if you start giving charitably now at the level your capacity allows, the impact you create will be significantly greater than if you start later, when you might have a larger resource pool.

Welcome to the Social Velocity Blog | Accelerating Social Innovation

Welcome to the Social Velocity Blog | Accelerating Social Innovation: Robert Egger, founder of DC Central Kitchen and LA Kitchen, as well as the nonprofit sector advocacy group, CForward. He is a tireless advocate for the nonprofit sector, encouraging nonprofits to take their rightful seat at the table. He is always pushing us to think bigger and smarter about social change.

Here is Robert’s post:



For you old school Trekkies out there, you may remember the 1969 episode titled “Let That Be Your Last Battlefield” that featured the great Frank Gorshin as Commissioner Bele.

Boston Marathon Nearly Doubles Charity Take to $38-Million – Philanthropy Today - Blogs - The Chronicle of Philanthropy

Boston Marathon Nearly Doubles Charity Take to $38-Million – Philanthropy Today - Blogs - The Chronicle of Philanthropy: Runners in the 2014 Boston Marathon raised $38.4-million for some 300 nonprofit organizations, far outpacing the race’s previous fundraising record, The Boston Globe reports.

Influential Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Eyes Strategic Shift – Philanthropy Today - Blogs - The Chronicle of Philanthropy

Influential Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Eyes Strategic Shift – Philanthropy Today - Blogs - The Chronicle of Philanthropy: Influential Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Eyes Strategic Shift

The Chronicle of Higher Education takes an in-depth look the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation’s grant-making and operations as the fund—which has been praised for steadfastly supporting the arts and humanities but criticized for its opacity and focus on elite academic institutions—prepares to release a new strategic plan.

Gender gap persists in alumni leadership, donations | The Chronicle

Gender gap persists in alumni leadership, donations | The Chronicle: The Duke Forward capital campaign may be more than halfway to its goal, but recent research shows that women make up significantly less than half of of alumni leadership positions and high-level donors—statistics that a new initiative hopes to change.

New Gates Foundation chief to seek revolutionary simplicity | Humanosphere

New Gates Foundation chief to seek revolutionary simplicity | Humanosphere: The world’s biggest philanthropy is entering a new era, a third phase of sorts, but is hardly settling into a comfortable routine of funding the same old things or losing its upstart mindset.

Moneyball Philanthropy? Not Always - Forbes

Moneyball Philanthropy? Not Always - Forbes: The charities which are easiest to measure are those whose work is proximate to the beneficiary. They distribute mosquito nets to families in sub-Saharan Africa or deliver wheelchairs to disabled children. Their theory of change – the link between their work and the intended benefit – is simple. The intervention is well understood, the outcome is predictable, and most of the variables are clear. From a funder’s perspective, the risk is low.

Crash Course on Charity Auctions

massnonprofit.org ::: While auctions might not bring in the dollars that they did before the recession hit, many nonprofits find they remain a viable event for increasing coffers and cementing relationships with donors and the general community.

However, far too many organizations plan an auction without asking themselves three essential questions.

Do we have enough time to prepare? The absolute minimum is nine months; a year is better.
Can we recruit sufficient volunteers? You’ll need dozens, even for a small auction.
Does an auction make sense for us? That depends on your answers to the preceding questions, the Rolodexes of your board, and the health of the economy in your area.

Pride - Institute of Fundraising

Pride - Institute of Fundraising: I’m not a fundraiser. That’s important because, since 1993, I’ve served the fundraising profession. Why? Because fundraising is a key driver of the impact we have on society, on our environment, on the lives we touch. That’s the mission I’ve served for over 20 years – a critical part of who I am.

Candy Crush for change: could your charity create the next big app? | Voluntary Sector Network | Guardian Professional

Candy Crush for change: could your charity create the next big app? | Voluntary Sector Network | Guardian Professional: Candy Crush for change: could your charity create the next big app?
Charities are starting to be creative with apps. But, there's lots more to explore and a plethora of eager supporters and funders out there

• Five ways charities use gamification
• The top charities finding innovative ways of fundraising

Shuttering Orchestra’s Head Says Recent Profits a ‘Fluke’ – Philanthropy Today - Blogs - The Chronicle of Philanthropy

Shuttering Orchestra’s Head Says Recent Profits a ‘Fluke’ – Philanthropy Today - Blogs - The Chronicle of Philanthropy: Shuttering Orchestra’s Head Says Recent Profits a ‘Fluke’

The executive director of the Green Bay Symphony Orchestra says the organization remains in dire financial straits and will close as planned after the forthcoming season, despite ending two of the past three years in the black, the Green Bay Press-Gazette writes.

The Blackbaud Index: Charitable Giving to Nonprofits Increased 0.9% in May | Blackbaud News

The Blackbaud Index: Charitable Giving to Nonprofits Increased 0.9% in May | Blackbaud News: The Blackbaud Index today reported that overall charitable giving to nonprofits increased 0.9% and online giving increased 8.1% for the three months ending May 2014 as compared to the same period in 2013.

As reported in the recently released Charitable Giving Report, overall charitable giving grew 4.9% and online giving grew 13.5% for the full year 2013 compared to the full year 2012. Visit the interactive infographic to view highlights from the report.

Starting a Charitable Organization

Starting a Charitable Organization: There are so many for-profit startups that have completely exploded over the last five years – particularly in the tech and social media worlds. But there are also plenty of nonprofit startups that have had great success. And they’ve all made sure to dot their i’s and cross their t’s. (This article profiles a couple of really great ones.)

There are a few things that are incredibly important to do when starting a charitable organization, but are also incredibly easy to forget. Check them out and get them done:

Question to nonprofits: Who do you think you are? | Opinion Columns | The Olympian

Question to nonprofits: Who do you think you are? | Opinion Columns | The Olympian: In the nonprofit world, this is not always the case. Nonprofits often exist long past the point of losing sight of their original purpose.

This is why I was taken aback a few weeks ago when I read an email from Bread & Roses that said they were closing for the month of August to reconsider their mission and purpose and to think strategically about their role in the community. (SideWalk volunteers work with the women who live at Bread & Roses to help them find more permanent housing.)

Donor advised fund donors seen as involved, strategic, loyal � Philanthropy North Carolina

Donor advised fund donors seen as involved, strategic, loyal � Philanthropy North Carolina: Over half the donors at Vanguard Charitable use a donor advised fund for most of their giving, nearly three in four are involved with the charities they support, and nearly all recommend grants to the same charity more than once, a new report says.

And over three in five are strategic about their philanthropy when giving with a donor advised fund, says “An Inside Look: 15,330 donors who are giving to charity with a donor-advised fund.”

Collaboration and Beyond

Collaboration and Beyond: Collaboration and Beyond
Written on June 30, 2014 by Creating the Future in Collaboration and Cooperation, Foundations

What does it take to build real collaborations, where trust and exploration and learning together lead to pooling resources to make great things happen?

These 3 foundation leaders spent time with Creating the Future’s founder, Hildy Gottlieb, to share their thinking about the factors that lead to collaboration, and ultimately, to making a bigger difference in our communities.

Bogied Prizes: Hole-in-One Can Be Expensive | The NonProfit TimesThe NonProfit Times

Bogied Prizes: Hole-in-One Can Be Expensive | The NonProfit TimesThe NonProfit Times: Charity golf tournaments are big fundraisers for nonprofits. Golf was used as a vehicle to drive $3.9 billion to charity in 2011, according to a study by the National Golf Association. Everhart estimates it will grow to $4 billion by 2015.

A hole-in-one prize is usually used to draw more participants into a charity golf tournament. It’s often a big-ticket item, such as a luxury car. “The people who want to be visible to this audience will do so by putting up a high-value prize,” said Everhart. “Those prizes are offered to add excitement and conversation to the golf tournament. It increases the participation, which benefits the charity through greater participation.”

Robert Wood Johnson Reshapes Approach to Health Philanthropy – Philanthropy Today - Blogs - The Chronicle of Philanthropy

Robert Wood Johnson Reshapes Approach to Health Philanthropy – Philanthropy Today - Blogs - The Chronicle of Philanthropy: The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation unveiled a major shift last week that will see the nation’s biggest health-centered philanthropy change focus from specific problems such as smoking and obesity to an ambitious effort to promote a “culture of health,” according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Theatre at the Center unveils fundraising strategies : Munster Community News

Theatre at the Center unveils fundraising strategies : Munster Community News: Theatre at the Center is planning a new subscription and fundraising campaign to support performances as part of its 25th anniversary.

Richard Friedman, Theatre at the Center general manager, recently addressed the Munster Town Council, announcing the upcoming campaign for activities at The Center for Visual and Perfor

Skilled Volunteers do it for free

Skilled Volunteers do it for free: In particular, he argues that young people entering the work place are now evaluating the contribution organisations make in the communities they serve. In what he describes as the Maslow Millennial effect he says that ‘while many generations have sought out purpose, Millennials make it a greater priority than ever before in everything from their consumption to their work to their communities to their relationships1.’

Recent research by Demos backs this up. 77% of young people believed it was essential to be satisfied with the ethical record of their employer.2 For BT in their recent partnership with Sports Relief in 2012, 99% of employees believed volunteering was a good use of their time and 94% said they were proud to work for BT.3