Laramie Board Learning Project: One board thing: Clear space in meetings by adopti...

Laramie Board Learning Project: One board thing: Clear space in meetings by adopti...: If I could change just one thing to increase the effectiveness of my nonprofit board, I'd Adopt a consent agenda "But...

Catholic U. Reaps $47 Million in Gifts for Academic Programs - The Chronicle of Philanthropy

Catholic U. Reaps $47 Million in Gifts for Academic Programs - The Chronicle of Philanthropy: "Catholic U. Reaps $47 Million in Gifts for Academic Programs
Six donors, including the Busch Family Foundation and the Charles Koch Foundation, have pledged a combined $47 million to Catholic University to support its business school and other campus programs, The Washington Post writes."



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Mass. Nonprofits Raise Millions Pledged via Boston Marathon

massnonprofit news ::: "April 19, 2016 — Massachusetts nonprofits collectively expected to raise millions of dollars through pledges secured by runners representing their organizations, backed by a wide range of fundraising efforts, in yesterday's 120th running of the Boston Marathon that started in Hopkinton and ended 26.2 miles later at the Boston Public Library.

Massachusetts nonprofits were projected to raised more than $16 million, according to the Associated Press."



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You Say You Want a Revolution? | Impact Communications, Inc.

You Say You Want a Revolution? | Impact Communications, Inc.: "And, keep in mind, as Simone Joyeaux pointed out: “When you start talking about justice, some people will not like it.”

I personally believe it’s worth it, and that part of what makes fundraising and nonprofit marketing such an exciting area in which to work are the brave people who we get to do it with.

So, as Andrew Watt said, “Let’s develop a sense of collective, shared identity and push beyond our comfort zones to transform lives.”"



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4 Ways Your Employees’ Cell Phones Help Them Volunteer

4 Ways Your Employees’ Cell Phones Help Them Volunteer: "Mobile technology is the ideal tool to facilitate Story Capture, which is why my company, Causecast, is further incorporating mobility into our volunteer and giving platform in 2016. As we see how companies are using the Causecast platform in the field, we’ve recognized the increasing importance of mobile volunteering features for employees.

Why? Here are just a few conclusions we’ve come to about how corporate volunteering is eased through modern mobile features:"



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400 Top Wage Earners Gave an Average of $33 Million Each to Charity, IRS Says - The Chronicle of Philanthropy

400 Top Wage Earners Gave an Average of $33 Million Each to Charity, IRS Says - The Chronicle of Philanthropy: "The 400 taxpayers with the highest incomes in 2013 reported giving an average of $32.8 million to charity. That’s the second highest average in two decades of data provided by the IRS, behind only 2012.

Together, that group of taxpayers donated more than $12 billion to charity, or about 6 percent of the charitable-contribution deductions claimed by all taxpayers who filed itemized returns that year. Twenty years ago, the top 400 were only responsible for a little more than 1 percent of all charitable deductions."



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A Make-a-Wish kid from Idaho gave Bryce Harper back his 100th home run ball - The Washington Post

A Make-a-Wish kid from Idaho gave Bryce Harper back his 100th home run ball - The Washington Post:



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Who Knew? Resentment of Charity Runners at Boston Marathon Simmers | Non Profit News | Nonprofit Quarterly

Who Knew? Resentment of Charity Runners at Boston Marathon Simmers | Non Profit News | Nonprofit Quarterly: "Apparently, as the prospect of attaining a qualifying time gets more competitive, some who do not end up qualifying (estimated at 4,562) harbor resentment against those who run for charity. Charity runners must raise at least $5,000 to compete. Those who ran last year for charity raised $28.3 million.

“For many runners, qualifying and participating in the Boston Marathon is the highlight of their running careers,” a Boston Athletic Association spokesperson wrote in an email to Runner’s World. “While it is extraordinarily difficult to inform those who have qualified that there is not enough space for everyone, we also recognize that this is an eagerly-anticipated event for many charitable organizations and nonprofits in our community.”"



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Apple to Donate Proceeds from 27 Apps to World Wildlife Fund | Non Profit News | Nonprofit Quarterly

Apple to Donate Proceeds from 27 Apps to World Wildlife Fund | Non Profit News | Nonprofit Quarterly: "Apple said on Thursday, April 14th, that it would donate its proceeds from 27 apps and games, including some of its most popular downloads, until April 24th to the WWF. Those proceeds include profits from Trivia Crack, the second edition of Angry Birds, Recolor, and two dozen other apps.

Apple hasn’t said how much it hopes to donate through the program, called Apps for Earth. However, Apple typically nets about 30 percent of revenue of its apps’ sales and in-app downloads—which means that WWF could receive a good chunk of change."



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Community colleges aim to spur better health « Philanthropy North Carolina

Community colleges aim to spur better health « Philanthropy North Carolina: "s part of the school’s effort to stimulate healthier living in the rural community, a culinary teaching chef showed the group how a few simple substitutions in ingredients could turn an ordinary loaf into something much healthier and tastier.

“People couldn’t believe all the nutritious goodness that was packed in,” says Trent Mohrbutter, vice president of instruction and chief academic officer at the school.

Sometimes, he says, it takes small steps — especially when shared by a group or community — for individuals to make big changes."



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Soccer Superstar Lionel Messi Donates Shoes, Enrages Entire Country - NonProfit PRO

Soccer Superstar Lionel Messi Donates Shoes, Enrages Entire Country - NonProfit PRO:



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The Power of an Authentic Fundraiser: Reflections on a Distinguished Career As Told by John Scales - Association of Fundraising Professionals - Greater Houston Chapter

The Power of an Authentic Fundraiser: Reflections on a Distinguished Career As Told by John Scales - Association of Fundraising Professionals - Greater Houston Chapter

Throughout the different campaigns and shops where John has worked, he credits the Association of Fundraising Professionals with providing the advancement opportunities and networks that ultimately helped him get there. As John explained:

I think I was one of the early members of the National Society for Fundraising Executives. That was the society which preceded AFP. In my first role, I was fortunate that Byron Welch worked with us as a consultant. He encouraged me to join and I still have my membership card. It only has 3 numbers and was within the first 1,000 people! I have to give Byron the credit because he helped me understand the value of this group. It gave me leadership opportunities and a vast network for support

Value of Volunteer Time | Independent Sector

Value of Volunteer Time | Independent Sector:



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Corporate Philanthropy: Ally or Competitor? - NonProfit PRO

Corporate Philanthropy: Ally or Competitor? - NonProfit PRO: "In other words, corporations have figured out that they don’t necessarily need to partner with nonprofits to meet social responsibility goals. The stats bear this out. According to Giving in Numbers 2014, the number of companies providing pro bono service programs increased from 40 percent in 2012 to 51 percent in 2014. Ellinger cited AT&T’s “It Can Wait” distracted-driving campaign as an example. “They are doing many things a nonprofit would normally do—collecting petition signatures and pledges, distributing awareness materials, and providing programmatic tool-kits—without the nonprofit,” he explained."



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$1M Livestrong Donation Largest Since Armstrong Left | Non Profit News | Nonprofit Quarterly

$1M Livestrong Donation Largest Since Armstrong Left | Non Profit News | Nonprofit Quarterly: "Livestrong, the Austin-based cancer nonprofit founded by Lance Armstrong, has experienced a decline in its fundraising receipts since 2010, when the athlete admitted to doping during competitions and stepped down from the organization. It has suffered through some instability in its leadership, and its future has been periodically in question, but can it turn a corner? Some supporters clearly have faith that it can; this week, the organization announced its acceptance of its largest single donation since 2010."



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Atlas of Giving Forecast: Charitable Giving Decline in 2016 - Top Nonprofits

Atlas of Giving Forecast: Charitable Giving Decline in 2016 - Top Nonprofits: "For fundraisers, it always helps to start a new year at full speed.



Instead, donors have moved into 2016 by hitting the brakes.



Our just-released Atlas of Giving forecast predicts a charitable giving decline in 2016. The downturn is already underway, with giving through February down 1.4% compared to the same period in 2015.



These early results were driven in large part by January giving numbers, which recorded the first monthly decline since the nation’s deep recession ended in June 2009. January’s decrease of 0.6% from December snapped a 63-month streak during which giving consistently rose on a monthly basis as the country experienced economic recovery."



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Am I Invited? Fundraising in the Indigenous Community - Resource Center - AFP

Am I Invited? Fundraising in the Indigenous Community - Resource Center - AFP: "When I sat down to write about fundraising within the Indigenous community, I realized that it’s a challenging topic to discuss. I could give a few recommendations for best practices (be culturally aware and respectful; share success stories; and make "the ask") or share success stories of projects I’ve been involved in, but there really isn’t any proven model of success. There isn’t a long relationship and established practice of fundraising within or for the Indigenous community, and to this day there are still aren’t many organizations doing it."



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Show volunteers your appreciation | News-Gazette.com

Show volunteers your appreciation | News-Gazette.com: "The East Central Illinois Chapter is pleased to welcome a first time visit from the president and CEO of AFP International on April 15. Andrew Watt, Fellow of the Institute of Fundraising, will meet with area nonprofit leaders to evaluate key community issues that nonprofits are uniquely positioned to address.

Mr. Watt will also meet with local AFP members to share trends taking shape in the nonprofit arena and offer solutions to help fund-development professionals meet the changes in order to provide funds for their respective organizations."



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Why Your Board Cares About Fundraising Compliance and You Should, Too - Top Nonprofits

Why Your Board Cares About Fundraising Compliance and You Should, Too - Top Nonprofits: "Your nonprofit’s Board of Directors sets the direction of the entire organization. While the board’s primary duties include ensuring that the nonprofit’s funds actually further its charitable purpose, it also makes financial decisions on new programs, technology, and fundraising expenses. At the same time, your nonprofit’s employees and volunteers look to the board for the materials, technology, and approval to conduct their solicitation activities. Any real or perceived disconnect between board and staff can affect your whole nonprofit’s fundraising success!"



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Ousted Wounded Warrior Project Leaders Start Blog Blasting Media Coverage - NonProfit PRO

Ousted Wounded Warrior Project Leaders Start Blog Blasting Media Coverage - NonProfit PRO: "Steven Nardizzi, former Wounded Warrior Project CEO, and Al Giordano, former WWP chief operating officer, created The Wounded Truth blog, to defend themselves and critique the media."



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9/11 Charity's Stair Climb Will Return To 1 World Trade Center, Finishing At Observatory: Gothamist

9/11 Charity's Stair Climb Will Return To 1 World Trade Center, Finishing At Observatory: Gothamist: "Following a very public dispute, a 9/11 charity has announced that its annual stair climb will be at 1 World Trade Center. The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation announced the climb will take place on the morning of Sunday, May 15th—with a new finish line.
The group said, "While last year's climb went to the 90th floor of One World Trade Center, which was still under construction, this year the climb will finish at One World Observatory, with its breathtaking views of New York, on the 102nd floor. One World Observatory is located at One World Trade Center.""



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New Charity Package Introduced in Senate - Press - AFP

New Charity Package Introduced in Senate - Press - AFP: "New Charity Package Introduced in Senate
Senators John Thune (R-S.D.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.)  have introduced a series of charity provisions called The CHARITY (Charities Helping Americans Regularly Throughout the Year) Act, which calls on the Senate to  ensure that the “value and scope of the deduction for charitable contributions is not diminished during a comprehensive rewrite of the tax code.”

The CHARITY Act, S. 2750, builds on several significant charitable tax provisions that were signed into law late last year, including one that makes permanent a law allowing taxpayers at least 70 ½  to make charitable contributions directly from their IRAs."



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In our opinion: Utah continues its tradition of charitable giving | Deseret News

In our opinion: Utah continues its tradition of charitable giving | Deseret News: "The propensity of Utahns to be generous with their money was reinforced again this year as thousands of people donated a total of nearly $1.3 million to various charitable causes as part of the annual “Love Utah Give Utah” campaign. Interestingly, the donations were made only days after news broke of a settlement in one of the largest fraud cases involving charitable contributions in U.S. history."



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How to Calculate A Fundraising Event's Opportunity Cost

How to Calculate A Fundraising Event's Opportunity Cost: "Large fundraising events can be fabulous ways to celebrate your cause and your mission. Too often, however, they are used as a main fundraising vehicle in an organization’s fundraising plan. While they can certainly bring in large amounts of money on one night, they come with steep opportunity costs that must be weighed to understand the true return on the event’s fundraising.

Let’s look at an example of understanding the impact of a big fundraising gala and the opportunity costs associated with it."



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The One-Size-Fits-All Donor Model Is So Last Century | NpENGAGE

The One-Size-Fits-All Donor Model Is So Last Century | NpENGAGE: "As the United States population becomes even more diverse, fundraisers have an unparalleled opportunity to employ strategies that engage new audiences, bring new voices to the table, and enrich the nonprofit sector with new talent and leadership.  Embracing the growing importance of diversity—as well as the role of women as donors is essential in the 21st century for philanthropy to reflect the values of a pluralistic society."



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Who Watches the Charity Watchdogs? - NonProfit PRO

Who Watches the Charity Watchdogs? - NonProfit PRO:



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Parishioners and the Closing of Churches: Who Owns the Church…and Who Owns Nonprofits? | Non Profit News | Nonprofit Quarterly

Parishioners and the Closing of Churches: Who Owns the Church…and Who Owns Nonprofits? | Non Profit News | Nonprofit Quarterly: "Closures of Catholic churches have grown commonplace in the Northeast and Midwest but the closures do not always go unprotested. Parishioners who have been baptized and confirmed and married in a parish, who have raised sometimes massive amounts of money to maintain and improve buildings and help manage the operations as an important part of their community life, understandably feel a sense of ownership and violation when the church decides to eliminate a parish. NPQ has been following for more than a decade the parishioners’ occupation of St. Frances X. Cabrini church in the small New England town of Scituate as they argued with the Boston Archdiocese about the fate of their parish which sits on a valuable piece of land."



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I’m Not a Philanthropist, But I Play One on a Reality Show! | Non Profit News | Nonprofit Quarterly

I’m Not a Philanthropist, But I Play One on a Reality Show! | Non Profit News | Nonprofit Quarterly: "A few days ago, in the latest exposé of such stuff, the Washington Post took up the question of the Rost Foundation, constantly referred to by Katie Rost of The Real Housewives of Potomac as her philanthropic calling. Its mission is big and bold:

The mission of The Ronald F. Rost Charitable Foundation is to help children in maximizing their life potential and realizing their highest dream of themselves through recreational, enrichment and leadership activities.

But it turns out there is really no “there” there. Its latest report on GuideStar boasts assets of $0, having run a 2014 deficit of almost $2000. In fact, the foundation’s revenue apparently comes directly from Rost’s mother, who is an executive at GEICO. They have totaled somewhere in the neighborhood of $32,000 over the last five years, and of that only $3000 has gone out in donations, with the rest spent on administration."



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Is Donor Recognition Really That Useful? - Good Works

Is Donor Recognition Really That Useful? - Good Works: "S DONOR RECOGNITION REALLY THAT USEFUL?

MARCH 30, 2016

Why do we things the way we do? It’s a question we sometimes forget to ask ourselves, but it’s an important one.  In this series, we’ll be asking a fundraising question that might seem simple, and looking to a Good Worker and a guest for their thoughts. There are no right answers here, but we hope we get your fundraising gears turning!"



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Entrepreneurial fundraising - Information, research and resources for fundraisers and their leaders

Entrepreneurial fundraising - Information, research and resources for fundraisers and their leaders: "We live in a time of almost unlimited fundraising opportunities.  This exists alongside a race-against-the-clock urgency that these opportunities be pursued with full entrepreneurial fervour.

Yet, however much it is that we currently raise, the status quo still finds the world troubled by poverty, violence, sickness, oppression and environmental degradation.  We need to raise more. We need to harness entrepreneurial thinking to catapult our fundraising efforts.

Entrepreneurship: “the pursuit of opportunity without regard to resources currently controlled.” [1] "



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