Giving goes away « The CityBusiness Blog

Giving goes away « The CityBusiness Blog: "Giving goes away
Monday, January 12, 2009 · No Comments

By Deon Roberts, Online Editor

These are not the easiest times to be a charity.

According to an Association of Fundraising Professionals survey released today, more than half of charities across North America raised less money during the 2008 holiday giving season — October through December — than they did during the same period last year.

“The survey underscores the extraordinary difficulties that charities face in a fundraising environment that is more challenging than anything we’ve seen in recent history,” said Paulette V. Maehara, president and CEO of AFP."

The Ellsworth American - New Tax Rules for Nonprofits Outlined

The Ellsworth American - New Tax Rules for Nonprofits Outlined: "New Tax Rules for Nonprofits Outlined Print E-mail
Written by James Straub
Thursday, January 22, 2009

ELLSWORTH — New rules from the Internal Revenue Service demand greater participation among board members serving nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations.

The rules, which go into effect with 2008 tax filings, are intended to provide the IRS and the public with more detailed information about how nonprofits conduct business."

Madoff: New victims, old scam - THE WEEK

Madoff: New victims, old scam - THE WEEK: "Madoff: New victims, old scam

Ponzi schemes are one of the oldest investment frauds, yet as the Bernard Madoff scandal demonstrates, their appeal never wanes. How do they work?"

Ohio.com - Ohio foundations cut back

Ohio.com - Ohio foundations cut back: "Ohio foundations cut back

Nonprofit groups less likely to receive grants at same time that need for help grows

By Rick Armon
Beacon Journal staff writer

Published on Friday, Jan 23, 2009

More than half of Ohio's charitable foundations plan to hand out fewer grants this year because of losses in the anemic financial markets, according to a new survey by the Ohio Grantmakers Forum.

Foundations reported their financial assets tumbled between 15 and 40 percent over the past year.

With less money available, about 60 percent of foundations in the state said they will cut back on giving this year — a blow to nonprofit groups that are seeing an increased demand for help in the slumping economy.

'

Financing the future: the role of philanthropy : columnists : Estes Park Trail-Gazette

Financing the future: the role of philanthropy : columnists : Estes Park Trail-Gazette: "ESTES PARK, Colo. — “The great use of a life is to spend it for something that will outlast it.”- William James

Philanthropy is defined as “the effort to advance human well-being, as through charitable gifts or endowments.” The dictionary, however, does not define a mistaken notion many people have about philanthropy: a pursuit undertaken only by the very wealthy."

Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac Resume Charitable Activities :: PNNOnline ::

Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac Resume Charitable Activities :: PNNOnline ::: "Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac Resume Charitable Activities
Posted by: philcrosby on Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Topic General Fundraising


The philanthropic arms of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, formerly the top two givers to charity in the Washington, D.C., region, have received a green light from the federal government to restart their giving after a three-month hiatus, the Washington Business Journal reports."

Arthur C. Brooks: Conservatives Have Answered Barack Obama's Call - WSJ.com

Arthur C. Brooks: Conservatives Have Answered Barack Obama's Call - WSJ.com: "Unfortunately, we nonprofit leaders, like our for-profit counterparts, are laying awake nights. The end of 2008 was disappointing for philanthropy, and some believe that 2009 will be difficult as well. Indiana University's Center on Philanthropy publishes the Philanthropic Giving Index (PGI), which tracks the predictions of nonprofit leaders about charitable giving. Like the more-famous Consumer Confidence Index, it shows a level of gloom not seen in years, falling from 83 to 65 (on a 0-100 scale) in just six months."

Nonprofit groups need reserve cash, too - Business - San Luis Obispo

Nonprofit groups need reserve cash, too - Business - San Luis Obispo: "Most financial planners use this same guideline for individuals and families. Lenders cite such reserves in calculating creditworthiness.

So shouldn’t a reserve fund at least one indicator of a well-run nonprofit organization? Shouldn’t donors be attracted to well-run organizations?"

Charity Organization Helps With Inaugural Meals : NPR

Charity Organization Helps With Inaugural Meals : NPR: "All Things Considered, January 19, 2009 · DC Central Kitchen, a charity organization, got its start 20 years ago this week by collecting leftover food from the inaugural balls of George H. W. Bush and giving it to the homeless. Now, the group's culinary arts students — many of whom have been homeless themselves or in prison — are helping with some of the cooking for this year's inaugural festivities."

Sickles Student Helps Lead National 'Souper Bowl' Charity

Sickles Student Helps Lead National 'Souper Bowl' Charity: "Daigneault, a senior at Sickles High School, is one of 19 students nationally serving on the youth advisory board for the Souper Bowl of Caring. The 20th annual event coordinates food drives on Super Bowl weekend for local charities through schools, churches, businesses and organizations."

Belmont Student Starts New Charity - News- msnbc.com

Belmont Student Starts New Charity - News- msnbc.com: "At a kick-off event on Monday, students gathered their spare change, which will be donated to help children living in poverty.

Maisner said that as a college student, it's hard to write a big check once a month, but if more people donate, each can give less.

'At a school like Belmont University, with 5,000 of us, if each of us gave $1 a week over a 20-week period, we'd be able to give $100,000,' said Maisner."

Bloomberg.com: Worldwide

Bloomberg.com: Worldwide: "an. 21 (Bloomberg) -- The Bernard Madoff scandal has intensified efforts to hold investment advisers more accountable for their clients’ interests, as the Obama administration considers an overhaul of financial regulation."

The stage is reset in New Orleans - Los Angeles Times

The stage is reset in New Orleans - Los Angeles Times: "New Orleans, hammered by Hurricane Katrina 3 1/2 years ago and still lurching toward a full recovery, received a helping hand -- and voice -- Saturday.

Superstar tenor Plácido Domingo culminated a 10-day grand reopening of the city-owned Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts, which has undergone $22 million in renovations after being severely damaged by the hurricane flood waters. The arts center had been closed since it took on 14 feet of water in the 2005 storm and left the New Orleans Opera, Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra and New Orleans Ballet Assn. without a home."

BillingsGazette.com :: Montanans answer call to service

BillingsGazette.com :: Montanans answer call to service: "Across Montana, people are honoring the president-elect's call to service on Martin Luther King Day with nearly 60 events in 30 cities and towns. In Sidney, they're writing letters to Montana soldiers. In Circle, they're building a wheelchair ramp for a man injured in a car accident. In Fishtail, they're compiling a list of volunteer opportunities in Stillwater County and contacting volunteers to get the work done."

Avon nonprofit collects keys for scrap-metal donations - The Boston Globe

Avon nonprofit collects keys for scrap-metal donations - The Boston Globe: "'I saw the paper clip story and it hit me: What about starting with keys?' said Greenberg, referring to children in Whitwell, Tenn., who collected millions of paper clips to commemorate each person killed in the Holocaust.

Greenberg's Key for Hope, incorporated in 2006 in Avon, now administers key drives, much like book drives. So far the nonprofit has set up about 30 sites around the South Shore where people can take their keys.

The campaign reached a high point last month when the founda tion's Keys in the Classroom program collected 31,000 keys from the Avon, Holbrook, Randolph, and Stoughton school systems - enough to donate 5,000 pounds of food to food pantries in those towns."

Aid organisations hit by fall in value of the pound - Third Sector

Aid organisations hit by fall in value of the pound - Third Sector: "Aid organisations hit by fall in value of the pound

By David Ainsworth, Third Sector, 20 January 2009

Higher inflation in the developing world contributing to loss of NGO spending power, say finance directors

International aid organisations are facing a steep drop in their overseas spending power because of the falling international value of the pound."

onPhilanthropy: Articles: Obama vs. Madoff: Charity, Change and Crisis at the Dawn of a New Era

onPhilanthropy: Articles: Obama vs. Madoff: Charity, Change and Crisis at the Dawn of a New Era: "Obama vs. Madoff: Charity, Change and Crisis at the Dawn of a New Era
Friday, January 16, 2009
By: Tom Watson

We do not have an advance copy of President--Elect Barack Obama's inauguration address just at hand, but it's no particular leap of faith to predict that a national call to public service will be issued from the west front of the Capitol on Tuesday afternoon."

The NonProfit Times - The Leading Business Publication For Nonprofit Management

The NonProfit Times - The Leading Business Publication For Nonprofit Management: "Postal Hike Capped At 3.8% Average

By Mark Hrywna

Plummeting energy prices during the last quarter of 2008 could very well have saved nonprofits untold thousands in future postal increases.

The Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) determined a cap of 3.8 percent on the average postal class after new economic data were released Friday morning by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Postal reform legislation approved by Congress in December 2006 allows the United States Postal Service (USPS) to adjust rates annually by no more than the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for the preceding 12 months. The PRC’s rate cap is determined by incorporating the December CPI-U figure and a percentage change between years."

Around Annapolis: Womenade's charitable efforts gain attention - Annapolis - (HometownAnnapolis.com)

Around Annapolis: Womenade's charitable efforts gain attention - Annapolis - (HometownAnnapolis.com): "Launched in Sept. 2002, Annapolis Womenade is modeled after Washington Womenade, a giving group that sprang up in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., the previous year. The group's slogan is, 'With lemons, make lemonade. With women, make Womenade."

Education Week: Rolling Up Their Sleeves

Education Week: Rolling Up Their Sleeves: "Chicago has become a hotbed of 'venture philanthropy' in education, as two local foundations contribute not only money, but also the hands-on work of some of the city's wealthiest and most influential residents, to help improve the schools in the nation's third-largest district."

Colleges Hurt in Madoff Scandal Receive Subpoenas for Information - Chronicle.com

Colleges Hurt in Madoff Scandal Receive Subpoenas for Information - Chronicle.com: "Colleges Hurt in Madoff Scandal Receive Subpoenas for Information

The New York attorney general has issued subpoenas to colleges that lost money they had invested with Bernard L. Madoff, including New York University and Yeshiva University, The New York Times reported today."

Best Careers 2009: Fundraiser - US News and World Report

Best Careers 2009: Fundraiser - US News and World Report: "Best Careers 2009: Fundraiser
By Marty Nemko
Posted December 11, 2008

Overview. Whether it's for a political party or the Little League, many people like the idea of being a fundraiser, except for one thing: 'I could never ask for money.' Fact is, only a small percentage of a development (fundraising) professional's time is spent on 'the ask.'"

Economic-Stimulus Package to Help Nonprofit Groups Meet Social Needs - Philanthropy.com

Economic-Stimulus Package to Help Nonprofit Groups Meet Social Needs - Philanthropy.com: "Economic-Stimulus Package to Help Nonprofit Groups Meet Social Needs

By Suzanne Perry

Washington

House Democrats unveiled an economic-stimulus package today that proposes billions of dollars in spending on Medicaid and other federal programs that will help nonprofit groups in cash-strapped states meet spiking demand for social services."

The Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting Spirited Nonprofit Management - Four Futures

The Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting Spirited Nonprofit Management - Four Futures: "Four Futures E-mail
Written by Paul Light

During these troubled times, what lies in store for the nonprofit sector, and what do we need to do about it? Along with every family in America, the nonprofit sector is wondering about its future. Will we miraculously survive as we largely do today? Will we starve our organizations to the core or emerge from the current economic calamity mostly intact? Will we fight the prevailing downturn on behalf of our individual institutions and leave others to defend themselves, or instead will we join forces to shore up the sector as a whole? In the aftermath of this financial crisis, will we have real options and choices?"

Inquiry Started of Financier Who Invested With Madoff - NYTimes.com

Inquiry Started of Financier Who Invested With Madoff - NYTimes.com: "But not everyone sees him as a victim. The New York attorney general, Andrew M. Cuomo, has issued subpoenas in an effort to determine whether Mr. Merkin had defrauded universities and charities when he invested their money with Mr. Madoff, a person with knowledge of the case said Thursday."

Senate to probe Madoff scandal January 27 | Politics | Reuters

Senate to probe Madoff scandal January 27 | Politics | Reuters: "WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate Banking Committee will hold a January 27 hearing to examine Wall Street financier Bernard Madoff's alleged $50 billion fraud, a committee aide said on Thursday."

Phoenix Travel Examiner: Vehicle donations for charity set record for Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale

Phoenix Travel Examiner: Vehicle donations for charity set record for Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale: "number of cars are being auctioned off to benefit charities during the 38th Annual Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction in Scottsdale this week. Fourteen cars, twelve existing and two yet to roll off the manufacturing line will be auctioned between January 11 -18, 2009. Among the generous donors are General Motors and Ford Motor Company as well as NASCAR icons Tony Stewart and Rick Hendrick. Charities benefiting from the auctions include the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Carroll Shelby Children's Foundation, MLB Charities and the Hendrick Marrow Program."

Semester of Service

Semester of Service: "About the Semester of Service
Semester of Service encourages students, ages 5-25, to develop a semester-long service-learning project that launches on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service (January 19, 2009) and culminates on Global Youth Service Day (April 24-26, 2009). Projects take place in classrooms as part of the academic curriculum; in schools as part of the extra-curricular activities; in congregations of faith; and in youth development groups in neighborhoods across the United States. During these 12 weeks, young people from elementary schools to graduate universities will identify a problem or unmet need that affects their community, the nation, or the world. They will prepare a plan, take action to implement their solution, reflect deeply on their progress and next steps, and celebrate their success."

BBC NEWS | UK | Scotland | Tayside and Central | Team plan 2,000-mile charity ride

BBC NEWS | UK | Scotland | Tayside and Central | Team plan 2,000-mile charity ride: "A Perthshire man is preparing to embark on a 2,000 mile journey through South America on horseback for charity."

CatholicCourier - Top Stories

CatholicCourier - Top Stories: "'It'll be a tight year for (funding agencies,)' said Frank J. Butler, president of the Washington-based Foundations and Donors Interested in Catholic Activities, or FADICA, an association of 50 private foundations and charitable agencies. 'They're all trying to live up to the commitments they've made. They're struggling like the average person would.'

Butler said local nonprofit agencies will face more competition from each other for funding and that they will be required more than ever to demonstrate they 'have the very best practices in the way they operate.'

'If you have a good charity and it's run well, you shouldn't be that worried,' he said. 'Your donors are going to stick with you.'"