MinnPost - United Way leader stepping down and hints at changes in giving

MinnPost - United Way leader stepping down and hints at changes in giving: "First, United Way is evaluating whether to put more money into basic needs — hunger, homelessness and financial stability. (That could mean cuts in other parts of the United Way's 10-point Agenda for Lasting Change, such as money for quality out-of-school activities.)"

Food bank drive sets record at $1 million | lansingstatejournal.com | Lansing State Journal

Food bank drive sets record at $1 million | lansingstatejournal.com | Lansing State Journal: "ith donations still trickling in, officials are expecting the record-setting fundraising event to reap a total of $1.05 million for the 2008-09 campaign.

It could help needy families across Greater Lansing have three meals a day instead of two, or alleviate their having to choose between spending their dollars on heating bills or medicines rather than food."

Twitter Followers Raise Thousands of Dollars for Charity - Philanthropy.com

Twitter Followers Raise Thousands of Dollars for Charity - Philanthropy.com: "Twitter Followers Raise Thousands of Dollars for Charity

Organizers of the 24-hour global fund-raising effort known as Twestival are still counting the cash they raised Thursday for charity: water, which works to provide clean drinking water to developing countries."

Fan Fare » Blog Archive » Stars auction iPods, playlists for hurricane charity | Blogs |

Fan Fare » Blog Archive » Stars auction iPods, playlists for hurricane charity | Blogs |: "Philanthropic Web site Tonic.com is auctioning off between one and five of the signed iPods every week from now until August and sending all the money directly to benefit Music Rising — an organization that replaces musical instruments that were lost or destroyed by Katrina and other hurricanes in the Gulf Coast region."

Bloomberg.com: Arts and Culture

Bloomberg.com: Arts and Culture: "The reopening of Ford’s Theatre after an 18-month refurbishment coincides with a celebration of the 200th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth. Obama, 47, who took the oath of office on Lincoln’s bible, will travel to Springfield, Illinois, today to mark the bicentennial."

Diane Bell: Museums, nonprofits battle tough times, too

Diane Bell: Museums, nonprofits battle tough times, too: "The San Diego Museum of Art laid off 23 people Friday following on the heels of the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego's 15 percent cut of full-and part-time staff, down to about 75. Both suffered about a 30 percent endowment loss.

Elsewhere, the Mingei folk art museum recently eliminated two management positions, but instead of pay cuts or furloughs, it is extending current exhibitions and reducing marketing and printing expenses."

New report shows recession hitting Idaho nonprofits hard | News Updates | Idaho Statesman

New report shows recession hitting Idaho nonprofits hard | News Updates | Idaho Statesman: "An online survey conducted by the Idaho Nonprofit Center in January that collected responses from 270 Idaho organizations, found trouble in the local nonprofit community:

-- 64 percent experienced a decline in total revenue

-- 52 percent had an increase in demand for services

-- 52 percent reported increased expenses."

Raising Money For Nonprofits In Terrible Times - Forbes.com

Raising Money For Nonprofits In Terrible Times - Forbes.com: "How does she do it? First of all, she goes to where the money is now. The career fundraiser put together a list of tips for her staff about how to raise money in tough times, and No. 3 was 'Follow the market.'"

Compromise Stimulus Plan Restores Some Social Spending - Philanthropy.com

Compromise Stimulus Plan Restores Some Social Spending - Philanthropy.com: "Details of the agreement between congressional leaders on a compromise economic-stimulus measure are not yet all available, but an initial summary shows that lawmakers restored some social spending that had been cut in the Senate version of the bill."

Editorial: Charities suffered all over Michigan - Kalamazoo, Michigan Columns, Letters & Opinion - Kalamazoo Gazette – MLive.com

Editorial: Charities suffered all over Michigan - Kalamazoo, Michigan Columns, Letters & Opinion - Kalamazoo Gazette – MLive.com: "Editorial: Charities suffered all over Michigan
by the Kalamazoo Gazette Editorial Board
Thursday February 12, 2009, 9:07 AM

The Michigan Nonprofit Association's annual report, released this week, indicates that 45 percent of charities in the state have seen donations go down this year.

Meanwhile, 65 percent of arts and entertainment nonprofit organizations and 52 percent of community service groups also have seen revenues decline, Gongwer News Service reported this week."

Desoto Times Online

Desoto Times Online: "There is an old saying that charity begins at home. In this era of economic uncertainty, the faith-based charitable network that has existed in hometowns across America for nearly 200 hundred years received its stamp of approval from the new Obama Administration recently with the newly renamed White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships."

onPhilanthropy: Articles: Nervous Nonprofits Look for Signs of Hope in Foundation Report

onPhilanthropy: Articles: Nervous Nonprofits Look for Signs of Hope in Foundation Report: "With a Foundation Center report out today on giving trends in 2007, nonprofits are anxiously scouring the analysis for hints as to how funders will act in the year ahead. Organizations supporting the environment and animals had a strong showing, so those sectors may feel a bit more secure, but who knows whether even that trend will continue?"

The dual philanthropy of our area's snowbirds | fortmyers.floridaweekly.com | Fort Myers Florida Weekly

The dual philanthropy of our area's snowbirds | fortmyers.floridaweekly.com | Fort Myers Florida Weekly: "February, March and April are among the busiest months in Southwest Florida for seasonal residents. We welcome our northern friends from Ohio, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois,

Iowa, and others blustery states. Snowbirds, as they are called, improve our regional economy through their collective purchasing habits. Loosely defined, a snowbird is a person who spends several months out of each year as a part-time resident in warmer state. Florida and Arizona are two of the most popular destinations."

Teens help direct giving in area - Kansas City Star

Teens help direct giving in area - Kansas City Star: "In Kansas City, one organization funneling that flow is the Truman Heartland Community Foundation. Its brainchild, the Youth Advisory Council, has even expanded the breadth of giving to area nonprofits and those they serve to a greater focus on youth needs."

Museum Finds a Way to Energize Revenues - Philanthropy.com

Museum Finds a Way to Energize Revenues - Philanthropy.com: "Museum Finds a Way to Energize Revenues

At a time when the crumbling economy is forcing many museums and other arts organizations to cut hours, performances, staff members — and to shut down completely in some cases — one museum has a promising new source of revenue."

Yao’s charity to no longer benefit from Rockets gala | Sports | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

Yao’s charity to no longer benefit from Rockets gala | Sports | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle: "The change was made to take the Yao Ming Foundation out of the loop, staying within newly enforced NBA guidelines set to prevent salary-cap circumvention.

Yao can opt out of his contract with the Rockets after the 2009-10 season, and the league office said donations to his foundation could be interpreted as influencing negotiations."

Twitter users will meet offline for a good cause | Living | Star-Telegram.com

Twitter users will meet offline for a good cause | Living | Star-Telegram.com: "t’s enough to set your heart a Twitter.

On Thursday, in more than 175 cities worldwide, people who chat on the social-networking site Twitter will come together (in person) to raise money for one charity.

Think of it as virtual fundraising with a twist."

CSU donations hit record high figures - News

CSU donations hit record high figures - News: "Despite the tight economy, donations to the California State Universities were $442 million for 2007-08, a 35 percent increase from the previous academic year.

Associate Vice President for University Development Rebecca Thompson said that last year Sacramento State received $17,987,769 in donations."

Latino nonprofits feel the squeeze of economic crunch

Latino nonprofits feel the squeeze of economic crunch: "The bad economy has dealt a big blow to the city’s Latino nonprofits, many of which have been forced to cut hours, reduce services and even consider closing.

From theaters and language centers to housing and employment programs, organizations that have served the Latino community for decades are now struggling to stay afloat."

toledoblade.com --Two Toledo organizations are looking to provide an extra safety net for low-income families in the region.

toledoblade.com --: "Two Toledo organizations are looking to provide an extra safety net for low-income families in the region.

The nonprofit Toledo Community Foundation and United Way of Greater Toledo announced yesterday that they have created the Safety Net Fund to aid groups that provide food, clothing, and shelter to those in need. The organizations will match donations up to $2,000 with 50 cents for each dollar contributed to the fund."

Volunteer vacations: More than just a great trip

Volunteer vacations: More than just a great trip: "When two friends and I decided to add the element of volunteering to a trip, we opened a cornucopia of opportunities.

Our research divulged you can do everything from pounding nails and painting buildings to counting turtles or extracting teeth, should you have that talent. You can head for, as examples, a tiny village in Sri Lanka, a summer camp in Poland or a schoolhouse in Thailand."

Catholic Charities tones down annual ball - Washington Business Journal:

Catholic Charities tones down annual ball - Washington Business Journal:: "Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington is doing things a little differently this year — they are scaling back on the glitz and glamor of their annual benefit gala."

Penn State Live-"Giving to Penn State is resilient, even in tough times

Penn State Live: "Giving to Penn State is resilient, even in tough times
Tuesday, February 10, 2009

University Park, Pa. — Despite the current economic climate, Penn State's alumni and friends are continuing to support the University through philanthropy, according to University President Graham B. Spanier. Tallies through the first seven months of fiscal year 2008-2009 show that while some donors have had to cut back their giving, others are making significant commitments to the University-wide capital campaign, For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students. Overall figures are in line with last year's pace."

Senate-Passed Stimulus Bill Does Not Include Philanthropy Measures - Philanthropy.com

Senate-Passed Stimulus Bill Does Not Include Philanthropy Measures - Philanthropy.com: "Senate-Passed Stimulus Bill Does Not Include Philanthropy Measures

By Suzanne Perry and Grant Williams

Washington

The economic-stimulus package passed by the Senate today does not include a number of measures that nonprofit and foundation leaders had proposed to help ease the impact of the recession on the philanthropic world."

Davos, the Poor, and the Crash of '08 - Council on Foreign Relations

Davos, the Poor, and the Crash of '08 - Council on Foreign Relations: "n a Davos session focused on philanthropy, speakers bemoaned that dismal economic trends are pushing private donors from an era of what they termed 'philanthrocapitalism,' to one of 'philanthrocrisis.' In an almost pleading tone, former U.S. President Bill Clinton urged the Davos gathering to 'prioritize keeping people alive.'"

Thailand Bed Push Race For Charity

Thailand Bed Push Race For Charity: "- When you think of a bed you think of rest and relaxation. But some fundraisers in Thailand want you to think again with their Bed Push Race.

Participants are pushing beds in a race to the finish line to promote tourism and raise money for charity.

The competition happened Sunday in the resort town of Pattaya in Thailand."

Case Foundation-What are you spending on this Valentine's Day - chocolates or charity?

Case Foundation: "Last year, Elaine Gast wrote a great article for us entitled, “14 Charitable Ways to Celebrate Valentine’s Day.” From volunteering to buying gifts that give back, Elaine offers great suggestions on ways to do good and feel good on Valentine’s Day. If you’re looking for meaning and leaning towards charity instead of chocolates this year, check out Elaine’s suggestions. In addition, keep coming back throughout the week for more ideas from our staff on how to truly spread the love this February 14th."

JFN will give out up to $5 million in loans for nonprofits hurt by Madoff | The Fundermentalist | JTA - Jewish & Israel News

JFN will give out up to $5 million in loans for nonprofits hurt by Madoff | The Fundermentalist | JTA - Jewish & Israel News: "The Jewish Funders Network has allocated $5 million to give out loans of between $100,000 and $300,000 to non-profits hurt by Bernard Madoff’s scandal.

Here is the info:
The Jewish Funders Network announced today the launch of a Crisis Loan Fund to assist nonprofits harmed by the Madoff Ponzi scheme. With an initial pool of $5 million, The Crisis Loan Fund will provide bridge financing and interest subsidies to eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofits facing budget shortfalls as a result of the scheme. The fund was created through a collaboration of JFN members. JFN has also launched a Pro Bono Resource Bank that offers consulting services to nonprofits who are struggling in this down economy."

AmeriCorps Expansion Should Consider Quality, Not Number of Participants - Philanthropy.com

From the Chronicle of Philanthropy

AmeriCorps Expansion Should Consider Quality, Not Number of Participants - Philanthropy.com: "AmeriCorps Expansion Should Consider Quality, Not Number of Participants

If Congress moves to expand AmeriCorps, the national-service program, it should focus more on improving its quality than on increasing the number of people who participate, a consultant who helped draft the legislation that created the program told a forum on national service today."

Associations Release Recommendations for Obama, Congress, to Strengthen Nonprofit Sector | OMB Watch

Associations Release Recommendations for Obama, Congress, to Strengthen Nonprofit Sector | OMB Watch: "Associations Release Recommendations for Obama, Congress, to Strengthen Nonprofit Sector


Two major nonprofit associations, Independent Sector and the National Council of Nonprofits, have released detailed recommendations on how the federal government can strengthen and serve communities through nonprofit organizations, including some proposals that can be included in the upcoming economic stimulus package."