Our View: Charities thrive on optimism, generosity � Editorials � The Free Press, Mankato, MN

Our View: Charities thrive on optimism, generosity � Editorials � The Free Press, Mankato, MN: "t should be no surprise that the recession has brought a drop in charitable giving.

The Chronicle of Philanthropy reported this week that charitable donations in the United States went down 11 percent in 2009, the biggest drop in 20 years.

Against that backdrop, it is heartwarming to see some local charities optimistically forging ahead with major fund drives to expand and enhance their services."

Symbiotic Ways Private Foundations Use Community Foundations and Other Organizations | Planned Giving Design Center

Symbiotic Ways Private Foundations Use Community Foundations and Other Organizations | Planned Giving Design Center: "As philanthropic advisors, our job is to recommend the best method to meet our client's charitable objectives. If a direct gift is not appropriate, we generally begin to weigh the pros and cons of public foundations (i.e., community foundations or supporting organizations) and private foundations. All too often, the final recommendation tends to be one vehicle over the other when, in fact, using a combination of vehicles may be the perfect way to meet the client's needs. What follows are ten planning ideas, with accompanying case studies, that illustrate the synergies created by private foundations utilizing community foundations. Community foundations, in this context, will extend to religious foundations, colleges and universities, healthcare institutions, national donor advised funds or any nonprofit sponsoring donor advised funds."

Fundraising Well — October 2010

Fundraising Well — October 2010: "s Your Organization’s Constituent Information Being Shared?

It’s generally understood that information in your constituent database — especially data such as giving history and social security numbers, is private. But do you know what happens when a trustee, who happens to be in sales, calls your data entry staff and asks for a list of names, addresses, and phone numbers of constituents within a specific ZIP code? Perhaps the data entry staff member wants to please the trustee, who is a major donor, and emails him a spreadsheet of 250 constituents from your database."

Millionaire club charts a new course for giving | StarTribune.com

Millionaire club charts a new course for giving | StarTribune.com: "Those early philanthropists took risks and changed with the times,'' he said later. 'We should, too.'

The club will continue recruiting Minnesota millionaires, much like Microsoft founder Bill Gates began doing with the world's billionaires this year. But it also wants to crank up its public profile, enlist younger leaders and prod its members to volunteer more with their chosen charities."

Gates' giving helps build United Way center in Alexandria

Gates' giving helps build United Way center in Alexandria: "But it is her name that graces a new $17 million conference and learning center at the Alexandria headquarters of United Way Worldwide. Her husband, Bill Gates Sr., and son, who founded Microsoft, were at the conference center's unveiling last Wednesday to talk about the status of philanthropy today and the creation of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, considered the largest charitable foundation in the world."

Athletic department receives $5.5 million – The Maine Campus

Athletic department receives $5.5 million – The Maine Campus: "The Memorial Gym and Alfond Arena — the two primary athletic buildings at the University of Maine — received a $5.5 million gift from the Harold Alfond Foundation on Friday.

The seven-figure gift is the third largest philanthropy gift in the university’s history. It also increases the total amount of giving that the Alfond Foundation has bestowed upon UMaine to a"

LSE, Reliance Foundation to set up universities in India - The Economic Times

LSE, Reliance Foundation to set up universities in India - The Economic Times: "LONDON: The London School of Economics will collaborate with Reliance Foundation, run by the promoters of India's largest corporate house, for setting up world-class universities in the South-Asian nation.

Reliance Foundation is the philanthropy arm of Indian billionaire industrialist Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries group, while the LSE is one of the world's most reputed business schools."

Nonprofit Email Benchmarks in 2010 - eMarketing Essentials

Nonprofit Email Benchmarks in 2010 - eMarketing Essentials: "Nonprofit Email Benchmarks in 2010
Posted: Oct 15, 2010 by Naomi Hamilton | with no comments

I have just finished reading the 2010 eNonprofit Benchmarks Study. While focusing on U.S-based organisations, I thought it had some very interesting findings. I also thought it wasquite a relevant study to take a quick peek at as we head into the last quarter of the year.

Some of the key benchmarks from the study include:"

Open Community, the little book of big ideas for associations navigating the social web — SocialFish

Open Community, the little book of big ideas for associations navigating the social web — SocialFish: "Open Community

A little book of big ideas for associations navigating the social web

Available November 1, 2010

Written for the complicated and quirky world of associations and membership organizations, Open Community is about how associations can—and why they should—build community online. (Not to be confused with building a successful private social network. That’s just one small part of a really big picture.)"

The Nonprofit Quarterly | @npquarterly | Nonprofit Newswire | Charities Bet on Gambling to Make Up for Lost Donations

The Nonprofit Quarterly | @npquarterly | Nonprofit Newswire | Charities Bet on Gambling to Make Up for Lost Donations: "October 13, 2010; Source: The Daily Citizen | A growing number of Indiana nonprofits are betting there are better ways to raise money than relying on donations. According to the state's Gaming Commission, applications for charitable gaming licenses, which would allow nonprofits to collect money from games of chance"

Outreach Toolkit for Partner Use - Revocation of Small Tax-Exempt Organizations That Failed to File for Three Consecutive Years

Today's the day.

Outreach Toolkit for Partner Use - Revocation of Small Tax-Exempt Organizations That Failed to File for Three Consecutive Years: "Outreach Toolkit for Partner Use - Revocation of Small Tax-Exempt Organizations That Failed to File for Three Consecutive Years


IRS Exempt Organizations provides the following materials for use by stakeholder groups and others interested in helping small tax-exempt organizations qualify for one-time filing relief and retain their tax-exempt status. We encourage you to take advantage of these educational materials, and other materials that can be found on IRS.gov under Charities & Non-Profits, at www.irs.gov/thelist."

Copyright mark makes it easier to find royalty free works - The Inquirer

Copyright mark makes it easier to find royalty free works - The Inquirer: "Copyright mark makes it easier to find royalty free works
Tries to lower confusion
By Lawrence Latif
Tue Oct 12 2010, 12:41

NON-PROFIT ORGANISATION Creative Commons (CC) has announced its release of the Public Domain Mark (PDM), a way of distinguishing works that are free of known copyright.

CC said the PDM will 'increase the value of the public domain' by making those works that carry it easier to find over the Internet. It is being pitched to academics and artists to show that they are able to freely re-use the material without fear of triggering takedown notices or risking litigation."

Forms & Policies

Some forms and policies from Lakehead University

Forms & Policies: "Forms & Policies
1) Approval of Donation Solicitation"


__________________________
AFP members can also access a variety of material on Fundraising Policies on our website via our hot topic. (This requires member log in)
http://www.afpnet.org/bbtdetail.cfm?itemnumber=4287

Folk Festival crowd donates record $88,000 | Richmond Times-Dispatch

Folk Festival crowd donates record $88,000 | Richmond Times-Dispatch: "Organizers of the three-day festival in downtown Richmond announced yesterday that on-site bucket-brigade donations reached $88,000 -- $31,000 more from the previous year. This year's total is tops for the 3-year-old event as well as the National Folk Festival that preceded it for three years."

Wall St.'s Best Athletes Compete for Charity - NYTimes.com

Wall St.'s Best Athletes Compete for Charity - NYTimes.com: "More than 25 representatives of financial firms gathered at the Mitchel Athletic Complex in Uniondale on Long Island on Sunday afternoon to compete in the Decathlon, a charity fund-raiser for Livestrong, the cancer foundation established by the cyclist Lance Armstrong."

Universities and colleges benefit from agreements with nonprofits that receive state capital funds | cleveland.com

Universities and colleges benefit from agreements with nonprofits that receive state capital funds | cleveland.com: "The so-called joint use agreements between nonprofit organizations and public universities have been arranged by legislators and approved by the Ohio Board of Regents for at least 20 years.

Nonprofits frequently work with legislators to secure state capital funds for buildings and equipment, said Claire Rosacco, vice president for government relations at Tri-C. Because of restrictions on the use of state bonds, which fund capital projects, a nonprofit agency must work with a designated state fiscal agent, such as a state college or university, to qualify."

SmartBlog Insights � Three ways to prevent brain drain from nonprofit boards

SmartBlog Insights � Three ways to prevent brain drain from nonprofit boards: "In today’s economy, philanthropic boards are suffering multiple rounds of competition, stagnation and resignation. The modalities of giving have dramatically changed since national and local donation and sponsorship spigots have been tightened down to trickles. Ironically, the work of non-profit and philanthropic support is more daunting than ever. Therefore, aggressive turnarounds are needed."

Philanthropy: The giving game | The Economist

Philanthropy: The giving game | The Economist: "FACED with impending cuts to their subsidies, senior figures in the arts world, such as Sir Nicholas Serota, director of the Tate galleries, have generally responded by shaking their fists. A more helpful approach would be to encourage the government to make philanthropic giving easier. There are some easy fixes that could help arts institutions and others fill their funding gaps with private donations."

DOUG ELFMAN: Grand Slam for Children rakes in millions - News - ReviewJournal.com

DOUG ELFMAN: Grand Slam for Children rakes in millions - News - ReviewJournal.com: "He sounded very good at the Wynn, singing 'Tiny Dancer' and 'Your Song' to help raise $8.5 million (a half-million more than last year) for Agassi's Foundation for Education.

Other top highlights from the swanky Wynn ballroom:"

Kellogg adds support to New Frontiers of Philanthropy Project | Johns Hopkins University - The Gazette

Kellogg adds support to New Frontiers of Philanthropy Project | Johns Hopkins University - The Gazette: "The Johns Hopkins Center for Civil Society Studies has announced that the W.K. Kellogg Foundation has joined a broad coalition of foundations, venture philanthropists and public agencies in supporting the center’s New Frontiers of Philanthropy Project.

The Kellogg Foundation’s $150,000 gift will significantly advance this project’s objective to open a new era in financing solutions for the world’s social and environmental problems, according to Lester M. Salamon, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Civil Society Studies."

Mobile Texting Could Change Face of Philanthropy - Newsweek

Mobile Texting Could Change Face of Philanthropy - Newsweek: "The mobile-giving industry has the potential to change the face of global philanthropy. The first U.S. campaign kicked off during the 2008 Super Bowl, when a 10-second ad raised $10,000 for United Way. That year $300,000 in text donations went to just over 100 charities. So far in 2010, mobile giving in the U.S. has brought in 100 times that ($50 million), for five times as many organizations. Compare that with online giving, which went from $150,000 to $10 million in its first three years. A decade later and online giving brought charities more than $15 billion a year in the U.S."

Ferrari written off at charity event - Telegraph

Ferrari written off at charity event - Telegraph: "Chris Carey, 40, charged �15 a time for the chance to travel in his Ferrari 360 Spider to raise money for the Thames Valley and Chiltern Air Ambulance.

Mr Carey from Eastleigh, Hants, watched in horror as his beloved car burst into flames after being driven into a tree by David Eldridge."

TWEET-UP - Association Bisnow - Washington

TWEET-UP - Association Bisnow - Washington: "Friday is the final deadline for small non-profits that have not yet filed annual returns for the last three years. In the past, non-profits with budgets of less than $25K were not required to file, but new regulations require non-profits of all sizes to file or risk losing their exempt status."

The Faces Behind the New $100 Million Standard in Philanthropic Donations -- New York Magazine

The Faces Behind the New $100 Million Standard in Philanthropic Donations -- New York Magazine: "As the very rich get incomprehensibly richer, there’s been a race to the top for reputation-polishing noblesse oblige. Gone are the days when glass heiress Alice Tully could be remembered for her $4.5 million gift to a chamber-music hall—the new threshold for making a mark is $100 million. George Soros recently gave $100 million to both Human Rights Watch and the Climate Policy Initiative. And in the last few weeks, Henry Kravis and Mark Zuckerberg each announced $100 million gifts. Paulette Maehara, of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, notes that while the recession has affected most giving, “the people with extraordinary wealth don’t have that problem.”"

Students win Buffett foundation grant | Northeastern University News

Students win Buffett foundation grant | Northeastern University News: "The Sunshine Lady Foundation—founded by Doris Buffett, the sister of investor and philanthropist Warren Buffett—promotes philanthropy at the undergraduate level with the hope of inspiring students to become leaders in their communities.

Northeastern is one of 21 colleges and universities across the country that received a grant from the Learning by Giving program."

Wealthy Families' Living-Gift Strategy - BusinessWeek

Wealthy Families' Living-Gift Strategy - BusinessWeek: "Short of a timely death by Dec. 31, the only way families may avoid a huge increase is with a gift. This year the gift tax is a historically low 35 percent, equal to the top marginal rate on ordinary income. It, too, jumps to 55 percent next year. Families can lock in the lower rate by making gifts before Jan. 1. 'She said, 'I don't want anyone wishing I was dead,' ' says the widow's lawyer, Domingo Such, who declined to identify his client."

Humanitarian Groups Urged to Shift Approaches - News - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Humanitarian Groups Urged to Shift Approaches - News - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: "Doctors, Lawyers, Humanitarians: Do Aid Groups Need More Professionalization?

By Caroline Preston

Natural disasters are intensifying, warring parties are trying to exert more control over aid groups, and reporters and other observers are stepping up their criticism of how relief organizations operate after emergencies."

North Dakota tops United Way fundraising | INFORUM | Fargo, ND

North Dakota tops United Way fundraising | INFORUM | Fargo, ND: "North Dakota is a national leader when it comes to raising money for the United Way.

The state leads the nation in percent increase of total dollars raised in 2009. It’s also one of only six states to increase giving over 2008. The others are South Dakota, Oklahoma, Washington D.C., New Mexico and Oregon."

Do sexy 'cancer awareness' campaigns ever work? - Health - Cancer - msnbc.com

Do sexy 'cancer awareness' campaigns ever work? - Health - Cancer - msnbc.com: "If you haven't seen this yet on your Facebook, you will. It's the latest meme to hit your news feed: Ladies are updating their statuses to let all their friends know where they like to put their handbags (obviously) when they get home, which (obviously) is intended to promote breast cancer awareness.

Wait, what did you think they were talking about?"

Funding London's Arts: A Delicate Balancing Act - Newsweek

Funding London's Arts: A Delicate Balancing Act - Newsweek: "This era owes itself largely to a dramatic shift in the way cultural institutions like museums and theaters are paid for. If the continental European and American models for funding the arts rest at either end of a spectrum—with the European model leaving cultural institutions completely state-funded, and the American relying almost entirely on private philanthropy—then Britain has positioned itself happily in the middle."