Pity Charity: When “Storytelling” is Abuse - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly

Pity Charity: When “Storytelling” is Abuse - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly: Writing in a blog on the Skoll World Forum for Social Entrepreneurship, Sebastien Marot discusses the practice by charities of featuring poor or abused children in videos meant to raise funds.

He says, “such a process re-traumatizes them and can stigmatize them forever. As one victim explains, ‘You know, my reputation has been lost because of this video…. Everybody looks down on me.’”

He points to two recent cases picked up by the media in Cambodia, where he is based, and references one organization which was accused of faking such stories “again,” and another where an “orphanage” staged an auction of children’s photos, having the children present them “to heighten audience pity, and thus, sales.” These kinds of actions by aid organizations re-victimize children.

Tainted Donors and Donations | The Nonprofit Legal Blog

Tainted Donors and Donations | The Nonprofit Legal Blog: Nonprofit institutions often face difficult decisions when their donors or donations become tainted as a result of a scandal

$9-Billion in Gifts at Risk if Deduction Is Reduced, Study Forecasts - Government - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

$9-Billion in Gifts at Risk if Deduction Is Reduced, Study Forecasts - Government - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: As nonprofits begin a new round of lobbying against President Obama’s longstanding efforts to limit the value of the charitable deduction, the American Enterprise Institute estimates that such a move would prompt donors to withhold more than $9-billion in gifts a year—a higher amount than previous studies have found.

YMCA charity programs harvest food for hungry - CollegiateTimes.com

YMCA charity programs harvest food for hungry - CollegiateTimes.com:In an effort to reduce hunger in the area, the YMCA at Virginia Tech has created a variety of programs that grow or donate food to charities.

One of the YMCA volunteers, Brenda Springer, has been able to donate a plethora of apples through her program, Neighborhood Harvest.

Making the Most of Your Fundraising Service Provider Investment : Page 1 of 2 : FundRaising Success

Making the Most of Your Fundraising Service Provider Investment : Page 1 of 2 : FundRaising Success: ollowing is some information you need to know when considering using an outside resource for fundraising assistance. (And, no, this isn’t an argument that one method is better than another.)

Let’s get three things out of the way. First, for the sake of this article, I’m going to use the acronym FSP (fundraising service provider) to refer to consultants, agencies, trusted partners, vendors or any other nomenclature you (or they) want to use to describe this resource. Trying to be politically correct by constantly including all the possible titles would be too taxing.

Engage. Listen. Connect. Support. - National Committee For Responsive Philanthropy

Engage. Listen. Connect. Support. - National Committee For Responsive Philanthropy: Over the last decade, philanthropy's response to research on generational transition in the nonprofit sector has ranged from panic – "Who will carry on when the Boomers retire?" – to a big yawn – "These generational transitions always take care of themselves."

For those of us living the transition, either as Boomers or as younger leaders, the research is up-close and personal.

2012 Annual Report - About AFP - AFP

2012 Annual Report - About AFP - AFP: Download the 2012 Annual Report for AFP, AFP Foundation for Philanthropy and AFP Foundation for Philanthropy - Canada in the Attachments section below.

So, You Want to Be a Speaker? Read the 2013 Speaker Report. | Avectra Blog

So, You Want to Be a Speaker? Read the 2013 Speaker Report. | Avectra Blog: f you hire speakers for meetings or conferences, or if you are a professional speaker, you’ll want to check out the 2013 Speaker Report published by consulting firms Tagoras and Velvet Chainsaw. In the report, you’ll learn how associations are using speakers for meetings, conferences and other events.

60 Minutes And The Gates-Buffett 'Giving Pledge': What They Got Right--and Wrong - Forbes

60 Minutes And The Gates-Buffett 'Giving Pledge': What They Got Right--and Wrong - Forbes: The “Giving Pledge”, the push by Bill Gates and Warren Buffett to convince billionaires around the globe to dedicate half their wealth to philanthropy, has hardly been a secret effort—but now that it’s surfaced on 60 Minutes it’s gained an even higher profile. There are some obvious reasons that one might be concerned about the idea –but, it turns out, they’re not the right ones. Still, there are reasons why those serious about effective philanthropy should be worried about the model Gates and Buffet promoted on CBS.

First, the wrong reasons to be concerned. Some will see the Giving Pledge signatories as seeking only to launder their reputations

The Giving Game: Surviving Philanthropy's Schemers Dreamers & Volunteer Vixens - Come Hell or High Heels | BlogHer

The Giving Game: Surviving Philanthropy's Schemers Dreamers & Volunteer Vixens - Come Hell or High Heels | BlogHer: I've been involved in philanthropy for nearly thirty years and I’ve seen and done it all: celebrity-studded red carpet events to grassroots community arts fundraisers; white glove garden club soirees to PTA-type fundraisers. Though the dollar amounts and locales may vary, there is one common denominator that is found in almost every fundraising endeavor:
a group of volunteer women, a.k.a “the committee,” who work behind the scenes to bring the event to fruition. Depending on the motivations of these women and the vagaries of the group dynamic, this committee can either be the lifeblood of an organization—bringing in much needed money, visibility and fresh ideas—or the death knell of it.

IRS Warns Consumers of Possible Scams Relating to Relief of Typhoon Victims

IRS Warns Consumers of Possible Scams Relating to Relief of Typhoon Victims: RS Warns Consumers of Possible Scams Relating to Relief of Typhoon Victims

IR-2013-90, Nov. 15, 2013

WASHINGTON ― The Internal Revenue Service today issued a consumer alert about possible scams taking place in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan. On Nov. 8, 2013, Typhoon Haiyan — known as Yolanda in the Philippines — made landfall in the central Philippines, bringing strong winds and heavy rains that have resulted in flooding, landslides, and widespread damage.

Following major disasters, it is common for scam artists to impersonate charities to get money or private information from well-intentioned taxpayers. Such fraudulent schemes may involve contact by telephone, social media, email or in-person solicitations.

Yunus and his ‘Cinderella moment’

Yunus and his ‘Cinderella moment’: Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus called his acceptance of the inaugural Forbes 400 Lifetime Achievement Award for Social Entrepreneurship at the UN in New York on June 5 “a Cinderella moment”.

Giving It Away: Philanthropy In South Florida | WLRN

Giving It Away: Philanthropy In South Florida | WLRN: Wednesday is the second annual Give Miami Day. It's an effort by The Miami Foundation to focus charitable giving for local organizations. Miami and South Florida have a history of giving, though our relatively young metropolis may lack the generational giving enjoyed by older, more established areas.

GuideStar and Technology Affinity Group (TAG) Launch Simplify, an Efficient Approach to Grantmaking - Press Release - Digital Journal

GuideStar and Technology Affinity Group (TAG) Launch Simplify, an Efficient Approach to Grantmaking - Press Release - Digital Journal: WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwired - November 18, 2013) - GuideStar and the Technology Affinity Group (TAG) today announced Simplify, www.simplifynow.org, a new approach to information-sharing between funders and grantees. Simplify eliminates the repetitive elements of grant applications, so nonprofits can spend time advancing their missions rather than completing unnecessary paperwork, and funders can manage their grantmaking process more efficiently. Together, Simplify is a seamless, automated information flow allowing funders and nonprofits to focus less on process and more on purpose.

Retention: Right Questions … Wrong Answers | The Agitator - Fundraising, Direct Marketing and Advocacy Strategies for Nonprofits

Retention: Right Questions … Wrong Answers | The Agitator - Fundraising, Direct Marketing and Advocacy Strategies for Nonprofits: Retention: Right Questions … Wrong Answers
By Roger Craver | November 19, 2013
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As you can see from Tom’s post yesterday, when it comes to fundraising planning and budgeting, The Agitator clearly believes the most important questions should focus on boosting retention and increasing lifetime value.

Tom phrased the ‘Boss’s’ key planning questions this way:

The Skills Businesspeople Gain on Nonprofit Boards - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly

The Skills Businesspeople Gain on Nonprofit Boards - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly: UK Minister for Civil Society Nick Hurd used the occasion of the country’s “Trustees Week” to issue a call for more businesses to encourage their employees to join the ranks of nonprofit board members. Noting that there already are a million volunteer leaders in the UK, he cited a significant number of vacant board seats in the charity sector. This challenge is also prevalent among US nonprofits—and no doubt in other parts of the world, too. And as anyone who has served on a nonprofit board knows, even when there is a full complement of board members, there is always a need to consider who will come next, and how the board will renew itself over time.

Project helps charities engage diverse donors - The Globe and Mail

Project helps charities engage diverse donors - The Globe and Mail: This fundraising success story was highlighted earlier this year at the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) South Asian Philanthropy Conference in Toronto, as part of its “From Diversity to Inclusion in Philanthropy” initiative. This three-year project was organized by the AFP Foundation for Philanthropy Canada and the Greater Toronto and Ottawa chapters of the AFP, and received support from Ontario’s Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration.

Ms. Magazine | We've Got You Covered | Spring 2013

Ms. Magazine | We've Got You Covered | Spring 2013: This early incident foreshadowed McCormick’s lifelong commitment to women’s equality: She became a pioneering feminist philanthropist, singlehandedly funding the research and development of the birth-control pill. And she wasn’t the only woman of her time opening her purse for women’s rights. A century ago, women of means with a political or social-improvement agenda often put their money where their mouths were. Whether their wealth came through inheritance, business success or divorce settlements, women philanthropists played important roles in shaping America’s reform movements in education, health, welfare and, especially, women’s voting rights.

Dikembe Mutombo, Lauren Bush, Jorge Perez On Building Their Philanthropies - Forbes

Dikembe Mutombo, Lauren Bush, Jorge Perez On Building Their Philanthropies - Forbes: We held a “speed-round” the Forbes 400 Philanthropy Summit last spring. The idea was to introduce the participants to four busy and groundbreaking philanthropists: NBA great Dikembe Mutombo, activist and model Lauren Bush Lauren, South Florida condo king Jorge Perez and real estate scion Francine LeFrak.

Rich Kinder, John Arnold among top Houston philanthropists this year - Houston Business Journal

Rich Kinder, John Arnold among top Houston philanthropists this year - Houston Business Journal: The forecast for the entire year is a total of $12.2 billion, an 8.8 percent increase over last year, reports Dallas-based Atlas of Giving.

Religious giving continues to lag as fewer people attend and join churches. Causes receiving the largest increases in donor funds include environmental, humanitarian, education and donor-advised funds.

Lack of Watchdog Rating a Worry for Small Charities - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Lack of Watchdog Rating a Worry for Small Charities - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: Amid the debate over what measurements Charity Navigator uses to rate nonprofit groups, some smaller charities are raising concerns not over how watchdogs make their assessments but whom they assess, according to The Seattle Times.

Charity Navigator does not consider organizations with annual revenue of less than $1-million and has reviewed only about 7,000 of the country’s 1.5-million-plus registered nonprofits. Small Seattle-area charities tell the Times that the lack of a watchdog’s imprimatur can turn off donors who increasingly give online and do research into how potential recipients use their dollars.

The 50 Philanthropists Who Have Given Away The Most Money - Forbes

The 50 Philanthropists Who Have Given Away The Most Money - Forbes: n order to separate words and actual deeds, FORBES, in partnership with the Philanthropic Research Institute, decided to rank which Americans gave the most in the last calendar year–not money pledged but actual cash deployed in the field. “Givers now want to see an impact while they’re still alive,” says PRI founder R.J. Shook, a former Wall Street entrepreneur. The Philanthropic 50 was winnowed from a short list of 1,620 people, most of whom showed up in PRI’s proprietary data?base that denoted the 50,000-plus largest individual donations to recipients for 2012.

▶ Art iPads from Darien Library - YouTube

▶ Art iPads from Darien Library - YouTube: Published on Nov 11, 2013

Darien Library is offering iPads loaded with apps and programs designed to allow users the opportunity to explore the relationship between art and technology.

The 5 ASKing Traits: An AFP International Conference on Fundraising Education Session Sneak Peek! - Resource Center - AFP

The 5 ASKing Traits: An AFP International Conference on Fundraising Education Session Sneak Peek! - Resource Center - AFP: Knowing your personal ASKing style, as well as the style of your boss, partner or co-worker, can be incredibly insightful. These five ASKING traits apply to everyone in everyday situations: from ASKing for a raise and travel vouchers for a canceled flight to medical advice and ASKing for gifts. I can show you how to gauge the reactions you may be receiving, and with a few simple refinements you will be making your best ASK every time.

A Generational Transition

A Generational Transition: Making Change by Spending Down" is a new commentary series of The Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies (ACBP) - in partnership with the Foundation Center - to share insights and lessons of ACBP as it spends down its endowment by 2016 and closes. Each month various stakeholders will contribute new posts that will explore how ACBP's decision to spend down affects a broad range of interests: from mission, employees and grantees, to investments and legacy. Decision makers across the social sector will benefit from the first-hand knowledge and community of learning being created.

The series - which will run for a year or more - is being disseminated through the Foundation Center’s PhilanTopic, Transparency Talk and GrantCraft blogs and here on eJewish Philanthropy.]

Georgia Gives Day Celebrates Giving With Reception - 41NBC

Georgia Gives Day Celebrates Giving With Reception - 41NBC: Julie Wilkerson, president of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, says the second annual Georgia Gives Day was a great success.

"We're here to celebrate that day, and also as part of national philanthropy day to appreciate our donors" said Wilkerson. "A lot of the organizations have brought some of their donors and volunteers just to say thank you for what they do for us throughout the year."

Nonprofits have a great story to tell � Philanthropy North Carolina

Nonprofits have a great story to tell � Philanthropy North Carolina: The broken economy has given nonprofits a rare opportunity to talk about the important role they play in serving people and places in need.

Through the stories they tell, nonprofits can help their supporters understand the urgent needs in their communities, their organizations’ impact in addressing those needs, and the difference donors and volunteers can make by investing in those organizations.

What’s your plan for telling your story? � Philanthropy North Carolina

What’s your plan for telling your story? � Philanthropy North Carolina: Your story — about the community need you address, and the difference you make in the lives of people — is the lifeblood of your organization.

Fundamental to your effectiveness in delivering services, raising money and operating your organization is your ability to tell that story in a clear, compelling way.

� 2013 Report Measures Nonprofit Fundraising Effectiveness

� 2013 Report Measures Nonprofit Fundraising Effectiveness: A recently released report titled the 2013 Fundraising Effectiveness Survey Report prepared by the AFP (Association of Fundraising Professionals) and the Urban Institute ”helps nonprofit organizations measure and compare their annual growth in giving by gain/loss category and increase the net by maximizing their gains and minimizing their losses.”

Thoughts On Philanthropy From Ancient Philosophers Maimonides and Bob Hope - Forbes

Thoughts On Philanthropy From Ancient Philosophers Maimonides and Bob Hope - Forbes: ou just work day and night if the cause in your heart is justified. You just go out and drive yourself to get the money. And you have fun doing it. It’s a real rush. The people I particularly dislike are those who say ‘I’m going to leave it in my will.’ What they’re really saying is ‘If I could live forever, I wouldn’t give any of it away.’ “

Philosopher Maimonides may have originated the idea that teaching a man to fish is better than just giving him a fish: