December 17th, 2009 by admin

By Holly Hall

Americans are buying more holiday gifts this season than last, but that same spirit of generosity has yet to reach most charities.

In fact, a Chronicle poll of 395 charities conducted over the past week finds that one-third of charities expect donations to decline by 10 percent or more by year’s end. Another 21 percent also expect donations to decline, although by smaller amounts. Charities of all sizes seem to be affected by the downturn:  MORE . . .

charities, Christmas, Donations, Donors, downturn, economy, recession

December 14th, 2009 by admin

by Michele Donohue

It might be time to check if your online donation page is working because a potential more than 111 million people plan to use the Web to give to nonprofits this holiday season. And, Austin, Texas-based online marketing firm Convio estimates this year more than $4 billion in donations will be made online.
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Christmas, Donations, Donors, Online, Online Giving

December 14th, 2009 by admin

Simone P. Joyaux, ACFRE, Joyaux Associates

One of my pet peeves: A staff who does not adequately enable board members and other volunteers to function effectively.

Fundraisers complain about board members who don’t help fundraise. Executive Directors complain about poor governance. Look in the mirror, I say! In general, board members fundraising and board members governing are only as good as they are enabled to be. And enabling is the staff’s job.

Enabling is the process of empowering others. Enabling means giving people the wherewithal, opportunity, and adequate power to act. When you empower someone, you distribute and share your own power. And power shared is multiplied.

Enabling encourages participation, shares responsibility and authority, enhances the self-worth of others, and energizes everyone in the organization. Enabling produces the best performance from individuals and groups. And there’s another result: Enabling allows your volunteers to succeed. Then those volunteers will stick around and even do more.  MORE . . .

Boards, Volunteers

December 14th, 2009 by admin

By Goldie Blumenstyk

Chicago

When you don’t have much money, sometimes the difference between staying in college and dropping out really is a bus fare to campus. Or a library that doesn’t close too early. Or a registration process that doesn’t cost you days away from your job.

So it’s heartening to hear from students here at Chicago State University, most of whom come from the poor South Side communities nearby, and are also juggling family responsibilities and jobs they can’t afford to give up, that they   MORE . . .

Accountability, Advancement, Boards

December 14th, 2009 by admin

By Susan J. Colby and Susan Wolf Ditkoff

While all philanthropists strive to maximize the impact of their money, far too few feel they are succeeding. It’s not for lack of good intentions.

Rather, excellence in philanthropy is difficult to measure.

One can point to individual success stories in an annual report, but no market pressures force foundations to track achievements and failures across their entire portfolio of grantees. To make a deep and broad difference, foundations need to force themselves to seek consistently high standards.  MORE . . .

Donors, Foundations and Grants, Non-profits

December 14th, 2009 by admin

By Mark Rosenman

In the past few decades the growth of organized philanthropy has brought more grant making for all kinds of causes — including efforts to feed hungry people, prevent illness, protect human rights and the environment, and promote arts and culture. Some of those grant programs have made a big difference while others have not, prompting questions about foundations’ operations.

Some people say foundations support projects valuable only to a select, and often privileged, slice of the population or give money to causes with comparatively narrow appeal. Others contend that with the varied missions of endowed foundations, combined with living donors’ interests, just about all causes end up getting served in some way, even if the amount spent is not always appropriate to the need.  MORE . . .

Common good, Donors, Foundations and Grants, Giving

December 14th, 2009 by admin

By Pat Nichols

The recession is lifting — slowly, unevenly, but lifting. As the economy strengthens, the opportunities presented by the recession will be amplified. Sadly, they will more often be squandered. Too many nonprofit leaders will succumb to pressure to “return to normal” by reflexively restoring prior programs and positions to the status quo ante.

The evidence of an economic recovery is growing. The stock market has recovered, erratically, half of its lost value. The U.S. Commerce Department reports higher growth than expected in the third quarter (a 3.5-percent annual rate). Even industrial production grew in that quarter. Unemployment will almost certainly climb further but, in spite of that sad fact, consumer confidence is showing signs of strengthening.  MORE . . .

downturn, economy, fear, Management, recession

December 14th, 2009 by admin

By Sean Stannard-Stockton

Late one Friday afternoon this fall, Matt Flannery, the co-founder of Kiva.org, posted a message on Twitter: “It seems like my Twitter account is getting attacked by spam. 500 new followers a minute. Anyone else experiencing this?”

In fact, a small group of people who use Twitter to talk about philanthropy had also been inundated with followers. But the reason for the instant increase wasn’t anything as spurious as a spam attack. All the people who suddenly attracted new followers had just been added to Twitter’s official “suggested users” list of people worth following. Traditionally, Twitter’s suggestions have included celebrities like Al Gore, Shaquille O’Neal, and Oprah Winfrey, so adding the likes of Matt Flannery and other stars of the philanthropy world represents a big shift.  MORE . . .

Online, Online Giving, Social Networking, Twitter

December 14th, 2009 by admin

By Ann Goggins Gregory and Daniel Stid

The economic downturn has thrown a spotlight on the complex flows of money, ideas, and influence that bind government and nonprofit groups together.

Nearly 30 percent of the $1.1-trillion in revenue reported by charities in the United States originated in fees and grants from government, according to 2005 data, the latest figures available. Those revenues are focused on especially critical needs as the nation grapples with the worst economy in decades: Demand is growing for nonprofit groups to provide food, housing, health care, and worker training — causes that traditionally operate with significant financing from government.   MORE . . .

charities, downturn, economy, fear, Foundations and Grants, Government

December 14th, 2009 by admin

By Grant Williams

Washington

The House of Representatives has passed a bill that would permanently keep the estate tax at levels that are in effect this year.

The approach is one that many charities have been seeking because they say it will help them appeal to donors.

The Senate has not yet voted on estate-tax legislation.  MORE . . .

change in tax law, Deductions, Estate Tax, Government, House, IRS, tax breaks, taxes