Social Entrepreneur blog for the world changers
Archive for November, 2009
Poll Finds Likely Drop in Charity Holiday Gifts
Nov 16th
A new survey commissioned by the global aid charity World Vision suggests American charities should brace for a disappointing holiday giving seasons, says the Associated Press.
According to the poll of 1,001 adults conducted by Harris Interactive, 38 percent of Americans said they are likely to give a charitable gift as a holiday present this year, down 11 percentage points from 2008.
However, 74 percent of respondents said they planned to increase their giving once the economy rebounds.
Rich Donors Retool to Maintain Philanthropy in Tough Times
Nov 16th
The economic crunch has prompted wealthy philanthropists to become more creative in their giving, cutting aid to big, stable institutions in favor of smaller groups facing a tougher struggle to survive the downturn, writes The New York Times.
While the recession has some donors “frozen in place,” said Melissa Berman, president of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, “others have a more philosophical temperament and have continued on a steady course.”
In the article, the philanthropists Amy Robbins, Jeff Skoll, and Donald and Barbara Jonas discuss how their foundations have changed tack to deal with diminished resources.
(Free registration is required to view this article.)
Consultants Recommend That Cleveland Tap Nonprofit Groups for Fees
Nov 16th
Following the release of a consultants’ report suggesting that Cleveland seek annual payments from hospitals, universities, and nonprofit institutions, Mayor Frank Jackson said he would consider the idea as part of a plan to deal with the city’s long-term revenue problems, The Plain Dealer writes.
The report, prepared by the PFM Group, in Philadelphia, says levying such a fee on large tax-exempt organizations could add at least $5-million a year to city coffers.
The Cleveland Clinic, one of the city’s largest employers and an opponent of past efforts to impose fees on nonprofit groups, said it already contributes significantly to the local economy in the form of jobs, free medical care, and other services. The clinic and the city’s University Hospitals announced last week that they increased their provision of local services to a combined $646.1-million last year.
White House AIDS Meeting Will Focus on the South
Nov 16th
President Obama’s top AIDS policy adviser will hold a rare local meeting today in Jackson, Miss., with activists, patients, and health-care providers about the need for increased federal money for HIV/AIDS care in the South, according to the Associated Press.
The meeting, said Jeffrey S. Crowley, director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy, is intended to spotlight the significant percentage of cases in the South and how the disease disproportionately hits members of minority groups.
The South leads the country in the percentage of deaths related to AIDS. Yet the region ranks last with regard to overall federal dollars spent per HIV-infected patient, at $6,565 a year, according to the Southern AIDS Coalition. In addition, say patients and activists, rural areas of the South often face a dearth of nonprofit and public services aimed at HIV and AIDS patients.
In the Arts: Pentagon Finances Stage Readings for Service Members
Nov 16th
Using a $3.7-million Defense Department grant, an independent theater is touring military sites nationwide performing stage readings of two ancient Greek classics on the psychic impact of war, says The New York Times.
In other arts news: British nonprofit groups are expressing outrage over a proposal to abolish their exemption from paying royalties for playing music at events and in charity shops, according to Third Sector Online.
(Free registration is required to view the Times article.)
Oxford Academic Sticks With Student Lifestyle to Enable Giving
Nov 16th
A university faculty member in Britain has promised to give away nearly $1.7-million over his working life by continuing to live like a student, the Australian daily The Courier-Mail reports.
Toby Ord, a 30-year-old Australian in his first year of work as an ethics researcher at Oxford University after completing his doctorate there, said he will annually donate 10 percent of his salary, plus any wages above approximately $33,000. His current salary is $50,000, and he expects to earn about $2.5-million during his career.
“My student years were not extravagant but were immensely enjoyable,” he says. “I realized that if I were to continue to live modestly like I have as a student, I should be able to give away about 1-million pounds.” Mr. Ord has started an organization called Giving What We Can to encourage others to pledge a 10th of their earnings to antipoverty charities.
From The Chronicle: Corporate Volunteerism Remains Strong
Nov 16th
Though many companies have cut back on their donations during the recession, a new survey finds that employee volunteerism is thriving, The Chronicle of Philanthropy reports.
Give and Take: Downplaying the Charitable Impact of the Estate Tax
Nov 16th
National nonprofit associations are misguided in their attempt to get Congress to change the federal estate tax, argues Bill Beach, the director of the Center for Data Analysis at the Heritage Foundation, as noted in Give and Take, The Chronicle’s roundup of the best blog posts about the nonprofit world.
Plus:
- Why do so many people want to establish a personal “connection” between donors and small-business owners?
- How Wildlife Direct, an organization based in Kenya, is using social-media tools to raise money.
- A woman from impoverished rural Zimbabwe will receive her Ph.D. next month.
- The new blog from the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.
- A call for foundations to put more time and money into building philanthropic capacity.”
From The Chronicle: Bill and Melinda Gates Make New Gift to Their Foundation
Nov 13th
To pay for the building of its new headquarters in downtown Seattle, Bill and Melinda Gates have donated $350-million to their foundation, reports The Chronicle of Philanthropy.
That gift is one of the biggest sums anybody has given to charity this year, according to The Chronicle’s database of donations that have been announced to the public.
From The Chronicle: A Commitment to Public Service
Nov 13th
The fate of two cultural icons — Gourmet magazine and WQXR radio station — offers crucial insights about how business and nonprofit groups think about their duty to serve the public, writes Vince Stehle, a Chronicle columnist.
Recent Comments