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Archive for January, 2010
New York Volunteer Program Going National
Jan 19th
A New York effort that has enlisted 18,000 volunteers since starting last spring will spread to 10 more cities, The New York Times and Associated Press report.
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg joined his Chicago counterpart, Richard M. Daley, and Judith Rodin, president of the Rockefeller Foundation, to announce grants of $200,000 each to Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, Nashville, Newark, N.J., Omaha, Philadelphia, Sacramento, Seattle, and Savannah, Ga., through the new Cities of Service Coalition.
The funds will pay for a “chief service officer” to develop and run volunteer programs in the 10 cities, which were chosen from among 50 applicants.
(Free registration is required to view the Times article and to read the AP article on the Washington Post Web site.)
Cleveland Orchestra Players Go on Strike
Jan 19th
The Cleveland Orchestra canceled a series of concerts this week and said a Miami residency set to start January 22 is in jeopardy as a strike by musicians entered its second day, Bloomberg reports.
The 101 players went on strike January 17 after rejecting a proposed 5-percent pay cut. Management says it must control costs to deal with a budget deficit and an endowment that has lost one-third of its value since mid-2007.
The strike involving one of the world’s most respected orchestras highlights the steep financial challenge facing symphonies amid the economic downturn and a larger debate over how much contemporary society is willing to pay for top-tier classical musicians, according to The New York Times.
The New York Philharmonic recently reported a record $4.6-million deficit last year, and Seattle Symphony Orchestra musicians last week rejected a new five-year contract and have authorized a strike.
(Free registration is required to view the Times article.)
Gunmen Attack Office of Baghdad Charity
Jan 19th
Gunmen attacked the offices of a humanitarian group in Baghdad on Monday, killing at least four people and leaving a bomb intended to harm police responders, The New York Times reports.
The charity, Mawteny, was founded in 2007 in a Sunni neighborhood to provide services to poor people, including distribution of food and winter clothing. Reports differed as to whether the rare assault on a Iraqi nonprofit organization left four dead and one wounded or killed all five staff members in the office.
(Free registration is required to view this article.)
Wash. State Merchant’s Smoke Shop Funds Lung-Transplant Charity
Jan 19th
A Washington state tobacconist who nearly died of smoking-related illness continues to sell cigarettes and cigars but funnels the proceeds to a nonprofit organization he founded to aid people with lung disease, the Tri-City Herald of southwestern Washington reports.
John Lee of Kennewick founded Northwest Lung in 2004, 14 years after he quit smoking and one year after he underwent a double-lung transplant. Since then the sales at his store, Johnny’s Tobacco Shop and Espresso Bar, have provided $50,000 to the one-man charity, which assists transplant patients in the Seattle area.
Congress and Charities: Government and Politics Watch
Jan 19th
As Congress returns to work this week after its December break, lawmakers will be taking up several key issues important to charities and donors, such as the estate tax, notes Government and Politics Watch, The Chronicle’s online column.
Aiding Haiti: Give and Take’s Roundup
Jan 19th
Ideas about how to rebuild Haiti, how to give wisely to the recovery effort, and how technology is changing relief work in Haiti are among the topics covered in Give and Take’s daily digest of the best blog posts about the nonprofit world.
Plus:
- Is there a double standard on salaries for executives of charities that serve the poor versus those that work at colleges, hospitals, and wealthier institutions?
- Is giving a great way to help yourself be happy?
- Should a fund be created to help charities measure their results?
The Nonprofit World in 2020: Discussion Transcript
Jan 19th
As the nonprofit world enters 2010, what trends will shape philanthropy during the next 10 years? How can charities and foundations prepare for the increasing number of older Americans, technological changes, and other future trends that are likely to affect nonprofit endeavors and giving?
Read the transcript of our live discussion today with Eric Kessler, founder of Arabella Philanthropic Investment Advisors, a donor consulting company.
Obamas Say Thank You in Person to Red Cross Workers
Jan 18th
President Obama on Monday visited Red Cross headquarters in Washington to personally thank American Red Cross workers for their efforts following the earthquake in Haiti last week, the Associated Press reports.
The president was accompanied by his wife, first lady Michelle Obama, to the organization’s disaster-information center.
He thanked the workers for their efforts and urged them to keep up what he said was great work, the news service said.
Church and Aid Groups Search for Own Amid Haiti Destruction
Jan 18th
Church aid groups and humanitarian organizations active in Haiti are searching for members who were caught in last week’s earthquake, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Several religious groups operate missions in Port-au-Prince, the island nation’s devastated capital. Two high-ranking United Methodist Church officials, including the head of the organization’s relief committee, died as a result of the collapse of Port-au-Prince’s Hotel Montana, and a contractor for Compassion International, a charity in Colorado that aids children overseas, is also believed to have been caught in the hotel rubble.
Lynn University, in Boca Raton, Fla., is searching for four students and two faculty members who were part of team that arrived in Haiti hours before the quake to provide housing and food aid.
The head of global aid group IMA World Health returned to his Maryland home Saturday after being trapped for 50 hours in the Hotel Montana wreckage, reports The Washington Post. Rick Santos and several other survivors were pulled from the rubble by French firefighters Friday.
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