Following are summaries of recent reports by the BBB Wise Giving Alliance. This private group reports on whether charities meet standards for fund raising, governance, financial management, and public information. The alliance does not approve or disapprove of charities, and urges potential donors…
Interest Rates for Planned Gifts
Following are the interest rates, provided by the Internal Revenue Service, for computing charitable deductions for charitable remainder trusts, gift annuities, charitable lead trusts, and some other deferred gifts. December 2003 4.2% November 4.0% October 4.4% September 4.2% August 3.2% July 3.0%…
Status and recent results of drives for endowments, capital improvements, and other needs Started or announced Closing date Goal Amount raised Purpose Delaware Museum of Natural History Feb. 2003 Dec. 2004 $5,000,000 $3,500,000 For building renovations and its endowment Lake Forest College (Ill.)…
Creating a Guide Book for Volunteers
Model Volunteer Handbook, by Bill Wittich, describes the policies, procedures, rules, and regulations that the author believes should be collected in a manual and presented to volunteers as they begin serving an organization. Mr. Wittich, a consultant in Elk Grove, Calif., says that a handbook…
By Jessica Kronstadt
Contributor
Overview of Giving in Minnesota
Giving in Minnesota, 2003 Editionoffers a detailed analysis of grant making and private giving in Minnesota in 2001. According to the study, corporations, foundations, and individuals contributed more than $4.1-billion to charities, a 1-percent decline from the previous year. The report breaks down…
By Jessica Kronstadt
Contributor
The Estimated Effect of Repealing the Estate Tax
The Estate Tax and Charitable Giving: State-by-State Analysis, by John S. Irons, provides estimates of how much revenue nonprofit organizations would lose if the federal estate tax were repealed. Mr. Irons, senior economic researcher and policy analyst at OMB Watch, an organization in Washington…
By Jessica Kronstadt
Contributor
Protests Paving the Way for Home Ownership
Organizing Access to Capital: Advocacy and the Democratization of Financial Institutions
By Jessica Kronstadt
Contributor
Advice for Nonprofit Chief Executives
The Executive Director’s Survival Guide: Thriving as a Nonprofit Leader
By Jessica Kronstadt
Contributor
New CEO Dives Into Big Project to Clean Up World’s Oceans
Andrew Sharpless has always used the beaches of the Outer Banks in North Carolina to mark important occasions in his life. He got married there, goes back on vacations, and recently took his children there in advance of another major transition, one that will force him to wade out a little further…
By Jeffrey Klineman
Contributor