Charities use electronic messages to reach computer-savvy donors No one was more surprised than Kirk Gardner when the results of his e-mail fund-raising campaign netted more than $100,000. As director of major gifts at the University of Maryland Medical System, in Baltimore, Mr. Gardner’s mission…
By Marilyn Dickey
Senior Editor, Copy
Proposal on Travel Tours Draws Fire, Praise
An I.R.S. proposal designed to help explain when universities, museums, and other tax-exempt groups can sponsor travel tours without paying income tax on trip revenue has drawn mixed reactions from organizations that have filed comments with the government. Non-profit groups must pay…
By GRANT WILLIAMS
Contributor
IRS Reacts to Charges of Anti-Gay Bias
The I.R.S. is responding to accusations that it is biased against homosexuals by sending agents from its national office to talk to local employees about its policies on gay groups. Marc Owens, director of the I.R.S.'s Exempt Organizations Division, explained the move in a letter to the Lambda…
By GRANT WILLIAMS
Contributor
Status of Internet Groups May Be in Jeopardy
Many of the nation’s more than 350 “community networks,” which provide Internet access at discounted rates in specific geographic areas, are currently classified as charities by the I.R.S. But the service has taken steps that suggest it might be rethinking its position. The I.R.S. has audited…
By GRANT WILLIAMS
Contributor
IRS Handbook’s Advice on Commercial Funds
The Internal Revenue Service is providing its agents with new advice on how to handle a range of issues that may arise during charity audits and other reviews. Among the topics: the controversy over tax-exempt funds set up by for-profit banks and investment companies. The advice appears in the…
By GRANT WILLIAMS
Contributor
‘Working Woman’: Female Donors Seek Change
Female business executives “are looking for new ways to make their voices heard -- and their money mean something -- in the philanthropic arena,” says an article in Working Woman magazine (July-August). “Driven by mounting disposable incomes and the desire to give,” says the magazine, “and, in some…
By Thomas J. Billitteri
Contributor
Salaries of CEO’s at Child-Welfare Groups Fail to Keep Pace With Inflation, Report Says
Salaries for top executives of child-welfare groups rose by only 5 per cent from 1995 to 1997, according to a survey by the Child Welfare League of America. Those increases failed to keep pace with inflation, which climbed by 5.8 per cent during that period, and represented the smallest percentage…
By GRANT WILLIAMS
Contributor
New California Bill May Stall Vehicle-Donation Abuses
The California Legislature has passed a bill intended to crack down on donors who take excessive charitable tax deductions for gifts of used cars, boats, and airplanes. Gov. Pete Wilson now will decide whether to sign or veto the measure, which some observers think may be adopted by lawmakers in…
By GRANT WILLIAMS
Contributor
Canadians Spar Over Who Should Decide What Constitutes a Charity
The question of which organizations qualify for charity status -- and who should decide -- is a hot topic in Canada’s non-profit world. Currently, those decisions are made in the Ministry of National Revenue by Revenue Canada, the federal agency (like the Internal Revenue Service) that registers…
By Stephen G. Greene
Contributor
Guides to Ethical Behavior From Canadian Charities
* “Cost of Fundraising Guidelines,” and “Statement of Principles of Donors’ Rights,” both developed by United Way of Canada/Centraide Canada, are available from the United Way’s office at 404-56 Sparks Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5A9, Canada; (613) 236-7041. * “Ethical Fundraising and…