National Health Charities Face Challenge of Preserving Local Focus Amid Mergers
A cool $500,000 a year. That’s what the American Cancer Society’s Great Lakes Division -- formed from the recent merger of the society’s Indiana and Michigan divisions -- expects to save in accounting, clerical, and other costs as a result of the consolidation. The money, says Theresa Bentz, chief…
By Thomas J. Billitteri
Contributor
Charities Asked to Return Money
The trustee for a collapsed financial empire is asking a bankruptcy court to force several dozen charities to return thousands of dollars in donations. The donations were made during the 1990s by the Bennett Funding Group, a family firm in Syracuse, N.Y. Among the amounts being sought by bankruptcy…
Coalition to Fight Youth Violence
The Justice Department has announced that it is working with United Way of America to start a new effort aimed at curbing violence among children in the United States. The formation of the “Coalition for America’s Children” was prompted by the recent violence in Jonesboro, Ark., in which two…
Soros Increases Aid for Needle Exchange
The financier George Soros has pledged an additional $1-million to pay for the distribution of clean needles to drug addicts. Mr. Soros’s decision was spurred in part by the Clinton Administration’s announcement that it did not support a change in federal law that would allow government money to…
Vermont Fund Helps Students From Asia
The Freeman Foundation in Stowe, Vt., has donated $7.75-million to create a revolving loan pool to help Asian students studying at U.S. colleges and universities. The Asian Students in America-Higher Education Loan Program will provide interest-free loans to 1,400 students from Indonesia, Korea,…
Church Gifts Up; Donations to Needy Off
Gifts to Christian churches in the United States continue to grow, according to a new study. But the churches are collecting less money for “benevolences,” programs that help the needy around the country and abroad. The 1998 edition of the Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches, prepared by the…
By Debra E. Blum
Contributor
Chancellor to Give U. of Denver Land Valued at $25-Million
Several non-profit organizations have received big gifts. * The chancellor of the University of Denver, Daniel L. Ritchie, has promised land valued at $25-million to the institution; proceeds from the land’s sale will be used to bolster the varsity athletics program as the university prepares to…
Philanthropy Should Focus on Gap Between Rich and Poor, Report Says
Non-profit groups should encourage Americans to give a greater share of their income to charities, and foundations and corporations should also give much more to organizations that help the poor, says a draft of a report written by a group of about 100 grant makers, charity leaders, government…
By Debra E. Blum
Contributor
Foundations Go to Washington and Learn the ABC’s of Lobbying
More than 2,000 grant makers came to Washington last week and got an education in how to lobby on Capitol Hill. Speaking at the annual conference of the Council on Foundations, Rep. David E. Skaggs, a Colorado Democrat, told foundation leaders: “Each of you have a pretty compelling claim to make on…
By Jennifer Moore
Contributor
A Wake-Up Call for Foundations
Grant makers urged at meeting to be more global and more vocal Grant makers were urged to pay greater attention to global issues at the annual meeting of the Council on Foundations, held here last week. At the same time they were told to keep their eye on domestic politics on Capitol Hill, where…