Charities angle for donations from new and long-time donors alike; stock-market worries some fund raisers The kindness of strangers is a big help to charities at the end of the year -- the time when most organizations receive the bulk of their contributions. Holiday inspirations -- plus a desire to…
Letter Brings in Additional Planned Gifts
Hampden-Sydney College has increased the number of planned gifts it receives at year’s end by sending an individually tailored letter to donors who have already made such contributions. For the past two years, the college has sent the letter to nearly 200 donors who have set up gift annuities,…
Re-Designed Package and Handmade Gift Lead to Big Jump in Holiday Donations
Hale House, a New York charity that helps ailing babies, increased donations to a year-end appeal by 71 per cent in 1996 -- largely by upgrading the quality of the gift that it includes in solicitations to top donors. The charity sent out hand-crafted dolls to 1,000 people who had donated at least…
Commuter-Route Billboard Gets Year-End Giving Message Across for Maryland United Way
The United Way of Charles County in Waldorf, Md., has always had fund-raising problems because so many residents leave each day for jobs in Washington, D.C., some 20 miles away. Often the residents give through on-the-job campaigns run by the United Way in the District of Columbia and do not…
The following awards have been presented for work in philanthropy, fund raising, volunteerism, and non-profit management: Children. The National Association of Child Advocates (Washington) has presented the following 1997 Child Advocates Awards: -- The Florette Angel Memorial Award, which went to…
Museum’s Use of Company Called Improper by Court
The U.S. Tax Court has ruled that a Denver museum’s use of a maintenance-services company owned largely by a museum manager was improper. The Museum of Outdoor Arts was created as a private foundation by John W. Madden, Jr., and others, and set up at an office complex. Most of the artwork of the…
By GRANT WILLIAMS
Contributor
House Proposal Drops Idea for Special Funds for IRS
A proposal moving through Congress to revamp the Internal Revenue Service does not include a recommendation to earmark special funds for charity regulators that had been recommended by a high-profile commission. A never-used provision of federal law allows I.R.S. regulators of charities and pension…
By GRANT WILLIAMS
Contributor
Federal Property Available for Housing
Federal buildings and land that are not being used by the government can now be converted into permanent housing for poor people because of a law signed by President Clinton this month. Providers of low-cost housing will be able to buy or lease the property at a discount of at least 75 per cent.…
Congress Increases AmeriCorps’ Budget
Congress has approved a $25-million increase in federal funds for the AmeriCorps national-service program for the new fiscal year, which started October 1. That was welcome news to a program that faced the threat of a $200-million cut under the House of Representatives’ original proposal. The deal…