Estate-Tax Policy Affects Far More Than Philanthropy
To the Editor: In “A Compromise on the Estate Tax” (My View, November 11), Diana Aviv and Robert Greenstein present only one side of the estate-tax story. The authors claim that thanks to a recent Congressional Budget Office report, “the facts involved in the debate have largely been settled.” That…
How Charities Can Fight Terrorism
Last month, 13 nonprofit groups sued the federal government over a controversial rule that required charities to check that their employees weren’t on any terrorist watch lists or risk ejection from the government’s annual charity drive. While the federal rule may impose hardships on nonprofit…
By Michael S. Kutzin
Contributor
Thirty Years of Opinion Writing by Leading Nonprofit Critic
Challenges for Nonprofits and Philanthropy: The Courage to Change
By Caroline Preston
Contributor
Philanthropy Doyenne Says Many Foundations Have Overly Lofty Goals
For 30 years, Elizabeth J. McCormack has helped guide the philanthropy of some of the world’s wealthiest donors, including the Rockefeller family. During that time, she has worked discreetly, preferring any attention to be focused on the individuals and organizations she serves. But last month,…
By Ian Wilhelm
Contributor
Bracing for Bush’s ‘Ownership Society’
George W. Bush’s decisive election victory came as a surprise to many Americans, but perhaps few were more disappointed than leaders of the philanthropic world. Seventy percent of nonprofit officials had hoped John F. Kerry would win, according to one poll, rivaling the proportion of white…
By LESLIE LENKOWSKY
Contributor
A Social Compact for Working People
For decades, America maintained and honored an implicit social compact with its working people. Federal and state governments, employers, and labor unions all helped working people join the mainstream and enjoy a middle-class way of life. They could live the American dream of owning a home and a…
By Hugh B. Price
Contributor
Charities Bask in Record Voter-Turnout Numbers, Weigh Next Steps
The vote is in: Charity and foundation efforts to get people to the polls for this month’s presidential election were a success. So say many nonprofit officials who credit an unprecedented amount of philanthropic money and activity aimed at voter registration and mobilization for helping lead…
By Debra E. Blum
Contributor
Alley Theatre (Houston): Appointed Terrence Dwyer, managing director at the La Jolla Playhouse (Calif.), to be managing director. American Association of Poison Control Centers (Washington): Appointed Anne Flanagan, president of Flanagan Healthcare Consulting (Chicago), to be executive director.…
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…
Bad Characterization of Religion and Politics
To the Editor: Arthur C. Brooks rightly correlates religiosity with generosity (“The Compassionate Ones,” October 28). This is well known and has been at least since the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago and Andrew M. Greeley first began collecting and analyzing data on…