Blame Henry VIII for Charity’s Conundrum
Early one morning many years ago I found myself sitting on my duffel bag in front of the Greyhound bus station in Casper, Wyo., waiting for a ride. Not far from where I sat I could see a man struggling to fish something out of his jacket pocket. His clothing was stained and bedraggled, and his…
By Thomas A. Kelley
Contributor
Internet ‘Blogathon’ Raises Money for Charity
With bleary eyes and more than a little coffee, bloggers stayed up all night on July 26 to raise money for charity. A Web log -- often shortened to blog -- is an online journal that is frequently updated with news, opinion, photographs, or other content. Last month, more than 400 people who run…
By NICOLE WALLACE
Features Editor
Americans Have Growing Interest in Charity Involvement, Polling Expert Says
By Elizabeth Schwinn Atlanta New polling data suggest that charities have an unprecedented opportunity to recruit new volunteers and new donors, according to the head of one of the nation’s biggest public-opinion research companies. A majority of those surveyed last year by Yankelovich Partners,…
A year ago The Chronicle of Philanthropy published an article that was unfairly critical of the American Foundation and its founder, Ben Schaub (“A Risky Mix for Charity,” May 16, 2002). The article was replete with misinformation, unfair innuendos, and false accusations. We thank The Chronicle for…
A real debate is neededon McKinsey study
To the Editor: Responding to my opinion piece (“McKinsey Study Shows Stunning Lapse in Logic,” May 29) as well as The Chronicle’s coverage of their Harvard Business Review article, Bill Bradley and his McKinsey co-authors continue their harmful disservice to the nonprofit sector (“McKinsey’s…
Foundations Unleash Ugly Tactics to Protest House Bill
The conflict between the right and left in philanthropy has taken some bizarre twists as the House of Representatives considers whether to increase the amount foundations are required by law to give to charities. For months, several grant makers have apparently been spreading the word that the…
By PABLO EISENBERG
Contributor
New York’s Top Charity Regulator Doesn’t Understand Charities
New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer was in the news frequently after the September 11 attacks as he led a public charge to push charities to do more to help the victims. He got even more attention through his quest to clean up Wall Street after Enron and other corporate scandals. Now, the…
By DOUG WHITE
Contributor
Shrill Debate Over Foundation Bill Puts Some Funds at Risk
To the Editor: I am deeply distressed by the shrill nature of the debate surrounding H.R. 7’s provision to eliminate administrative expenses from qualifying distributions of private grant-making foundations (“Two Groups Oppose Foundation Measure.” June 26). This highly emotional discussion is based…
What Can Government Demand for Its Money?
Late last month, on the last week of this year’s Supreme Court term, the headlines were all about sex. In a Texas sodomy case, the court upheld the right of gay people to conduct their intimate affairs without the government’s intervention. The court also sanctioned legislation designed to prevent…
By Laura K. Abel
Contributor
Write-Offs: A New Study on Planned Gifts, Charges for Nonprofit Tax Returns
Researchers at Boston College have designed and analyzed a survey on the use of planned-giving tools, such as charitable gift annuities and charitable trusts, that can offer significant tax breaks to donors. The survey asked whether respondents or their spouses had used any of 10 planned-giving…
By Elizabeth Schwinn
Contributor