Court Ruling Upholding Political Advocacy Should Be Seen as a Warning to Charities
By LESLIE LENKOWSKYLast month’s U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding the right of federal grantees to challenge welfare laws has been widely hailed as a victory for nonprofit groups that seek to influence public policy. But it may turn out to be a Pyrrhic victory that only underscores the…
Barnes Foundation Is a Story of ‘Recovery and Rebirth’
To the Editor: We read with dismay and disappointment your article on the Barnes Foundation (“Sketching Out a Plan for Survival,” March 8). Not only was it replete with factual errors, but it also casts a long shadow on what should have been a wholly positive story of recovery and rebirth. First…
Why Not an Estate-Tax Credit for Donors?
By DONALD B. SUSSWEINThe estate tax has the noble goal of reducing economic inequality, but it is poorly designed to achieve that purpose. Instead of confiscating roughly half of all large estates, Congress should allow the estates of wealthy people to remit what they otherwise would pay in estate…
By Donald B. Susswein
Contributor
Troubled Pennsylvania Fund Suffers Setback in Civil-Rights Case
By DEBRA E. BLUMA federal appeals court has ruled that the financially troubled Barnes Foundation, in Merion, Pa., must pay the legal expenses for neighboring residents whom the foundation accused of racism in a 1996 civil-rights lawsuit. In a strongly worded opinion, a 2-to-1 majority of the…
By Debra E. Blum
Contributor
Letting donors control the timing of appeals breeds loyalty and gets results, fund raisers are toldSan Diego Charities that give donors control over the number of times they are solicited and ALSO SEE: Why Donors Stop Giving to Charity flexibility in choosing how much to give have a much better…
To the Editor: As a grant writer for a large nonprofit, I recently had a call from a woman with noble intentions. She indicated she had received a “calling from the Lord” to establish a faith-based organization that would provide services to substance-abuse patients. She wanted her organization to…
Charities Should Support Bush Tax Cut
By LESLIE LENKOWKSYNow that President Bush has presented his budget to Congress, serious debate is about to begin on the administration’s tax proposals to stimulate philanthropy. Unfortunately, while charities are lining up behind several Bush proposals that could pay modest dividends for…
By LESLIE LENKOWSKY
Contributor
Donors Need to Learn What Collaboration Really Means
By SUSAN A. OSTRANDERA while ago, I heard a top corporate executive talk about how his company had used what he called a “collaborative process” about where to donate its substantial annual gift. He talked about how employees at every level had a voice in the decision, and how well the dialogue…
Bedouins Are Often Forgotten in Efforts to Aid Israeli Arabs
To the Editor: It is heartening to know that promoting equality for Israeli Arabs is gaining increasing interest among American Jewish donors (“Wagering on Peace,” February 8). But the otherwise informative piece omitted American philanthropic efforts to help a much-neglected segment of Israel’s…
The E-Philanthropy Revolution Is Here to Stay
By JAMES E. AUSTINWith technology stocks plummeting and dot-com companies disappearing by the score, it would be easy to assume a similarly dim future for e-philanthropy, which describes the use of the Internet to raise money and recruit volunteers. But make no mistake: The e-philanthropy…
By James E. Austin
Contributor