National office urges local United Ways to make changesUnited Way of America has issued new standards for its 1,350 independent local affiliates that reflect the changing nature of the organization. The standards urge the affiliates to identify community problems, raise money to solve them, and…
By Debra E. Blum
Contributor
‘Outside’: Charity Efforts in the Sports World
From Outside magazine, which covers adventure sports and travel and chronicles the stunts of extreme athletes, comes this sentiment: “The ultimate thrill is giving back.” In a feature called “Giving Large” (February), the magazine says that “real adventure means making a difference.” It lists…
By Debra E. Blum
Contributor
‘Harvard Business Review’: Perils of Charity Ventures
Too many nonprofit groups make the mistake of trying to start profit-making businesses, according to an article in the Harvard Business Review. The article, in the February issue, was written by Jeffrey Bradach and William Foster, who are both top officials at the Bridgespan Group, an organization…
By Debra E. Blum
Contributor
Boy Scout Council Denies Padding Enrollment as FBI Investigates
A Federal Bureau of Investigation examination of an Alabama Boy Scout council has put the spotlight on a rumor that has long circulated about the Boy Scouts: that some local affiliates of the national charity pad their membership rolls to make paid Boy Scout recruiters look good and to coax more…
By Debra E. Blum
Contributor
Median Pay for Foundation Chiefs Was $110,000 Last Year, Study Finds
Employees of the nation’s foundations last year received a median pay raise of 4 percent, according to a new report ALSO SEE:Salaries and Benefits at Foundations by the Council on Foundations, barely outpacing the 2004 inflation rate of 3.3 percent. Chief executive officers at all types of…
By Debra E. Blum
Contributor
Giving by private, corporate, and community foundations tops $150-million in cash and suppliesThe nation’s foundations and corporations have been scrambling to figure out how best to help the victims of last month’s ALSO SEE:SPECIAL REPORT: Rebuilding Nature’s Ruin tsunamis in South Asia. Many…
By Debra E. Blum
Contributor
Court Ruling Could Influence Restrictions Donors Place on Bequests
A Pennsylvania court’s decision to allow a nonprofit organization to disregard a key part of its founding donor’s instructions could have repercussions for charities, as donors decide how best to ensure that their philanthropic intentions are honored over time. The court ruled last month that the…
By Debra E. Blum
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
White House Policies on Advocacy Rights Faulted
The Bush administration and its conservative allies in Congress and elsewhere have stepped up efforts to stifle expression by nonprofit groups that disagree with government policies, says a new report by OMB Watch, a Washington advocacy group. The report, “Continuing Attacks on Nonprofit Speech:…
By Debra E. Blum
Contributor
Protestants Decrease Gifts for Church-Run Social Services
Giving by Protestants, as a share of their after-tax income, to church-run, charitable activities has dropped to a 35-year low, according to a new report. An analysis of more than 100,000 Protestant congregations shows that in 2002, the latest year for which data are available, church members gave…
By Debra E. Blum
Contributor