New study finds a big drop in the percentage of baby boomers who are donors to national advocacy groups Civil-rights groups, environmental organizations, and other national advocacy groups that expected a boom in donations from the baby-boom generation may be in for bitter disappointment. ALSO…
By Holly Hall
Contributor
United Way Honors Media-Savvy Affiliates
Local groups bring home awards in annual contest for best fund-raising materials, ads, and promotions Dozens of local United Ways have garnered awards in the 1999 Communications Contest sponsored by the United Way of America. A total of 236 fund-raising and other materials were chosen from among…
By Holly Hall
Contributor
Former United Way Officials Lose Bids to Shorten Jail Time
A federal appeals court in Richmond, Va., has denied requests to shorten the prison sentences of William Aramony, former president of United Way of America, and Thomas J. Merlo, former chief financial officer of the charity. ALSO SEE:The full text of the court’s ruling Both men were sentenced in…
By Holly Hall
Contributor
For Non-Profit Groups That Seek Guidance on Real-Estate Gifts, It’s a Buyer’s Market
Gifts of real estate are complicated for many charities to handle. Most worrisome to many groups is whether they will be able to sell the property in a reasonable amount of time. ALSO SEE:Property Rights -- and WrongsRaising Money From Real Estate: a List of Resources Another big concern is whether…
By Holly Hall
Contributor
Donations of real estate can be extremely lucrative for charities, but they also can be more trouble than they’re worth A handful of farmers in eastern Kansas were faced with a problem: They wanted to use their land, which had greatly appreciated in value, to set up planned gifts with charities in…
By Holly Hall
Contributor
More Than a Third of Americans Increase Gifts Over the Holidays
More than a third of all Americans give more money to charities during the month of December than throughout the rest of the year, a new survey has found. The research, commissioned by the Lutheran Brotherhood, in Minneapolis, was based on a nationally representative poll of 1,047 adult Americans…
By Holly Hall
Contributor
Paid Charitable Solicitors in 3 States Take 60% or More of Donations They Collect, Say New Reports
Telemarketers and other paid solicitation companies take more than 60 cents of every dollar they raise for charity in Vermont, Washington, and California, according to new studies. * In Vermont, the Attorney General said that over the past five years charities received only 29.4 per cent of the…
By Holly Hall
Contributor
New rules issued by the IRS on charitable remainder trusts are likely to bring more money to charities and donors alike Some charities are urging donors to move quickly to take advantage of new Internal Revenue Service rules that are likely to make certain types of planned gifts more lucrative for…
By Holly Hall
Contributor
Company Offers Big Award for Creative Web Sites
A telecommunications-equipment maker plans to offer $250,000 in cash and in-kind services to non-profit organizations that come up with creative ideas for new Web sites. Ericsson, which is based in Sweden and has nearly 170,000 employees worldwide, will this month introduce the first annual…
By Debra E. Blum, Marilyn Dickey and Holly Hall
* The Gilbert Center, a Seattle organization that provides technology help to charities, has created an e-mail discussion list on topics related to non-profit “intranets” -- private, internal computer networks that can be used only by people associated with a particular organization. “Extranets,”…
By Debra E. Blum, Marilyn Dickey and Holly Hall