Editor’s note: David Rockefeller, a scion of one of America’s wealthiest and most famous families and a towering figure in philanthropy, business, and foreign affairs since the 1940s, died March 20 at age 101 at his home in Pocantico Hills, N.Y. Mr. Rockefeller’s seven decades in public life…
By Maria Di Mento and Ian Wilhelm
A ‘Reinvention’ to Aid Grant Seekers
As the Foundation Center turns 50 years old, it seeks $15-million to upgrade research toolsTo help fund raisers better understand the scope, scale, and style of modern-day philanthropy, the Foundation Center is raising ALSO SEE: Table: How U.S. Foundations Have Grown millions of dollars to expand…
By Ian Wilhelm
Contributor
A Skateboard Legend’s Half-Pipe Dreams
On a crisp, sunny morning here, a dozen or so teenagers in baggy jeans do their best to defy gravity. At a newly built skateboard park, they zip through the gray-white hills and valleys with abandon, the soft rolling sound of their rubber wheels punctuated by the occasional crash of a failed ollie…
By Ian Wilhelm
Contributor
International Grants Rose by 8% Last Year
Foundation giving to international causes rose to $3.8-billion last year, the largest amount American grant makers ALSO SEE: Table: International Giving by American Foundations have ever awarded overseas, says a new report. Such giving grew by $300-million from 2004, an 8-percent increase, not…
By Ian Wilhelm
Contributor
Treasury Department Warns Charities to Avoid Aiding Terrorist Organizations
The U.S. Department of the Treasury has released revised guidelines to help nonprofit groups prevent their charitable dollars from unwittingly being used to support terrorism and other violence. The federal government first issued the guidelines in 2002 but has revised them several times due to…
By Ian Wilhelm
Contributor
Clinton Effort to Fight Global Ills Tallies $7.3-Billion in Pledges From Donors
Political, corporate, and nonprofit leaders have pledged at least $7.3-billion in business investments, philanthropic donations, and other commitments as part of an effort led by former President Bill Clinton to find ways to fix global problems. That dollar amount was announced at a meeting held…
By Ian Wilhelm
Contributor
Head of Ford Foundation Announces ’08 Retirement
The president of the Ford Foundation, Susan V. Berresford, has announced that she will retire in 2008 after leading the organization for 12 years. “I know it is time for a new stage in my life, one that includes more time for my family,” she said in a statement. The foundation said its Board of…
By Ian Wilhelm
Contributor
Charities Urged to Publicize Hurricane Aid
Government agencies and charities need to do more to reach out to victims of Hurricane Katrina, many of whom remain desperate for aid but are not aware of what assistance is available to them, says a new report. In most cases, people who suffered harm from Hurricane Katrina know only about services…
By Ian Wilhelm
Contributor
Big Changes at the Rockefeller Foundation
The 93-year-old philanthropy stirs up criticism as it looks for new approachesAs one of the world’s most venerable grant makers tries to revitalize its efforts, the Rockefeller Foundation is making major personnel changes and overhauling its giving. Since March 2005, when Judith Rodin joined the…
By Ian Wilhelm
Contributor
Did September 11 Produce a Generation of Volunteers?
Hurricane Katrina has shown that Americans are willing to sacrifice when motivated. ALSO SEE:Special Report: Renewal and Reckoning Since the storm struck, more than 500,000 volunteers have worked along the Gulf Coast, according to estimates by the federal government. This unprecedented outpouring…
By Ian Wilhelm
Contributor