Crafting a Real-Life Civics Lesson
North Carolina group uses arts heritage to unite disparate segments of society When Jon Ellenbogen, a potter in nearby Penland, N.C., heard about a nascent effort here to use handmade crafts as a vehicle to drive tourism, economic growth, and civic engagement in western North Carolina, he was…
By Paul Demko
Contributor
‘Salon’: Lavish Spending at Tax-Exempt Magazine
The editor of The American Spectator, R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr., has received lavish personal benefits paid for by the non-profit group that owns the conservative publication, according to the on-line magazine Salon (http://www.salonmagazine.com). The article, which was written by Salon’s Washington…
By Paul Demko
Contributor
‘The Economist’: A Challenge to America’s Wealthy
“America could be on the verge of a golden age of philanthropy, of a sort not seen since the 1900s,” says The Economist (May 30). “But if that is to happen,” it says, “many more of the entrepreneurs who are changing the rules of everything from computers to high finance will have to start applying…
By Paul Demko
Contributor
Charities Cheer Defeat of California Ballot Measure That Threatened Advocacy
A contentious California ballot measure that many non-profit officials feared would lead to restrictions on advocacy efforts by charities has been rejected by voters. It is the first of a handful of measures expected to come up at the state and federal levels in coming months that threaten to put…
By Paul Demko
Contributor
Censored Documents Posted on Charity’s Site
The Digital Freedom Network is turning to the Internet to fight censorship around the world. The Hackensack, N.J., non-profit group has posted on its Web site essays, letters, and other writings by people who have been imprisoned, persecuted, or otherwise silenced in their home countries. “In the…
By Paul Demko
Contributor
Legal Fight Imperils $450-Million in Bequests
A legal battle over an Omaha woman’s will could cost non-profit groups in New York and Nebraska about $450-million in bequests. Mildred Topp Othmer, who died in April, pledged almost all of her estate to charity in a 1988 will. But a niece who served as Ms. Othmer’s caretaker, Mary D. Seina, has…
By Paul Demko
Contributor
Muzzling Charities by Mistake?
California ballot measure to limit how labor unions use funds deducted from paychecks could ensnare other non-profit groups Charities that receive donations through on-the-job fund-raising drives could face new restrictions on their lobbying, if California voters approve a measure on the June…
By Paul Demko
Contributor
Muzzling Charities by Mistake?
California ballot measure to limit how labor unions use funds deducted from paychecks could ensnare other non-profit groups Charities in California that receive donations through on-the-job fund-raising drives could soon face new restrictions on their advocacy efforts if voters approve a measure on…
By Paul Demko
Contributor
On-Line Forum Focuses on Universal Internet Access
Over the next two weeks, the John and Mary R. Markle Foundation will be sponsoring an on-line discussion, “Universal Access Conversation: Building a Networked Nation on the Global Internet.” The conversation is part of the New York grant maker’s effort to insure that everyone has access to the…
By Paul Demko
Contributor
Web Site Catalogues Rules for Gift Annuities
A free data base of state regulations governing charitable gift annuities is now available on line. The “Planned Giving Resources” World-Wide Web site is administered by James B. Potter, a planned-giving consultant in Alexandria, Va. Visitors can click on a state to check what rules apply for gift…
By Paul Demko
Contributor