Charities Must Learn to Better Manage Volunteers, Study Finds
Sixty-two percent of charities that use volunteers employ a paid staff member to manage them, according to a new study by the Urban Institute, a think tank in Washington. However, the survey also found that those employees spend a median of only 30 percent of their time on volunteer management --…
By Cassie J. Moore
Contributor
Study Shows Which Charities People Trust
Doctors Without Borders, Habitat for Humanity, and the Salvation Army earned the highest scores among 20 charities graded on their trustworthiness, according to a new survey by Harris Interactive, a research company in Rochester, N.Y. Among those 20, Global Exchange, an international human-rights…
By Brad Wolverton
Contributor
Learning When to Walk Away From Difficult Donors
Martin was unequivocal: “Such donors are the past, not the future. We’ve got the track record, so donors should trust you and the organization. Your board is not going to allow you to undertake projects in which you get dumped on.” And then it happened. As if Martin had mystical powers that…
How a Fund-Raising Consultant Found Her Calling
My career path to the world of nonprofit fund raising has been circuitous. I graduated from the University of Nevada at Reno in 1981 with a bachelor of science degree in home
Conservative Foundations Promote Ideas More Effectively, Report Says
Politically conservative foundations are more effective than their liberal or moderate counterparts at promoting their ideologies, says a new report by the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, a liberal organization in Washington that seeks to hold foundations accountable to the public.…
By Ian Wilhelm
Contributor
Giving to Colleges, Private Schools Drops for Second Year in a Row
For the second consecutive year, private donations to colleges, universities, and secondary schools declined, according to new figures from the Council for Aid to Education. Donations to colleges and ALSO SEE:Giving to Colleges, Private Schools Drops for Second Year in a RowGiving to Colleges and…
By Brad Wolverton
Contributor
Navigating Protocol and Courting Big Donors
An American fund raiser in London finds her job is more than translating dollars into poundsLondon Melissa Donham, a fund raiser, bids her fiancé, U.S. Air Force Capt. Christopher Welch, a fond ALSO SEE:Charities’ Fast-Track JobsLuring Fund Raisers Who Lure Big GiftsCultivating the Business Side of…
By Jennifer C. Berkshire
Contributor
Opportunity Knocks Across the Pond
In Britain, plenty of fund-raising jobs await Americans; landing a work permit is the hard partDemand for fund raisers in Britain has never been higher. As the British government scales back ALSO SEE:Charities’ Fast-Track JobsLuring Fund Raisers Who Lure Big GiftsCultivating the Business Side of…
By Jennifer C. Berkshire
Contributor
Demand for myriad services, including fund-raising and management advice, is on the riseCrammed calendars are again the norm at the Center for Nonprofit Management, in Nashville. After watching the number of nonprofit groups seeking management advice drop in 2001 and 2002, the ALSO SEE:Charities’…
By PETER PANEPENTO
Contributor
Cultivating the Business Side of Charity
A growing number of nonprofit groups seek ‘social entrepreneurs’ to start money-making venturesDebra Bruce has become accustomed to the strange looks she receives from people when she reveals what ALSO SEE:Charities’ Fast-Track JobsLuring Fund Raisers Who Lure Big GiftsSending a Clear…
By Rebecca Gardyn
Contributor