Filmmaking Finds a Bigger Niche
As outlets for documentaries increase, charities and foundations help artists Television and movie documentaries are exploding in popularity -- in no small part because of money and creative work provided by charities and foundations. ALSO SEE:A Screen Test for CharitiesFilmmakers Say the Search…
By Debra E. Blum
Contributor
* Elaine L. Chao, former president of United Way of America and currently a fellow at the Heritage Foundation, says that adoption of a flat tax in place of the current income tax would be good for charities -- even if taxpayers would no longer be able to take charitable-contribution deductions. The…
By Grant Williams
Contributor
IRS Panel Says Donors Exaggerate Value of Artwork
The Internal Revenue Service’s Art Advisory Panel has reviewed and recalculated the values of hundreds of pieces of artwork claimed by taxpayers who donated them to charities or left them to heirs. As it has in the past, the committee found that many people exaggerated the value of paintings,…
By Grant Williams
Contributor
The Abraham Fund (New York): Appointed Ellen Isler, director general at the World ORT Union (London), to be executive vice-president. Advertising Council (New York): Appointed Peggy Conlon, vice-president and group publisher for the Broadcasting & Cable Group at Cahners Business Information (New…
On-Line Grocery Solicits Food Gifts for the Needy
A Web site that gives on-line grocery shoppers a chance to donate food to the hungry got 84 credit-card gifts from 75 donors in its first five days. The donations totaled $4,000 worth of food. NetGrocer, based in North Brunswick, N.J., is collaborating on the donation effort with Second Harvest, a…
By Marilyn Dickey
Senior Editor, Copy
Bowling Organization Loses Charity Status
The I.R.S. has revoked an amateur-bowling organization’s tax-exempt status because it furthered the private interests of its officers, directors, and others, and failed to carry out its charitable mission. The non-profit organization, which the I.R.S. did not identify as a matter of policy, said on…
By Thomas J. Billitteri
Contributor
Court Approves Exemption for Anonymous-Gift Fund
A federal appeals court has ruled that an organization created to make it easier for people to give anonymously to charity is entitled to tax-exempt status. William J. Lehrfeld, a lawyer in Bethesda, Md., established the Fund for Anonymous Gifts in 1993 to permit donors to support unpopular or…
By Stephen G. Greene
Contributor
The following awards have been presented for work in philanthropy, fund raising, volunteerism, and non-profit management: AIDS. Funders Concerned About AIDS (New York) has presented its 1999 R.A. Radley AIDS Grantmaker Award to Joe Cristina, founder and board chair of the Children Affected by AIDS…
Technology Bits: Planned Giving Design Center Expands
* The Planned Giving Design Center -- an on-line service that provides free news and information on planned gifts and related topics -- has been expanded. Formerly open only to financial advisers in 60 regions of the country, the service is now available nationwide to anybody. Subscribers get…
By Holly Hall
Contributor