IRS Hopes Access to Returns Leads to Greater Accuracy
The Internal Revenue Service expects that its soon-to-be-released rules making it easier for the public to get copies of charities’ informational tax returns will force organizations to file forms that are more accurate and complete than they have traditionally been, according to Marc Owens,…
By GRANT WILLIAMS
Contributor
Expired Break for Stock Gifts Worries Foundation Donors
Donors who want to use appreciated stock to set up or supplement private foundations are keeping their fingers crossed that Congress will soon vote to renew and make retroactive a key tax benefit that recently expired. Until June 30 of this year, donors could deduct the full market value of…
By GRANT WILLIAMS
Contributor
Panel on Civic Renewal Adds Another Voice to Calls for Tax Incentives to Promote Giving
A growing chorus of politicians, scholars, and non-profit officials are calling on Congress to pass new tax incentives to encourage Americans to increase their gifts to charities. The most recent voices to weigh in: William J. Bennett, a Republican who served as Secretary of Education in the Reagan…
By Jennifer Moore
Contributor
Supreme Court Upholds ‘Decency’ Standard for Arts Grants; Other End-of-Term Rulings
As the Supreme Court ended its 1997-98 term last month, it made several rulings that directly affected non-profit groups, including a decision that upholds the ability of the National Endowment for the Arts to make grants only to projects that meet “decency” standards. Other rulings stripped a key…
By Jennifer Moore
Contributor
New York Charities Raised Salaries by 5.1% in 1997
Employees of charities and foundations in the New York City area earned an average 5.1 per cent more in 1997 than in 1996, according to a new survey. The increase outpaced the rate of inflation -- 1.7 per cent last year -- and was about the same raise that employees got the previous three years.…
By GRANT WILLIAMS
Contributor
Advertising Campaigns by 18 Charities Capture ‘Addy’ Awards
Advertisements created for non-profit organizations were honored last month with American Advertising Awards, also known as ADDY’s. The competition, sponsored by the American Advertising Federation in Washington, drew more than 60,000 entries. Following are the non-profit winners and recipients of…
Text of Maryland Association’s Guidelines for Ethical Behavior by Charities
Following are the eight “Guiding Principles” and 55 “Standards for Excellence” recently adopted by the Maryland Association of Nonprofit Organizations and distributed to its members. Guiding Principles I. Mission and program Non-profits are founded for the public good and operate to accomplish a…
State Associations Draft Ethical Standards to Bolster Trust in Charities
In the past decade, scandals in the non-profit world have left many organizations seeking guidance about what constitutes ethical behavior. Non-profit associations in several states have been grappling with that issue, hoping to increase public confidence in charity while also providing benchmarks…
By Stephen G. Greene
Contributor
Pew Partnership Tries to Spur ‘Civic Change’ in Small Cities
Rebecca Anderson long had a hunch that western North Carolina’s history as a center of handmade crafts could be used as a catalyst to attract tourists, bolster the economy, and improve life in the region. But even when she worked at the Asheville Chamber of Commerce, she lacked the resources she…
By Paul Demko
Contributor
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