New Head of Russell Sage Foundation Seeks to Raise the Visibility of the Poor
Sheldon Danziger, a public-policy scholar, sees a need for more hard data on what programs work to alleviate poverty and economic inequality.
By Caroline Bermudez
Contributor
A Prize Competition Can Spark Excellence in Community Colleges
Experience from one program shows that a competition can motivate organizations to think differently about how they measure success and work to achieve it.
By JAMIE MERISOTIS and KERRY SULLIVAN
Direct Mail and Telemarketing Have an Undeserved Reputation for Bilking Donors
Some fundraisers have been unscrupulous, but most of the criticism comes from people who just don’t like getting solicitations.
By Tom Harrison
Contributor
When Charities Hit Roadblocks, Even Small Gifts Can Help Them Survive
Philanthropists need to be more flexible in helping beneficiaries weather the financial challenges of inevitable obstacles, argues a donor who created an organization specifically to help charities deal with such challenges.
By LAURIE MICHAELS
Contributor
Peter Buffett Takes to Twitter to Advance Critique of Philanthropy
The composer, musician, and son of Warren Buffett talks about what led to his controversial New York Times opinion piece.
By ALLISON FINE
Contributor
Opinion: Detroit Art Sell-Off Would Betray Public and Donors
Selling masterworks from the Detroit Institute of Arts to pay down the city’s $18-billion debt would be “a betrayal of public trust and donors’ bequests” and violate the museum’s nonprofit status, a New York Times art critic writes.
Opinion: Teach for America Is Divisive but Effective
Recent research indicating that teachers from the nonprofit education group are as effective in the classroom as their more experienced peers is summarized by The Washington Post.
Opinion: Giving by Rich to Local Schools an Education Boon
Reuters economics columnist Felix Salmon defends donations by well-to-do parents to local public schools in a riposte to a New York Times piece that said such giving widens educational inequality.
As the IRS looks to solve the problem it faced judging applications for tax-exempt status, I have a suggestion: If an organization uses the word “party” in its legal or business name when it applies for status as a (501)(c)(4) social-welfare organization, as was reportedly done by Tea Party…
Widespread Denial Allows Charity Scams to Flourish
To the Editor: After reading the letter from Diana Aviv (“Nonprofit Leader Condemns Unethical Use of Charities,” August 15) on the current status of unethical use of charity donations, I think a little perspective on charity malfeasance may be helpful. Several studies, as well as watchdogs, have…