Fluctuations in Real-Estate Market Influence Donors’ Generosity; Plus More: Wednesday’s Roundup
Swings in the value of real estate are making it hard for charities to gauge donor wealth, says one consultant; plus more, in Wednesday’s roundup of the best online posts about the nonprofit world.
By Maria Di Mento
Senior Editor
The Role for Philanthropy in President Obama’s AIDS Plan
A veteran AIDS grant maker writes that government and private groups need to create more effective ways to build HIV-prevention programs.
By NANCY MAHON
Contributor
Florida’s New Foundation Law Protects Donor Intent
How much does the public want to know about the diversity of foundation leaders and grantees? Very little, says a nonprofit leader discussing Florida’s new law on foundation disclosure.
Gates-Buffett Example Worth Its Weight in Gold
If the giving challenge by Bill and Melinda Gates and their friend Warren Buffett extends beyond billionaires and increases giving by all Americans, that will be a meaningful achievement, writes Sean Stannard-Stockton, a Chronicle columnist.
By SEAN STANNARD-STOCKTON
Contributor
As a New Experiment Gears Up, Obama Seeks to Keep Promises
Many parents will soon know the heartbreak of losing out on programs that would have given their children a better start in life, but the Obama administration is working quietly behind the scenes to expand those opportunities.
By Patrick Lester
Contributor
At End of High Court’s Session, Nonprofit Principles Stand Unscathed
The Supreme Court session that ended last month protected the basic principle of charity: that Americans can give freely to any cause they choose, write two nonprofit scholars.
By Suzanne Garment and LESLIE LENKOWSKY
Few Charities Pay Exorbitant Salaries to Their CEO’s
A Chronicle columnist is wrong to suggest that Congress needs to put a lid on executive pay at charities, writes a nonprofit-compensation expert.
After Helping Haiti at Its Worst, a Need for Economic Development Grows Clearer
An economic-development charity was thrown into the relief business in Haiti after the earthquake struck, and it discovered skills that were valuable to experienced relief groups, writes one of the organization’s top officials.
By Perry Letson
Contributor
Defending Giving USA’s Record of Accuracy
The measure of annual donations is accurate, say its publishers, while a philanthropy expert says the real question is not about percentage changes in giving but the way nonprofit groups will be reshaped as the downturn continues.
Nonprofit Innovators Can Learn From Failure as Well as Success
As nonprofit groups and grant makers focus on ways to expand successful charities, they need to keep in mind that some of the best ideas result from failure, say two experts who have studied innovations in criminal-justice programs.
By Greg Berman and Aubrey Fox