New Endowment Rules Signal Caution for Charities
As a result of the market gyrations of the past year, nearly 15 percent of endowments have lost some of the principal that donors invested, according to the Urban Institute. Also affected by the downturn are quasi-endowments — unrestricted funds designated by a board of directors to function like…
By H. Woods Bowman
Contributor
An Affair to Remember: When Conflicts Get Personal
The Madoff scandal holds lessons about how charity boards should handle conflict-of-interest issues.
Use Them or Lose Them: Keeping Volunteers Happy and Committed
Tips on how nonprofit leaders can make the best use of an influx of volunteers.
By Tom Nelson
Contributor
The idea: As a program analyst at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Howard Bornstein wondered how to respond to a friend who came to him seeking advice on an education charity to support. Sitting down the hall from Mr. Bornstein were dozens of people with vast knowledge of the question, yet…
By Caroline Preston
Contributor
Give and Take: Working Through Fatigue
The head of the Central Dallas Ministries makes a candid testimonial about the fatigue that can hit charity leaders, notes Give and Take, the Chronicle’s roundup of the best blog posts about the nonprofit world. Plus: A marketing expert’s advice to fund raisers is a highlight of Wednesday’s daily…
Give and Take: A Blog’s Evolution Into a Philanthropy Business
After three years of writing one of the nonprofit world’s most popular blogs, Sean Stannard-Stockton is creating a new company to help wealthy donors with their giving — a venture that grew out of his online discussions, notes Give and Take, the Chronicle’s roundup of the best blog posts about the…
Blog Writer Forms New Company to Advise Wealthy Donors
Blog writer starts new company to advise wealthy donors
By Ian Wilhelm
Contributor
Legacies: Sen. Kennedy and Public Service
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy’s role in promoting volunteerism and public service could be one of his most enduring legacies, writes Shirley Sagawa, in an opinion article for The Chronicle of Philanthropy. She worked as an aide to the senator and is now a visiting fellow at the Center for American…
Give and Take: Do Newspapers Offer a Simplistic View of Nonprofit Struggles?
Newspapers nationwide are writing about charities facing tough economic times, but the articles frequently paint a simplistic picture, says a blog post highlighted in our Give and Take roundup of the most-interesting opinions on the nonprofit world. Plus: International aid charities met in private…
Stories Are Key to Philanthropy
To the Editor: I couldn’t agree more with Sean Stannard-Stockton that “information is a necessary but not sufficient condition for robust philanthropy” (“Data Don’t Tell the Whole Story of Charities’ Impact,” Opinion, July 2). To build on his call for context, we need to document our stories. I…