Too Little Action Taken to Prevent Scandals
LETTERS TO THE EDITORTo the Editor: I am disappointed as a member of the National Committee for Planned Giving that no response to the political challenges and scandals facing charities and foundations has been forthcoming. NCPG has made a half-hearted attempt to establish guidelines to measure…
Mistaken Statistics on Charitable Funds
LETTERS TO THE EDITORTo the Editor: Your article on the Senate Finance Committee hearing (“Taking Aim at Charity,” April 14), misquoted the report by Jane Gravelle of the Congressional Research Service, who in turn misused data taken from a study of community-foundation donors on the Foundation…
How to Stop Conservation Donors From Cheating on Their Taxes
One of the most useful, cost-effective methods of conserving land in America is in serious crisis. A series of scandals has revealed major abuses of conservation easements -- a legal tool increasingly used to protect private land from development. Landowners who donate easements to nonprofit…
By JON CHRISTENSEN
Contributor
LETTERS TO THE EDITORTo the Editor: Before international relief agencies devote time and resources to developing first-time donors into regular contributors ("$990-Million Raised in U.S. for Tsunami Relief,” March 17), they should look at how they treat the “regulars” they already have. As a…
How Watchdog Standards Harm Good Charities
LETTERS TO THE EDITORTo the Editor: Ian Wilhelm exposes a disturbing truth in his article about inconsistencies in nonprofit evaluation (“Report Urges Charity-Watchdog Groups to Improve Rating Methods,” April 14). With standards all over the map, donors face an uncertain choice when deciding how to…
Philanthropy Needs Its Own Federal Agency
Rules, regulations, standards, guidelines -- no matter what they are called, they are the underlying basis of any organized, civilized society. Would you drive an automobile in a jurisdiction without “rules of the road”? Would you ever use anything electrical if each manufacturer used its own…
By Robert M. Lang Jr.
Contributor
In an era when America is fiercely divided politically and journalists are scrutinizing nonprofit groups and donors, philanthropists should take care in giving to controversial causes. Otherwise they might become fodder for opinion writers or those looking to grind a partisan axe, writes Worth…
By Caroline Preston
Contributor
Q. How do I get someone to critique my resume? A. If you’re wondering whether you should hire a consultant to critique your résumé, the answer is “don’t bother,” says Debra Oppenheim, a recruiter in New York who specializes in nonprofit clients. “So-called ‘résumé doctors’ are a waste of time and…
By Rebecca Gardyn
Contributor
Charities Should Focus on People Under 25
To the Editor: Peter Panepento’s article about recruiting members of Generation X to become involved in nonprofit organizations (“Connecting With Generation X,” March 31) raises important points, but he doesn’t go far enough. It’s not only people in their mid-30s that are “financially ready and…
Foundations Should Support Firearm Research
The tragedies caused by gun violence have rippled throughout the headlines in recent weeks: In Red Lake, Minn., a troubled young boy armed himself with a .22-caliber rifle, a .40-caliber handgun, and a 12-gauge shotgun and went on a shooting rampage that left 10 people dead. In Atlanta, a defendant…
By Ellen Alberding
Contributor