McKinsey’s $100-Billion Prediction Strikes a Nerve
To the Editor: The impassioned response in some quarters (including in these pages) to our recent Harvard Business Review article, “The Nonprofit Sector’s $100-Billion Opportunity” (May 29), suggests that our research has struck a nerve. Part of the controversy stems from the current political and…
Seeing the Internet’s (Not So) Obvious Benefits
By Don Howard and Ken Weber The Internet revolution has raised and dashed many people’s expectations, and nonprofit managers are no exception. “What return am I getting on my Internet spending?” many charity executives are asking. “After all the hype, what’s the real value of the Internet for the…
By DON HOWARD and Ken Weber
Members of Congress Don’t Understand What Good Grant Making Takes
Legislation recently introduced in the House of Representatives would bar private foundations from counting administrative expenses, such as salaries and rent, toward the minimum 5 percent of assets they must distribute annually. The result would be at least $1-billion more in annual grants, surely…
By Mark R. Kramer
Contributor
Don’t Cry for Thee, Foundations
From the anguished cries, wringing hands, and self-pity generated by foundation officials during the past few weeks, it sounded like the end of the philanthropic world is at hand. At least one journalist for a prominent daily newspaper says grant makers are so terrified that she has received…
By PABLO EISENBERG
Contributor
Charities Shouldn’t Be Urged to Act Like Enron
The former senator Bill Bradley has recently confessed that his Princeton education was not worth anywhere near what he paid for it, that he was urging friends to cash out their retirement savings and distribute them to their children, and that the money he spent appealing to millions of New Jersey…
By Lester M. Salamon
Contributor
McKinsey Study Shows Stunning Lapse in Logic
In this month’s issue of Harvard Business Review, Bill Bradley, the former New Jersey senator, and two of his colleagues at McKinsey & Company claim that simply by improving their management practices, nonprofit organizations could generate $100-billion to serve society. Were it not for the damage…
By MARK ROSENMAN
Contributor
Another Blow for the Public Image of Charities
By Henry Goldstein The Supreme Court’s decision last week in a telemarketing-fraud case was a major victory for the public but a significant loss for charities seeking to win back public confidence in nonprofit organizations. The court last week looked past the narrow, self-interested position…
Congress Can Save Giving if Estate Tax Dies
By EDWARD J. MCCAFFERYand DON R. WEIGANDTThe federal estate tax is scheduled to die in 2010 -- for a year, at least -- but giving by the wealthy need not die with it. It is up to Congress to take action to keep planned giving alive. We believe that Congress should change the income-tax system to…
By Don R. Weigandt
Contributor
Excerpts of the Supreme Court’s Opinion on Nonprofit Telemarketing Fraud
Following are excerpts of the main opinion the Supreme Court issued last week in Madigan v. Telemarketing Associates (Case No. 01-1806). The Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the State of Illinois has the right to charge Telemarketing Associates ALSO SEE:Prosecuting Fraudulent Appeals with fraud…
The Unsung Heroes of Philanthropy
Douglas McCandlish Lawson, associate director of national programs at the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, the foundation inspired by Monsignor Geno Baroni and sponsored by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, died on March 30 at the age of 58. His legacy of achievement stands out among…
By PABLO EISENBERG
Contributor