Promote Charties’ Organizational Efforts
To the Editor: Shame on The Chronicle of Philanthropy for so prominently placing Bernard Marcus’s quote saying how “badly organized” most charities are (“Rolling Up His Sleeves: Hardware Magnate Takes a Do-It-Yourself Approach to Giving,” August 22). Perpetuating this image of charities does the…
Business Activities Have Benefits
To the Editor: While the most obvious reason for nonprofits to initiate earned-income activities is to generate funds to support their mission, other important benefits often emerge as well. In “Business Ventures Go Beyond the Bottom Line” (August 8), Evan Hochberg points out that if ventures…
The Buck Stops With the Board of Directors –Â or at Least It Should
The shadow of William Aramony still looms over the nonprofit world. Mr. Aramony, the former president of United Way of America, the umbrella group for roughly 1,400 local United Ways, was sentenced to prison in 1995 for defrauding the charity while on the job. His actions left the public’s…
By Pablo Eisenberg
Contributor
Grass-Roots Organizing Helps to Produce Effective Leaders
To the Editor: The lead article in the September 19 edition, “Grooming the Best and Brightest,” failed to identify one of the most-effective leadership-development strategies being supported by a large number of foundations: community organizing. In hundreds of low-income communities across the…
A Shocking Silence on Muslim Charities
Editor’s note: This article went to press before details about the charges against Enaam Arnaout, director of the Benevolence International Foundation, were released by U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft. Links to articles on the case are available at:…
By Richard L. Moyers
Contributor
Twenty-one months after leaving the White House, Bill Clinton talks to The Chronicle in detail about what he has planned for his philanthropy.
By Grant Williams
Contributor
Article on leader was offensive
To the Editor: Although I am not a close colleague of Sara Meléndez, president of Independent Sector, I am personally offended by your August 22 article “Departure of Nonprofit Coalition’s Leader Raises Questions About Future.” The opening sentence is especially disturbing, describing Ms. Meléndez…
Confusion abounds over stewardship
To the Editor: Peter Frumkin’s opinion piece (“Museum’s $10-Million Lesson: Stewardship Matters,” August 8) is right to focus on the importance of stewardship but unfortunately is flawed by a basic misunderstanding of what stewardship is. The ultimate purpose of stewardship in a museum is not to…
Senator Should Look at Political Parties, Too
To the Editor: Any donor -- and I hope Sen. Charles Grassley is a donor to both the Red Cross and his local United Way -- has a right and even an obligation to know that his or her gifts are being used as intended. Congress, too, should satisfy itself that the laws they pass protect the public and…
Foundations should support advocacy
To the Editor: This is in support of Pablo Eisenberg’s point about the importance of foundation funding of nonprofit advocacy (“Grant Makers’ Aversion to Advocacy Ignores Lessons of History,” August 22). Our recent research with Tufts University found that grant-seeking nonprofits are often…