The British Are Coming — and Vying for U.S. Funds
The excitement among British fund raisers is almost palpable. Recent reports of huge donations -- at least by British standards -- by American philanthropists and foundations have encouraged an increasing number of U.K.-based fund raisers to consider adding American “prospects” to their portfolios.…
By Paul J. Summerfield
Contributor
Workers Prefer Employer-Provided Health Insurance, Survey Finds
Listening to Workers: Findings From The Commonwealth Fund 1999 National Survey of Workers’ Health Insurance, reports a consensus among adults aged 18 to 64 that employers are the best candidates to provide health coverage to Americans. The Commonwealth Fund commissioned Princeton Survey Research…
By C. Quinn Hanchette
Contributor
‘Begging’ Squelches the Charitable Impulse
To the Editor: Scholars who study charitable giving say that the “philanthropic impulse” of Americans surpasses that of other affluent countries. We donate, on average, 1.2 percent of our gross income each year -- a percentage much greater than that of France (0.15 percent) or Germany (0.30…
New Giving Reflects Old Priorities
The recent spate of giving by new young philanthropists, many from the world of technology, appears to have done little, if anything, to change the priorities of American philanthropy. By and large, the young wealthy givers are focusing their attention almost entirely on the environment, education,…
By PABLO EISENBERG
Contributor
Costs of Fund Raising Online are Dropping
To the Editor: The Chronicle’s recent article on online holiday fund raising, “Making Sure That the Clicks Stick” (January 27), suggests that the cost of obtaining and processing online donations is a potential drawback, since many non-profits are not sure just how cost-effective online donations…
If Same Old Suspects Lead a Review, Philanthropy Won’t Profit
To the Editor: The conservative economist Frederick Hayek, in his address accepting the Nobel prize, observed that it was ironic that economists were being called upon to correct the problems that they had created. I had the same reaction to Pablo Eisenberg’s suggestion that a new Filer-type…
Grant Makers: Stop Slighting Community Colleges
In this new century, the missions and programs of community colleges are overlapping more and more with the fundamental concerns of grant makers. From educating former welfare recipients so that they can make the transition to paying jobs to forging partnerships with the public schools so that…
By HAL MERZ
Contributor
Tax Report Shakes Up Charities
Leaders object to recommendations to increase access to IRS dealings Many non-profit leaders are worried by a Congressional proposal to make most charity dealings with the Internal Revenue Service part of the public record -- ALSO SEE:A Call for Disclosure including audits and other documents that…
By GRANT WILLIAMS
Contributor
Appreciating a Life of Public Service
To the Editor: Adam Yarmolinsky, who died on January 5, has been applauded by a number of our nation’s leaders for his contributions to government service, particularly through President John F. Kennedy’s “New Frontier” agenda and President Lyndon Johnson’s “War on Poverty.” But his public-service…