Charities Shouldn’t Treat Unions as if They Were Lepers
To the Editor: Something is clamorously missing from the detailed debate in The Chronicle about the juxtaposition of non-profit organizations with labor unions in the various “payroll protection” proposals floated in more than 20 states (“Muzzling Charities by Mistake?,” May 21; “California Vote:…
How Foundations Could Solve Social Problems
Despite the infusion of $5.3-trillion over the past 35 years into programs designed to help the poor, conditions in America’s inner cities continue to deteriorate. Violence and despair -- clear signs of a nation in moral and spiritual crisis -- are now expanding to our suburban and rural…
By Robert L. Woodson
Contributor
Defiant Head of National Charity Defends Controversial Gift Plan
Fifteen years ago, the Internal Revenue Service revoked the tax-exempt status of the National Heritage Foundation, and J. T. (Dock) Houk found himself thrown out of the organization he had created in 1968. The tax agency charged that the group violated federal laws governing charities, but…
By Vince Stehle
Contributor
Another Unfair Swipe at Second Harvest
To the Editor: Once again, The Chronicle takes a gratuitous swipe at Second Harvest in reporting the departure of its chief executive, Christine Vladimiroff (“Second Harvest Chief to Depart in July,” June 18). Those of us who follow Second Harvest closely -- I am a former employee and a long-time…
Buying Access: the Name of the Game
To the Editor: Your June 18 article “Cultivating Clout” was extremely informative about what’s going on behind the scenes of the attempt to draft anti-tobacco legislation, involving players who normally aren’t found there. I had to laugh out loud, though, at one of the quotes attributed to…
‘Paycheck Protection’: Lenkowsky Replies
Editor’s Note: In its July 16 issue, The Chronicle ran several letters to the editor about Leslie Lenkowsky’s June 18 column on the role of charities in the defeat of the California ballot measure Proposition 226 (“California Vote: Losing Proposition for Charities?,” Opinion). Mr. Lenkowsky…
Finding What Works — and Then Paying For It
To the Editor: Thomas J. Billitteri’s article entitled “Tracking the Effectiveness of Charities” (June 4) explored the dynamics of measuring the effectiveness of charitable programs well. I would like to suggest an implication of measuring program effectiveness that I am not convinced our society…
Steering Donated Cars Back on Track
The ads generally are pretty simple. A headline asks you to donate your old, beat-up car to charity. A couple of lines of text say something like “Maximum tax benefits. We handle all the paperwork.” There’s a phone number to call, and the name or logo of a charitable organization. Sometimes there’s…
By PUTNAM BARBER
Contributor
Senator Dole’s Mixed Role in His Charity
To the Editor: As the first president of the Dole Foundation, I too felt a profound loss on seeing your article “Disability Groups Mourn Death of Dole Foundation” (July 16). In many ways I can say that Paul Hearne was the best thing that ever happened to the foundation; from the time I tapped him…
Non-Profit Pay Scales: Getting What We Deserve
Our society claims to value the work done in behalf of people in need. But that appreciation seldom has translated into an acceptance of paying high salaries to those who work at non-profit organizations. Doing good works, it generally has been assumed -- even by those in the field -- should…
By JED EMERSON
Contributor