State Clears Kauffman Fund of Wrongdoing
The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, in Kansas City, Mo., should change the way its board operates, more clearly state its commitment to its hometown, and rewrite its ethics policies, the Missouri attorney general says. In a report on the foundation’s operations that was made public this month,…
By Michael Anft
Contributor
Arizona Business School to Get $60-Million; OtherNew Gifts
Four higher-education institutions have received large gifts: Thunderbird, the American Graduate School of International Management, in Glendale, Ariz., next month will receive $60-million from Rita Garvin and her husband, Samuel, the founder and chief executive officer of Continental Promotion…
Charities Must Learn to Better Manage Volunteers, Study Finds
Sixty-two percent of charities that use volunteers employ a paid staff member to manage them, according to a new study by the Urban Institute, a think tank in Washington. However, the survey also found that those employees spend a median of only 30 percent of their time on volunteer management --…
By Cassie J. Moore
Contributor
Conservative Foundations Promote Ideas More Effectively, Report Says
Politically conservative foundations are more effective than their liberal or moderate counterparts at promoting their ideologies, says a new report by the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, a liberal organization in Washington that seeks to hold foundations accountable to the public.…
By Ian Wilhelm
Contributor
Giving to Colleges, Private Schools Drops for Second Year in a Row
For the second consecutive year, private donations to colleges, universities, and secondary schools declined, according to new figures from the Council for Aid to Education. Donations to colleges and ALSO SEE:Giving to Colleges, Private Schools Drops for Second Year in a RowGiving to Colleges and…
By Brad Wolverton
Contributor
Photograph by David GordonStudents at the Perkins School for the Blind, in Watertown, Mass., often can be found smelling fragrant flowers or fingering fuzzy plant leaves in the airy Thomas and Bessie Pappas Horticulture Center. The new $2-million greenhouse has allowed the school to expand the…
Colgate U. Receives $35-Million; Other Gifts
Three nonprofit institutions have received large gifts and pledges: Colgate University, in Hamilton, N.Y., has received two pledges totaling $35-million. Robert H.N. Ho, chairman of Kyard Limited, in Hong Kong, and a 1956 graduate of the university, has pledged $25-million for a science building.…
Two Heiresses Leave Bequests Totaling $226-Million to Several Groups
Two women have left large bequests to several charitable institutions. Caroline Wiess Law, of Houston, whose father founded an oil company that eventually became ExxonMobil, died in December at age 85. Ms. Law left gifts of artwork and cash, valued at approximately $135-million, to: The Museum of…
By Julia Green
Contributor
Report: Engaged Foundation Boards Are Most Effective
Chief executives of large U.S. foundations believe that the most effective governing boards are those whose members do not limit themselves to overseeing investments and approving grants but are also highly engaged in developing their institutions’ strategies and evaluating the social impact of…
By Stephen G. Greene
Contributor
How The Chronicle Compiled Its Survey of Giving and Assets at Big Foundations
The Chronicle‘s annual survey of the nation’s largest private foundations is based on ALSO SEE:DATABASE: Giving Trends at Big FoundationsFoundation Assets RecoverHow Much Foundations Plan To Give In 2004Large Grants in 2003: A SamplingHow Much Foundations Spent on Program-Related InvestmentsSize of…
By Leah Kerkman
Contributor
Many grant makers don’t plan to increase awards, despite gainsBuoyed by stock-market gains, assets at most of the nation’s largest private foundations rose last year, ALSO SEE:DATABASE: Giving Trends at Big FoundationsHow The Chronicle Compiled Its Survey of Giving and Assets at Big FoundationsHow…
By Ian Wilhelm
Contributor
Photograph by Stephanie Klein-DavisChildren who lose their hair to illness or injury may also lose their sense of self-esteem and self-confidence. But a Lake Worth, Fla., charity is helping those kids reclaim their childhoods one bob, ponytail, or pageboy at a time. Locks of Love provides the…
America’s Top Donors 2003: at a Glance
What Big Donors Gave 2002 2003 Gifts paid $0.7-billion $2.2-billion Pledges 2.1-billion 959.6-million Bequests 1.8-billion 2.7-billion Total $4.6-billion $5.9-billion What Groups Received the Big Gifts 44 colleges and universities 18 foundations 18 museums and libraries 9 education groups 8 health…
Regional Differences Found in Giving and Volunteering
Geography matters in stimulating donations of time and money, a new report suggests. An analysis of data from a nationwide survey by Independent Sector, a coalition of foundations and nonprofit organizations, concludes that people in different areas of the United States respond disproportionately…
By Stephen G. Greene
Contributor