Silicon Valley Firms Outpace Other Big Companies in Giving
Silicon Valley’s largest companies may not necessarily deserve their reputation for parsimony: They gave charities a higher percentage of their pretax profits in 1996 than the typical big American business, says a new report. A survey of 57 companies in northern California, most of which were…
By MARINA DUNDJERSKI
Contributor
Indiana Community Foundation Receives $90-Million Gift; Other Recent Donations
A community foundation and two universities have received large gifts. * The Central Indiana Community Foundation, in Indianapolis, has received a $90-million commitment from the Moriah Fund and the family of Daniel R. (Dan) Efroymson of Indianapolis. The gift was initiated by Mary Ann Stein,…
Brownie Troop, Cancer Educator Among 24 Honored as ‘Points of Light’
Following are the people and organizations that have most recently been named to receive President Clinton’s Daily Points of Light Award. The awards, which are given to those who have done exemplary volunteer work, take their name from President Bush’s description of people who do community service…
Postal Stamp Honors Foundation Donors
The U.S. Postal Service this month issued a first-class stamp honoring Lila and DeWitt Wallace, founders of Reader’s Digest, for their work as philanthropists. “The Wallaces’ legacy of kindness and generous contributions to the arts make them without question two of our nation’s foremost…
Survey Points to Dip in Corporate Giving
Businesses last year were slightly less likely to make donations to charity than they were in 1996, according to a survey of companies by the Boston College Center for Corporate Community Relations. Ninety-six per cent of the 227 companies surveyed last year reported making charitable gifts…
Nureyev Foundation Wins Court Battle
A federal judge in New York last month ruled in favor of the Rudolf Nureyev Dance Foundation in a bitter court challenge brought by members of the dancer’s family. The $7-million foundation was created from the U.S. assets in the $21-million Nureyev estate, after Mr. Nureyev died in January 1993.…
Museum Settles Dispute Over Pledge
The Museum of Contemporary Art, in Chicago, has reached an out-of-court settlement in a dispute over a $5-million unpaid pledge. Under the settlement agreement, the institution will receive two paintings for its collection, and the museum has dropped its lawsuit against a former chairman of the…
$51.8-Million Ford Grant to Assist Homebuyers
The Ford Foundation will give $51.8-million over the next five years in an attempt to help at least 35,000 low-income families buy homes. The grant, which is expected to stimulate at least $2-billion in commercial loans to first-time homebuyers, is believed to be the largest foundation grant ever…
By Paul Demko
Contributor
Almost 1 in 3 Adults Have Been Mentors for Troubled Kids
About one in three adults has served as a mentor to a troubled youth at some point, and one in seven is currently volunteering as a mentor, according to a new survey commissioned by the Commonwealth Fund in New York. The poll found that a greater percentage of people said they had volunteered to…
By Susan Gray
Contributor
Through the charity Mighty Special Music Makers, adults whose physical or mental handicaps make it impossible for them to read music are learning how to memorize scores, note by note. The Maryland charity recruits musically talented volunteers -- referred to as “band aides” -- to hold weekly…
Uris Brothers Fund to Shut Down
The Uris Brothers Foundation, in New York, announced last month that it would close its doors after making $30-million in grants to New York institutions. The Uris Brothers Foundation was formed in 1957 by the real- estate developers Harold and Percy Uris. The three daughters of Harold Uris, all of…
Carnegie Shuffles Grant-Making Units
The trustees of the Carnegie Corporation of New York have approved a new organizational structure for grant making at the $1.6-billion foundation. The changes come as the foundation’s new president, Vartan Gregorian, marks his first year in office. Carnegie will now have three main program…
Changes at the Helm of 2 California Funds
The chief executives of the two private philanthropies created by the founders of the Hewlett-Packard Company have announced their departures: * David Pierpoint Gardner, 65, announced his intention to retire from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, in Menlo Park, Cal., by June 30, 1999. *…
$250-Million Fund Started by Nellie Mae
Nellie Mae, one of the country’s largest providers of education loans, has created a foundation that has $250-million in assets. The Nellie Mae Foundation, located in Braintree, Mass., is expected to give about $10-million a year to a wide array of education programs. The decision to set up the…