At a Glance: the Northwest Area Foundation
History: Established in 1934 by Louis W. Hill, son of James J. Hill, builder of the Great Northern Railway, to “promote the public welfare” in eight states where the railway operated: Minnesota, North and South Dakota, Iowa, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. Purpose: To help improve poor…
Executor Accused of Diverting Money Left to 2 Charities
A Boston lawyer has been charged with swindling two charities by diverting to his own use the bulk of a $1.4-million bequest. John P. Conroy was indicted last month for allegedly stealing $880,000 that had been bequeathed to the American Cancer Society and to Children’s Hospital in Boston. Both…
By Stephen G. Greene
Contributor
Foundation Hopes to Make a Bigger Contribution by Narrowing Its Focus
The Northwest Area Foundation has scuttled its longstanding grant-making programs to devote most of its resources to comprehensive long-term efforts to improve a few poor communities. “We are getting out of the project-by-project, grant-request-by-grant-request business,” says Karl N. Stauber, the…
By Stephen G. Greene
Contributor
Bulk of Michener Estate Goes to Swarthmore
With the death of the novelist James Michener last month, Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania has lost a famous alumnus but gained a multimillion-dollar fortune. Mr. Michener, who was poor as a boy, never forgot that the small liberal-arts college awarded him a full scholarship. Even as he went on…
By Susan Gray
Contributor
Warren Buffett’s Philanthropy: a Year’s Worth of Foundation Grants
Warren Buffett’s philanthropy, the Buffett Foundation, awarded nearly $10-million in the fiscal year ending June 30, 1997, according to its informational tax return filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Following are the grants the foundation listed on that return: Arts and culture. $5,000 each…
Warren Buffett Holds Firm Opinions on How-and When-to Donate
No matter how much Warren E. Buffett has been criticized for not giving away more of his billions, he is unlikely to waver from his belief that the best thing he can do is leave all his money to charity after he’s dead. That way, he reasons, he can keep using his investment magic to keep…
The Securities and Exchange Commission, the federal agency that monitors corporate transactions, is now studying the feasibility, costs, and benefits of two bills introduced by Rep. Paul Gillmor, a Republican from Ohio. One measure, H.R. 944, would require companies to disclose their major…
Proposed measure would require corporations to disclose their charitable contributions to shareholders Public companies should be legally required to tell shareholders what charities the corporations support and how much is given to each, says Rep. Paul Gillmor, an Ohio Republican. “Shareholders…
By GRANT WILLIAMS
Contributor
As a foster mother, Lula Mae Phillips discovered that the children she cared for lacked some of the most basic skills. They did not know how to brush their teeth or tie their shoelaces, or when to wash their hands. They had no table manners and could not sit still for any length of time. The…
Corporate Giving, the Buffett Way
Billionaire financier’s approach, in which shareholders pick charities, is the model for proposed legislation Warren E. Buffett, the Omaha billionaire, has long been a role model for anybody who wants to build a successful investment strategy. But now Congress is eyeing him as a model for the…
By GRANT WILLIAMS
Contributor
George Lucas’s Charitable Alliances
Artists Rights Foundation (Los Angeles): vice-president Joseph Campbell Foundation (San Anselmo, Cal.): member, Board of Advisors The Film Foundation (New York): member, Board of Directors George Lucas Educational Foundation (San Rafael, Cal.): founder and chairman University of Southern California…
At a Glance: The George Lucas Educational Foundation
History: Established in 1991 by the film maker George Lucas, creator of the Star Wars movies. Purpose: Set up as an operating foundation, the organization gathers and distributes information designed to improve education. It also seeks to involve the general public in helping the nation’s schools,…
Through his foundation, ‘Star Wars’ creator George Lucas is promoting innovative ways to use technology in education George Lucas, the film maker who created the immensely successful Star Wars saga, is working on two visions simultaneously: one of an imaginary galaxy long ago and far, far away --…
By MARINA DUNDJERSKI
Contributor
Giving to Diana Fund Less Than First Reported
Donations to the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund are adding up slower than first reported. Officials at Mischon de Reya in London, the law firm that is administering the fund, put the total as of last week at £12-million, or almost $20-million. Some early news reports had placed the value of…
Jewish Schooling Wins Big Support
Ten prominent Jewish philanthropists and business leaders have teamed up with the UJA-Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of New York and AVI CHAI--A Philanthropic Foundation to create 25 to 30 new private Jewish day schools across the country. Each of the 12 members of the Partnership for…