Rather than making charities wait years for study findings, IDinsight offers feedback while projects are ongoing so organizers can change course midstream and get the most from limited resources.
By Marc Gunther
Contributor
Harvard Pals Unite to Tackle Tough Causes
A doctor, a data specialist, a researcher, and a social entrepreneur with experience in yak sourcing came together at the Kennedy School to create an innovative way help nonprofits use data.
By MARC GUNTHER
Contributor
‘You Never Get Anything Completely Right the First Time’
Billionaire hedge-fund manager Bruce Kovner and his wife, Suzie, pour money into efforts to help needy students afford a top-tier education, particularly in the arts.
By Maria Di Mento
Senior Editor
Lawyer Mobilizes Nonprofit to Force Reckoning on History of Racism
Acclaimed author and death-row attorney Bryan Stevenson wants America to learn how a long history of injustice underlies many of today’s most vexing problems.
By NICOLE WALLACE
Features Editor
Opinion: Include Fundraising Support in ‘Capacity Building’
The growing tide among foundations to help their nonprofit grantees cover overhead expenses should be extended to include financial support for solicitation efforts, Charity Defense Council head Dan Pallotta writes in the Harvard Business Review.
New Arrival Fuels Debate: Has Boston Reached Peak Nonprofit?
The Boston Globe looks at whether the region has become saturated with groups offering similar services and spreading donation dollars too thin, in an article focusing on the arrival of a college-readiness charity that has secured significant backing from the financial sector.
San Francisco Mulls ‘Tech Tax’ to Subsidize Programs for Needy
A group of nonprofit activists and city supervisors is pushing a payroll levy on technology companies to help pay for affordable housing and programs for the homeless, the growing need for which is viewed by many in the area as a byproduct of the tech boom, writes The New York Times.
U. of Houston Reportedly Secures $20 Million Naming Gift
After regaining naming rights to the campus basketball arena to raise money for its renovation, the University of Houston plans to rechristen the venue in honor of a $20 million donor, according to the Houston Chronicle.
Ill. Gun Shop Cancels Rifle Raffle to Support Orlando Fund
Questions over whether the contest would violate state law put the kibosh on a suburban Chicago gun store’s plan to raise money for victims of last month’s mass shooting by holding a prize drawing for a semi-automatic weapon similar to that used in the massacre, reports the Chicago Tribune.
Apple and Google Intrigued by Upstart Nonprofit’s Effort to Diversify Tech Field
Laura Weidman Powers is expanding a nonprofit — with support from some giant companies — that helps people of color move beyond internships.
By Heather Joslyn
Contributor
Red Cross Apologizes for Safety Poster Decried as Racist
The charity issued a mea culpa for a poster it produced promoting pool safety that drew online criticism for making its examples of misbehavior primarily children of color, CNN reports.
Famed N.Y. Architects Get Obama Library Design Commission
The Barack Obama Foundation announced the selection Thursday of renowned husband-and-wife team Tod Williams and Billie Tsien to design the $500 million Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, the Chicago Tribune writes.
Trump Used Foundation Money for Charity-Auction Purchase
Tax experts tell The Washington Post the presumptive Republican presidential nominee’s use of Donald J. Trump Foundation funds to cover the $12,000 bid for sports memorabilia at a Susan G. Komen benefit four years ago may have violated Internal Revenue Service rules on “self-dealing” by charities.
New CEOs at Greater New Orleans and National Park Foundations
Also, a longtime vice president at the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund and the editor of Education Week step down.
By ANAIS STRICKLAND
Contributor
160 Million Americans Will Soon Be Able to Raise Money for Charity on Facebook
A new tool will let users create dedicated pages to run fundraising campaigns with photos, videos, and write-ups introducing friends and relatives to nonprofits they like.
By Megan O’Neil
Contributor
Prospects Still Dim for Ex-Va. Governor’s Slavery Museum
Former governor Douglas Wilder’s attempt to resurrect his planned United States National Slavery Museum in Richmond, Va., appears no closer to fruition than his original proposal, which foundered after more than two decades of planning and fundraising, writes The New York Times.