2014 Calif. Audit Blasted Blue Shield for $4 Billion Surplus
The revocation last year of Blue Shield of California’s state tax exemption came on the heels of a blistering audit by state tax officials who assailed the nonprofit health insurer’s provision of coverage and multibillion-dollar cash stockpile, the Los Angeles Times writes.
Newseum Mulled Risky Fiscal Move to Tackle Pressing Debt
Burdened by more than $300 million in debt, the museum devoted to journalism and the First Amendment floated a plan last fall to sell shares in its seven-year-old building in the heart of Washington, D.C., offering investors a large “balloon payment” in 10 to 15 years, writes The Washington Post.
Philanthropy’s Boost to Basic Science
The Alfred P. Sloan foundation aims to spur innovation by restoring America’s pre-eminence in basic research, including how to compile and use big data sets.
By Michael Anft
Contributor
How Recession-Racked Charities Emerged Stronger Than Before
Nonprofit leaders tell how their groups weathered the recession and ended up larger and more solid than before — and what they are doing to prepare for the next downturn.
By Drew Lindsay
Senior Editor, Special Projects
Foundation Puts Emphasis on No-Strings-Attached Grants
The Weingart Foundation Center boosted unrestricted grants to help nonprofits like the Pacific Asian Family, a group that fights domestic violence, navigate tough financial times.
By Drew Lindsay
Senior Editor, Special Projects
The Face of Philanthropy: Dancers at an Exhibition
The Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company surprises and delights people with performances in unexpected places, including some of Washington’s most prestigious museums.
By Maria Di Mento
Senior Editor
Lessons From Charles Darwin on Promoting Philanthropy
How evolutionary thinking can provide insights into the human condition and help philanthropic leaders accomplish their missions.
By David Sloan Wilson
Contributor
Instead of trimming its performance schedule, the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis survived through lean times by sticking with its 33-year history of commissioning innovative new work.
By Drew Lindsay
Senior Editor, Special Projects
Mergers Turn University Foundations Into Fundraising Juggernauts
Giving an affiliated foundation the lead in raising money, and bolstering its staff with the university advancement team, can result in more freedom and more dollars.
By Drew Lindsay
Senior Editor, Special Projects
Detroit Nonprofit Powers Through Recession With Diversified Revenue
Amid tough times in Detroit, a serial entrepreneur achieves what many experts say should be every nonprofit’s goal.
By Drew Lindsay
Senior Editor, Special Projects
Asking for a Bequest? Talk About Life
A researcher at Texas Tech University found that profiles of living people explaining why they were planning to leave a bequest spurred more donations than stories about giving by people who had died.
By Alex Daniels
Contributor
5 Essential Ways to Prepare for the Next Downturn
Organizations say retaining key staff, establishing strong board relationships, building healthy reserves, and diversifying revenue are key elements to weathering tough times.
By Drew Lindsay
Senior Editor, Special Projects
Wash. Girl Scouts Group Rejects Gift With No-Transgender Clause
The Girl Scouts of Western Washington has raised $175,000 online to replace a donation it rejected because the donor set a condition that the money not be used to support transgender troop members, CNN reports, citing Seattle Metropolitan magazine.
L.A. Charities Get Minimum-Wage Break for Trainee Workers
The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to exempt three area nonprofits that help “transitional workers” enter the labor force from paying such trainees the city’s increased minimum wage, public radio station KPCC reports.
Fundraising Company Classy Wins $18 Million in Investment
The startup, which offers crowdfunding tools for nonprofits, announced Tuesday that it has secured $18 million in an investment round led by entrepreneur and philanthropist Peter Thiel’s Mithril Capital Management, writes The San Diego Union-Tribune.
Push-Up Challenge Draws Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert, Carson Daly
Several big names have participated in a lighthearted campaign to help veterans, but nonprofits have yet to find the next ice-bucket phenomenon.
By Megan O’Neil
Contributor