Americans Cut Back on Volunteerism as Job Losses Rise, Study Finds
Seventy-two percent of Americans say that in the past year they have cut back on the time they spend volunteering and performing other civic activities, according to a study by the National Conference on Citizenship. The annual America’s Civic Health Index, based on surveys of 3,889 people in May,…
By Caroline Preston
Contributor
The following awards have been presented for work in advocacy, fund raising, nonprofit leadership, philanthropy, and other areas: Education. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (Seattle) has presented its 2009 Access to Learning Award to the EPM Foundation (Medellin, Colombia). The $1-million award…
Youth Health Care Aided by Technology, Report Finds
A new report outlines promising uses of technology to improve children’s health, describes the barriers that hinder the widespread adoption of such programs, and recommends policy changes that will foster greater use of technology in children’s health care. Among the programs discussed are…
By NICOLE WALLACE
Features Editor
Salvation Army Uses Video to Help Its Report Come Alive
Whether out of concern for the environment or for the bottom line, it’s not unusual for charities to post their annual reports online. But the Salvation Army wanted to take full advantage of what the Internet has to offer, rather than just move a report designed as a print document onto the Web. To…
By NICOLE WALLACE
Features Editor
Rising Health-Care Costs Imperil Coverage for Nonprofit Employees
The escalating cost of health insurance is placing an enormous strain on many of the nation’s charities, leading some groups to cut back on coverage for employees, according to a new report. That trend is particularly worrisome for nonprofit organizations because they have long relied on…
By Caroline Preston
Contributor
Some Small Groups Fail in Recession
After a major donor died this year, Rhoda M. Weisman began desperately searching for new sources of revenue for her Los Angeles charity. But with the bad economy drying up philanthropic resources, she decided after several months that there was no way to make her $1.4-million budget and it was time…
By Ian Wilhelm
Contributor
American Jewish World Service (New York): Appointed Laura Talmus, owner of Laura Talmus Associates (Kentfield, Calif.), to be Western regional executive director, based in San Francisco. American Tinnitus Association (Portland, Ore.): Appointed Wes Breazeale, director of donor relations at the…
Alzheimer’s Association, California Southland Chapter (Los Angeles): Appointed Bettina Kurowski, chief executive officer of Kurowski & Company (Encino, Calif.), to be president and chief executive officer. Arizona Humane Society (Phoenix): Appointed Kelsea Vescova, director of community relations…
Academy of Natural Sciences (Philadelphia): Appointed Amy Miller Marvin, vice president for institutional advancement at the Bishop Museum (Honolulu), to be vice president for institutional advancement. Allied Health Research Institute (St. Louis): Appointed Sean Elizabeth Maloney, senior vice…
Mergers Announced by Charities
American Red Cross of Monterey-San Benito Counties, in California, and the Carmel Area Chapter of the American Red Cross have merged to form the American Red Cross-Monterey Bay Area Chapter. Bayshore Community Hospital, in Holmdel, N.J., and Meridian Health, in Wall Township, N.J., have merged.…
Staff and Budget Cuts at Nonprofit Organizations: a Sampling
American Red Cross Monterey-San Benito Counties (Calif.) The Central California branch of the national disaster-relief charity has laid off three staff members. Cleveland Museum of Art The museum has laid off 14 of its 300 employees and is leaving eight other positions unfilled. Council on…
Ford Foundation Taps One of Its Veteran Managers to Oversee Investments
As the new chief investment officer at the Ford Foundation, Eric W. Doppstadt faces a challenging economic environment. Like almost all foundations, Ford, the second wealthiest grant maker in America, experienced a sharp decline in its endowment during the last 12 months. Since September 2008,…
By Ian Wilhelm
Contributor
New on the Job: Eric W. Doppstadt, Chief Investment Officer, Ford Foundation, in New York
Background: Mr. Doppstadt, 49, started as a lawyer for Ford’s investment team 20 years ago. Education: Earned a bachelor’s degree in social science from the University of Chicago and law degree from New York University Law School. Why he was hired: Ford wanted a familiar hand in control of its…
By Ian Wilhelm
Contributor
Recession Pinches a Community College’s Effort to Help Baby Boomers
After running her own engineering-software firm with her husband for two decades, Deborah Aguiar-Vélez, 53, was ready for something new. She closed the company’s New Jersey office and moved with her family to Charlotte, N.C. With an empty nest and a revamped “virtual” business that did not require…
By Sandy Asirvatham
Contributor
Professionals Turn to Retraining Programs in Quest for Nonprofit Jobs
When Allyn Yamanouchi was offered a buyout by Citigroup at the end of last year, the 58-year-old corporate tax specialist didn’t hesitate to take it. With the financial-services giant announcing plans to lay off more than 50,000 employees, Ms. Yamanouchi suspected that her career managing legal…
By Jennifer C. Berkshire
Contributor
Abandoned Apartments in Gritty D.C. Neighborhood Become a New Community Center
When neighbors of Potomac Gardens, a public-housing complex in Washington’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, grew upset about growing crime rates, the leader of a charity that serves the project’s children had an idea: Why not turn some of Potomac Gardens’ abandoned apartments over to community…
By CANDIE JONES
Contributor