The following awards have been presented for work in advocacy, fund raising, nonprofit leadership, philanthropy, and other areas: Humanitarianism. The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation (Reno, Nev.) has presented its 2008 Humanitarian Prize to Brac (Dhaka, Bangladesh). This organization, which operates in…
73% of Older Americans Volunteer, Survey Finds
Seventy-three percent of adults age 44 to 79 volunteered for an organization in the past year, but significant barriers remain to tapping the full potential of those “experienced Americans,” according to a report commissioned by the AARP. Civic Entreprises, a public-policy consulting firm in…
By Cassie J. Moore
Contributor
New Red Cross Leaders Outline Fund-Raising Ambitions
With a new president and chief fund raiser in place, the American Red Cross is poised to unveil its most ambitious capital campaign ever — but first it needs money just to pay off its bills for sheltering and providing food to victims of the current hurricane season. Gail J. McGovern, the Red…
By Ben Gose
Senior Editor
Senator Raises Questions About Two Hospitals
Sen. Charles E. Grassley, of Iowa, is turning up the heat on two tax-exempt hospitals, demanding information about their nonprofit status, their billing practices, and the kinds of patients they serve. Mr. Grassley, the senior Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, announced that he had sent…
By Eric Kelderman
Contributor
‘Vanity Fair’: Honors Given to Humanitarian Leaders
In an effort to play down its usual parade of celebrities and private-jet-owning business moguls, Vanity Fair (October) has shaken up its annual list of the 100 most powerful people in the world by including leaders in the nonprofit world. “With the economy in the dumps and global warming…
By Ian Wilhelm
Contributor
‘Forbes’: Charities Drive Drug Development
By putting up money for clinical trials, investing in biotechnology companies, and assembling networks of doctors and patients who want to participate in research, health charities are helping to drive the development of new treatments — and becoming important players in the pharmaceutical…
By NICOLE WALLACE
Features Editor
Businesses Urged to Do More to Get Employees to Volunteer
The Corporation for National and Community Service wants to redefine pro-bono work with a new campaign calling on businesses to encourage employees to volunteer using their professional skills. The A Billion + Change campaign announced last week has so far raised the equivalent of $406-million…
By Cassie J. Moore
Contributor
Bits: Spanish Version of eTapestry Now Available
The Microsoft Corporation, in Redmond, Wash., has given software worth $2.9-million to TechnoServe, a Washington group that works to fight rural poverty around the world, and software worth $2.5-million to Ashoka, a charity in Arlington, Va., that supports social entrepreneurship. For more…
By NICOLE WALLACE
Features Editor
Video-Game Company Signs Deal With Voter Group
The use of video games as a tool for social change has garnered a lot of attention recently, and now video-game systems are getting into the act. Xbox has formed a partnership with Rock the Vote that will allow gamers to register to vote, express their opinions about the presidential candidates,…
By NICOLE WALLACE
Features Editor
Software Company Offers New Fund-Raising Tool
The software company Convio is introducing a new online product, Common Ground, designed to help charities manage their interactions with donors and other supporters. With the introduction of Common Ground, the Austin, Tex., company is attempting to break into a segment of the nonprofit software…
By NICOLE WALLACE
Features Editor
Web Site Gives Donors Customized List of Charities
A new Web site enables individual donors to get a customized list of charities that match their interests. Created by the Berkeley Center for New Media at the University of California, the Donation Dashboard site works by using software similar to what Amazon.com and other commercial sites use to…
By Holly Hall
Contributor
Controversy Over a $2-Million Pension Package Prompts Departures at Charlotte’s United Way
Public outcry over the pension package provided to the chief executive at the United Way of Central Carolinas, in Charlotte, N.C., has led to resignations and raised questions about the group’s ability to meet its annual fund-raising goal. The organization’s board had approved a $2-million pension…
By Eric Frazier
Contributor
Religious Groups and Tax Experts Battle Over Campaign Rules for Clergy Members
Two religious factions are battling over the separation of church and state and the federal tax code. On one side, the Alliance Defense Fund, a nationwide conservative legal-advocacy group, says it has recruited nearly 40 pastors to endorse a political candidate during their sermons on Sunday,…
By Eric Kelderman
Contributor
Charities Urged to Do More to Protect Their Own Whistle-Blowers
When it comes to protecting their employees who speak out against illegal or unethical behavior, many grant makers and other nonprofit organizations have voluntarily adopted whistle-blower policies in the wake of a 2002 law designed to cut down on corporate malfeasance. The 2002 law, known as…
By Michael Anft
Contributor
Whistle-Blower Advocacy Groups Forecast Changes as a New President Takes Office
Leaders of groups that represent whistle-blowers make a point of demonstrating that they are not politically partisan. “We pride ourselves on being an equal-opportunity irritant,” says Jeff Ruch, executive director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, a Washington group that…
By Michael Anft
Contributor
Raising Money Is Challenge for Whistle-Blower Groups
Organizations that represent whistle-blowers from goverment agencies typically run into a brick wall when asking grant makers for money, so many of them are turning to individuals to help them raise the money they need to expand their operations. “Very few foundations have stepped up and said, ‘We…
By Michael Anft
Contributor