AARP Announces YouTube Video-Contest Winners
AARP has announced the winners of its U@50 contest, which challenged young people to create a short video of what they expect their lives to be like at age 50. The top five videos earned cash awards, with the best videomaker receiving $5,000. “The aim of this contest was to create a dialogue…
By Audrey Hill
Contributor
$100,000 in Prize Money for Charity ‘Mashups’
In the world of Web 2.0, a mashup is an Internet site or service that combines data from more than one source. TechSoup.org is challenging nonprofit groups to think about ways they could combine information from multiple sources to raise awareness for a social cause — and offering $100,000 in prize…
By NICOLE WALLACE
Features Editor
Longtime Nonprofit Leaders Cite Financial Security Worries
Money — in particular, the lack of it — keeps many veteran nonprofit leaders on the job year after year. Many baby boomers were pioneers when they started their nonprofit work, creating new organizations ALSO SEE:ARTICLE: Potential Charity Leaders See Top Job as Unappealing, New Survey…
By Sam Kean
Contributor
Potential Charity Leaders See Top Job as Unappealing, New Survey Reveals
The charity world is expected to require tens of thousands of new leaders within the next decade, ALSO SEE: ARTICLE: The Young and the Restless ARTICLE: Longtime Nonprofit Leaders Cite Financial Security Worries ARTICLE: Up-and-Coming Nonprofit Workers and Their Career Plans as the baby-boomer…
By Jennifer C. Berkshire
Contributor
Veteran managers don’t always share views of youthful workers Concern about a leadership void at nonprofit organizations has been mounting in recent years — especially ALSO SEE:ARTICLE: Potential Charity Leaders See Top Job as Unappealing, New Survey RevealsARTICLE: Longtime Nonprofit Leaders Cite…
By Sam Kean
Contributor
The Internal Revenue Service announced it will investigate U.S. citizens in connection with a charity tax scandal in Liechtenstein. Foundations in Liechtenstein are not required to serve a charitable purpose and are allowed to give money to founders or their family members, and a number of European…
By Sam Kean
Contributor
Google Starts New Blog for Nonprofit Groups
Google Grants — an effort by the search-engine company to donate online advertising to charities — has started a new blog that seeks to help recipients take better advantage of the free ads. Since creating Google Grants in 2003, the company has donated more than $200-million worth of advertising to…
By Peter Panepento
Contributor
Able Trust (Tallahassee, Fla.): Appointed Susanne Homant, executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Florida Chapter (Tallahassee), to be president and chief executive officer. This group helps disabled people in Florida find jobs. American Farmland Trust (Washington): Announced…
IRS Explains How It Handles Complaints
For clarification on how it informally investigates organizations after receiving complaints, the IRS has issued two memos. The first notice describes how the agency checks nonprofit groups to make sure they deserve tax-exempt status and have not violated any laws or regulations that would endanger…
By Sam Kean
Contributor
‘E-Postcard’ Unveiled for Small Charities
The Internal Revenue Service has released its Form 990-N, also known as an “e-postcard,” a new tax document required of groups with annual gross receipts of less than $25,000. Previously only groups that earned $25,000 or more yearly had to file with the IRS, but the Pension Protection Act of 2006…
By Sam Kean
Contributor
Charity Coalition Urges Release of Money
A group of nonprofit organizations is pressing the U.S. Treasury Department to unlock the frozen assets of charities that have been designated as supporters of terrorism. The group, which includes the Council on Foundations, Grantmakers Without Borders, the Muslim Public Affairs Council, and OMB…
By Caroline Preston
Contributor
A Look at After-School Programs and Engaging Students
NEW BOOKS Quality Time After School: What Instructors Can Do to Enhance Learning, by Jean Grossman, Margo Campbell, and Becca Raley, studies five school-based community centers in Philadelphia that offer after-school academic, cultural, and recreational activities for youths. The report seeks “to…
By Anne W. Howard
Contributor
Charities Seek to Assist Victims of Chad Violence
By Caroline PrestonCharities are racing to help people affected by violence that broke out in Chad this month after rebels attempted to overthrow the government. At least 100 people were killed in the capital, Ndjamena, and approximately 30,000 people were forced to flee their homes for other parts…
By Caroline Preston
Contributor
Bits: Center for Community Change Launches Movement Vision Lab Website
On March 31, women who work in technology at nonprofit organizations or for political campaigns can participate in a series of free conference calls — some of which will also include Web-based presentations — on such topics as online organizing, open-source software, technology trends, and…
By NICOLE WALLACE
Features Editor
United Way Experiments With Cellphone Appeals
United Way of America has a familiar pitchman asking cellphone users to support the organization’s youth-fitness programs. In a television ad that first aired during the Super Bowl, Tom Brady, the quarterback of the New England Patriots, invites viewers to send a text message to make an instant $5…
By CANDIE JONES
Contributor
Grant Makers Group Warns About Bogus Message
The Council on Foundations is warning the public about fraudulent e-mail messages that purport to be from Steve Gunderson, president of the council. The organization cautions that responding to the unsolicited e-mail messages or clicking on any of the links provided could allow passwords,…
By CANDIE JONES
Contributor