‘SmartMoney’: Religious Giving
PRESS CLIPPINGSBy Sam KeanContributions to churches have grown far faster than donations to secular charities, with contributions reaching $93.2-billion in 2005. But that growth has brought with it an increasing need for financial sophistication among church administrators — and many are struggling…
By Sam Kean
Contributor
‘Fast Company’: Awards to Charities
PRESS CLIPPINGSBy Sam KeanForty-three nonprofit groups outdid all others in coupling philanthropic goals with business strategies, and their success has earned them recognition in Fast Company‘s fourth annual Social Capitalist Awards (December/January). Of the 314 organizations considered for the…
By Sam Kean
Contributor
The Potential for Charity-Business Alliances to Advance Education
NEW BOOKS The Untapped Opportunity: How Public-Private Partnerships Can Advance Education for All, by George Ingram, Annababette Wils, Bidemi Carrol, and Felicity Townsend, looks at the state of education around the world. The publication focuses on four questions surrounding “school gaps,” or…
By Anne W. Howard
Contributor
DVD’s Teach Charities How to Raise Money
NEW BOOKS People Give to People: Building a Highly Successful Development Program, is a set of three DVD’s that offer advice on fund raising. Four board leaders from a variety of charity backgrounds, including the arts, social services, and public broadcasting, describe their experiences in…
By Anne W. Howard
Contributor
Arts Group Fights to Keep Tax-Exempt Status
TAX WATCHBy Elizabeth SchwinnFacing the loss of its exemption from state taxes, a New Hampshire artists’ colony has gone to court to argue that it qualifies as a charity and should not be required to pay more than $150,000 in annual property taxes to the town where it is located. Representatives of…
By Elizabeth Schwinn
Contributor
IRS Reminds Charities of New Online-Filing Rule
TAX WATCHBy Elizabeth SchwinnBeginning with the 2006 tax year, charities with $10-million or more in assets must file their Form 990 federal informational tax returns via the Internet, the Internal Revenue Service says. The electronic filing requirement was first applied last year to charities with…
By Elizabeth Schwinn
Contributor
A Former Mayor Takes an Unexpected Path to a Gay-Rights Charity
I didn’t follow a blueprint, but instead my career path built on itself. It wasn’t that I was forward-thinking, saying, “I want to do this.” I was enabled to do more because of the experiences that I had. I got my bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of North Dakota. I took a lot of…
Here’s a sampling of places that offer silent retreats: Bethany Retreat House, East Chicago, Ind., (219) 398-5047 Private and directed silent retreats are available at this suburban home owned by the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ, a religious order of Catholic women. Retreats start at $45 per…
Silent retreats are generating buzz among stressed-out charity workers and a few foundations Four years ago Steve Jenkins felt overwhelmed by his job helping immigrant garment workers in New York. The solution, he decided, was to find some serious peace and quiet. Taking the advice of a friend,…
By Jennifer C. Berkshire
Contributor
Calls for Openness Prompt Nonprofit Groups to Revise Policies
More than half of nonprofit organizations have made changes to their governance policies in the ALSO SEE: Table: Key Duty of Nonprofit Boards: How Budget Size Affects the Top Priority Table: Percentage of Nonprofit Grous That Made Governance Chnages in the Past Three years past three years,…
By Harvy Lipman
Contributor
Lawmakers Propose Changes for American Red Cross
Sen. Charles E. Grassley, Republican of Iowa, has proposed legislation to revamp the American Red Cross and make it easier for government officials to investigate the organization, a move that follows widespread criticism of the charity’s response to recent disasters. The measure — which would be…
By Elizabeth Schwinn
Contributor
Older People Lead Jump in Volunteerism, 30-Year Study Finds
By Noelle Barton Volunteerism rates have exploded in the past 30 years, especially among older Americans, according to a new analysis ALSO SEE: Table: Where Americans Volunteer: How Popularity of Causes has Changes, 1989-2005 Table: Percentage of Americans who Volunteer, by Age of data on unpaid…
By Noelle Barton
Contributor
Charities employ 7.2% of the nation’s workers — and are adding to their ranks faster than other employersCharities employ 7.2 percent of the nation’s work force and have added paid jobs at a much higher rate ALSO SEE: Table: Where Nonprofit Jobs Are -- And How They Grew, 2002-4 Table: Percentage of…
By SUZANNE PERRY
Contributor
Choosing the Right People Essential to Success of a Business, Say Experts
Starting a money-making operation can be intimidating for many nonprofit organizations. ALSO SEE:Summary: Special Report: Charities and BusinessArticle: Making Money With a MissionResources: Nonprofit Business Ventures: a Sampling of ResourcesLIVE DISCUSSION: Read the transcript of a live online…
By NICOLE WALLACE
Features Editor
An organic farm provides counseling, chores, and a chemical-free haven to recovering addictsOrganic farms shun artificial chemicals — a perfect setting for drug addicts and ALSO SEE:Summary: Special Report: Charities and BusinessArticle: Making Money With a MissionLIVE DISCUSSION: Read the…
By Sam Kean
Contributor
Preservation charity in North Carolina salvages and resells architectural gemsWalking into the showroom of Architectural Salvage of Greensboro can feel a little bit like walking ALSO SEE:Summary: Special Report: Charities and BusinessArticle: Making Money With a MissionLIVE DISCUSSION: Read the…
By NICOLE WALLACE
Features Editor