Tips for Creating a Fundraising Gala for the 1st Time
Preparing a successful event can be difficult for small groups that with few staff members or volunteers. These tips from people who run special events can help.
By Sharnell Bryan
Contributor
Books to Help Plan a Fund-Raising Event
IN THE TRENCHES Here are some helpful books for organizations to use when planning their fund-raising events: The Business of Special Events: Fundraising Strategies for Changing Times, ALSO SEE:Tips for Creating a Fund-Raising Gala for the First Time by Harry A. Freedman and Karen Feldman…
By Sharnell Bryan
Contributor
Making Marketing Work for Nonprofit Groups
Marketing Management for Nonprofit Organizations, Second Edition, by Adrian Sargeant, is an overview of how nonprofit organizations can use marketing to improve the quality of services they provide, attract donations and other resources, and help define what the organization can offer. Mr.…
By Caroline Preston
Contributor
Guide to Finance for the Nonprofit Trustee
Finance for Nonprofit Board Members: Linking Mission to Money, by Allen J. Proctor, provides trustees with advice for participating in the financial management of a nonprofit organization without becoming overwhelmed by financial statements and other minutiae. “Finances should be viewed as merely…
By Caroline Preston
Contributor
Improving Nonprofit Effectiveness Through ‘Benchmarking’
Benchmarking for Nonprofits: How to Measure, Manage, and Improve Performance, by Jason Saul, helps nonprofit groups apply lessons from the corporate world to evaluate and improve the work they are doing. Mr. Saul, a lawyer who co-founded the consultancy firm B2PCommerce, in Chicago, guides…
By Caroline Preston
Contributor
ACLU Decides Not to Punish Vocal Trustees
The American Civil Liberties Union has decided not to seek any disciplinary action against two board members who have been publicly critical of actions taken by the group’s executive director, Anthony D. Romero. At a meeting in January, however, the organization’s Executive Committee asked the…
By BRENNEN JENSEN
Contributor
Tax Agency Has No Plans to Increase Fees
The IRS has announced that it will not increase fees that it charges nonprofit organizations to apply for tax-exempt status or to receive written advice this year (Revenue Procedure 2005-8, Internal Revenue Bulletin 2005-1). Nonprofit organizations seeking first-time rulings that they qualify as…
By Elizabeth Schwinn
Contributor
College Endowments Grew With Stock Market Last Year
Endowments at American colleges and universities earned substantially more last year than they did in the previous few years, according to two new reports. Endowments reported average returns of 14.7 percent in 2004, according to the annual Commonfund Benchmarks Study, released by the Commonfund…
By Harvy Lipman
Contributor
Report Calls for Federal Charity Database, Other Changes to Improve Oversight
A new report by a national panel of nonprofit experts urges charities and foundations to make dozens of changes in their operations to strengthen their governance and accountability and to help prevent legal abuses in the nonprofit world. The report comes in response to a request from key members…
By Brad Wolverton
Contributor
Median Pay for Foundation Chiefs Was $110,000 Last Year, Study Finds
Employees of the nation’s foundations last year received a median pay raise of 4 percent, according to a new report ALSO SEE:Salaries and Benefits at Foundations by the Council on Foundations, barely outpacing the 2004 inflation rate of 3.3 percent. Chief executive officers at all types of…
By Debra E. Blum
Contributor
Museum Loses Benefactor From Its Board
Peter B. Lewis, who has contributed more money to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum Foundation than any other donor, resigned as chairman of the organization’s board last month, citing differences of opinion with other board members and the museum’s director, Thomas Krens. Mr. Lewis, chairman of…
By nicole lewis
Contributor
Coalition of Grant Makers Issues Document Outlining Its Goals for the Next Five Years
The Council on Foundations, in Washington, made public last week a report outlining its goals for the next five years. While the report touches upon several topics, it emphasizes that the council’s primary objective is to assuage the concerns of members of Congress and state regulators about…
By Ian Wilhelm
Contributor
How to Steer Clear of Age Discrimination
Age-discrimination statutes are complex, but following these tips provided by two employment lawyers can help ALSO SEE:Facing an Age-Old Problem nonprofit employers stay on the right side of the law. Pay attention to words. Age should never be referred to -- even indirectly -- during the interview…
By Jennifer C. Berkshire
Contributor
Older nonprofit workers fear discrimination from employersWhen Mildred Farrell left her job as the director of a Boston arts group, it never occurred to her that she ALSO SEE:How to Steer Clear of Age Discrimination would have trouble finding another position. After decades of managing arts and…
By Jennifer C. Berkshire
Contributor
IRS Releases Data on Foundations, Charities
Charitable spending by foundations fell in 2001 for the first time in at least 16 years, according to a new report from the Internal Revenue Service. In 2001, 70,787 private foundations spent a total of $27.4-billion on grants and other charitable activities, a 0.7-percent decrease over the…
By Elizabeth Schwinn
Contributor
Salaries and Benefits at Foundations
Median Foundation Salaries, by Position Chief executive officer $110,000 Associate director/executive vice president $108,706 Vice president (administration) $109,000 Vice president (program) $108,150 Chief financial officer/treasurer $93,660 Controller $68,332 Chief investment officer $231,618…