By Elizabeth Schwinn Americans United for Separation of Church and State, a watchdog group, has asked the IRS to investigate two religious organizations that it says have become involved in partisan politics: First Baptist Church of Springdale, in Arkansas, and Jerry Falwell Ministries, in…
Trustees of a Minnesota Foundation Find an Innovative Way to Evaluate Their Own Performance
BRAINSTORMS By Darlene M. Siska When Jim Hoolihan was the mayor of Grand Rapids, Minn., in the early 1990s, he kept his office door open. Citizens could come to City Hall to offer comments or even complain about the job he was doing. But in 1992, when he began his service on the board of the…
By Darlene M. Siska
Contributor
Varied Life Experience Helps One Nonprofit Director ‘Build Bridges’
When I was born in 1962, my parents, like many of their generation, were enchanted with the Kennedys. In addition to giving me the middle name Jacqueline, both parents responded to JFK’s call to public service and spent the better part of their careers in
The following awards have been presented for work in advocacy, fund raising, nonprofit leadership, philanthropy, and other areas. Education fund raising. The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (Washington) has presented several awards that recognize outstanding doctoral and other…
Bush Tactics Endanger Churches, Groups Say
Nonprofit religious and watchdog groups are warning that President Bush’s re-election campaign may encourage churches to violate federal tax law by the methods it recommends for church volunteers to maximize voter turnout. A memo from the Bush campaign to church volunteers around the country lists…
By Elizabeth Schwinn
Contributor
IRS to Disallow Some Easement Deductions
Following news accounts that raise questions about some easements donated to environmental and historic-preservation groups, the Internal Revenue Service says it will disallow such deductions if it finds they are being abused. “We’ve uncovered numerous instances where the tax benefits of preserving…
By Elizabeth Schwinn
Contributor
Charity Seeks to End Tax Breaks for Churches
In the wake of a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision, the American Civil Liberties Union has asked a federal appeals court to reinstate a ruling that struck down Louisiana sales-tax exemptions for churches and other nonprofit groups. At issue is whether the exemptions, which allow churches,…
By Elizabeth Schwinn
Contributor
Guide for Voter-Registration Efforts
Get Out the Vote: How to Increase Voter Turnout, by Donald P. Green and Alan S. Gerber, advises grass-roots organizers and others on running programs designed to encourage people to vote. Mr. Green and Mr. Gerber, both professors of political science at Yale University, in New Haven, Conn., say…
By Jessica Kronstadt
Contributor
Tips for Operating Fund-Raising Campaigns
Dream Builders: Everything You Need to Know to Achieve Your Organizations Most Ambitious Dreams With Top Gifts Fundraising, by Nick G. Costa, offers advice designed to help nonprofit organizations run fund-raising campaigns. Mr. Costa, senior vice president for fund development at the Stamford…
By Jessica Kronstadt
Contributor
Financial and Legal Advice for Nonprofit Boards
Avoiding Trouble While Doing Good: A Guide for the Non-Profit Director and Officer, by Jack B. Siegel, is a set of two CD-ROM’s that describes various financial and legal issues facing nonprofit board members and officers. The guide is designed to help people decide if they are well suited for…
By Jessica Kronstadt
Contributor
Decline in Reading Literature Spells Trouble for Charities
People who read literature in their leisure time are much more likely to perform volunteer and charity work, to visit art museums, and to attend performing-arts events, according to a report issued this month by the National Endowment for the Arts. The report holds bad news for charities, however:…
By GRANT WILLIAMS
Contributor
Maryland Group Spreads Standards Effort Nationwide
A Senate inquiry into legal abuses in the nonprofit field prompted a group that accredits charities in six states to announce last month that it will spread its accreditation program across the country -- hoping to help organizations improve their operations and escape expanded government scrutiny.…
By Brad Wolverton
Contributor
Cancer Survivor’s Wish Creates Video Game
Players who enter the world of Ben’s Game must destroy cancer cells and collect the seven shields that offer protection from the common side effects of chemotherapy. Winning is far from easy, as fearsome creatures like the Qball Monster and the Robarf Monster guard the charms that protect against…
By NICOLE WALLACE
Features Editor
Software Company Makes Stock Offering
Blackbaud, a Charleston, S.C., company that produces fund-raising, accounting, and school-administration software, plans to sell 9.1 million shares of common stock in its initial public offering, according to documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 1. The company…
By NICOLE WALLACE
Features Editor
N.Y. Orders Officers to Repay Loans From Their Charities
New York officials in the past five months ordered officers and directors of numerous charities to repay more than $500,000 in loans they received from the organizations, the state’s top charity regulator told a Senate hearing last month. William Josephson, assistant attorney general-in-charge in…
By Harvy Lipman
Contributor
Nonprofit Hospitals Under Examination in Congress and in Court
Nonprofit hospitals are coming under increasing scrutiny in Congress and in the courts over their performance. Underlying the questioning is whether the hospitals provide sufficient services to warrant their exemption from taxes, and some experts say that additional attention may soon be given to…
By Harvy Lipman
Contributor