IRS Seeks Comment on Form 990 Changes
By Elizabeth Schwinn The IRS is seeking comment on a number of changes it has recently made or proposes to make to Form 990, the informational tax return that nonprofit groups file each year with the revenue service. The proposed changes would require many groups to provide more information about…
IRS Gives Approval to Car-Donation Plans
By Elizabeth Schwinn A pair of recent Internal Revenue Service rulings give a green light to two charities’ car-donation programs run by outside companies, raising concerns among some tax attorneys that the IRS is not doing enough to police the programs, despite tough rhetoric. According to the…
A Federal Researcher Turns to the Nonprofit World
After decades of crunching numbers for the federal government, Gordon W. Green will bring his love of statistics and their uses to the nonprofit world. As the new vice president of research at Independent Sector, Mr. Green will attempt to boil down a jumble of figures into a better understanding of…
By Michael Anft
Contributor
The following awards have been presented for achievement in fund raising, nonprofit leadership, philanthropy, and other areas: Arts management. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (Washington) has announced the recipients of the 2002-3 Vilar Fellowships for Arts Management. The…
‘Hispanic Business’: Growth of Nonprofit Groups
The Mexican American Opportunity Foundation, in Montebello, Calif., spends more than any other nonprofit group in the country that serves Hispanics, says Hispanic Business magazine (September). The organization poured $42.5-million into projects in California, primarily helping troubled families,…
Giving art to museums takes the same skills that are used to collect artworks, says Art News (September): “a keen eye, savvy negotiation skills, and a deep appreciation and understanding of the subject.” Museums will become increasingly dependent on donations of artworks, the magazine speculates,…
Advice on Establishing a Family Foundation
Splendid Legacy: the Guide to Creating Your Family Foundation, edited by Virginia M. Esposito, provides a plan for families establishing foundations, as well as advice and personal anecdotes from families that have already created them. The first part of the publication covers the basics: how to…
By Katy Marquardt
Contributor
How Company Foundations Can Ensure They Comply With Federal Laws
Corporate Giving and the Law: Steering Clear of Trouble, by John A. Edie, is based on the premise that the typical corporate-giving officer has a lot to learn about the Internal Revenue Code, much of which is not easy to grasp. This guide gives basic information and brief explanations of the IRS’s…
By Katy Marquardt
Contributor
The Nonprofit Technology Enterprise Network, a national organization for individuals, charities, and businesses that provide technology assistance to nonprofit groups, will hold two regional conferences this fall. The group will meet October 31-November 1 in Chicago, and November 19-20 in Boston.…
By NICOLE WALLACE
Features Editor
A Patent Example of Competition
Kintera, a company in San Diego that leases software that helps nonprofit organizations raise money online, has submitted 13 patent applications to the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The company says it is only trying to protect its intellectual property. But some in the nonprofit world…
By NICOLE WALLACE
Features Editor
Community Funds See Drop in Value of Assets, Study Finds
For the first time since 1994, community foundations lost money on their investments last year, largely because of declines in stock prices, according to a study by the Council on Foundations. The median return on investment for 2001 was minus 3.9 percent, meaning that half of the foundations…
By Brad Wolverton
Contributor
White House Plans Seminars to Help Religious Groups Win Federal Aid
With a proposal to benefit religious charities stalled in Congress, the White House plans to hold five free information seminars to help sectarian groups win federal contracts for social services. The one-day conferences, the first of which will be held October 10 in Atlanta, are designed to teach…
By Ian Wilhelm
Contributor
Leadership Training Benefits Executives, but Not Always Their Charities
Chet P. Hewitt recalls that he was “ecstatic” about being nominated and picked as an Annie E. ALSO SEE:Grooming the Best and BrightestKellogg Builds on Former Fellowship Program With New Leadership SeriesA Sampling of Nonprofit Leadership Programs Casey Foundation Children and Family Fellow in…
By HEATHER JOSLYN
Contributor
Kellogg Builds on Former Fellowship Program With New Leadership Series
For decades, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation worked to cultivate leadership through its fellowship program ALSO SEE:Grooming the Best and BrightestA Sampling of Nonprofit Leadership ProgramsLeadership Training Benefits Executives, but Not Always Their Charities aimed at nurturing talented people in the…
By HEATHER JOSLYN
Contributor
Grooming the Best and Brightest
A new generation of programs seeks to cultivate charity leadersFour years ago, Donele J. Wilkins was leading a brand-new nonprofit organization, Detroiters Working for ALSO SEE:Kellogg Builds on Former Fellowship Program With New Leadership SeriesLeadership Training Benefits Executives, but Not…
By HEATHER JOSLYN
Contributor
United Way in the Nation’s Capital Tries to Win Back Donors’ Confidence
Washington As its chief executive stepped down and four federal inquiries continued into its operations and finances, the United Way of the National Capital Area took strong steps this month aimed at rebuilding the shaken confidence of individual and corporate donors in the Washington area. The…
By Ian Wilhelm
Contributor