As the stock market gyrates, charities face tough timesThe recent volatility in the stock market has dragged down the endowments of major foundations and ALSO SEE: State Budget Woes Imperil Financial Future of Many Nonprofit Groups How Stock Market’s Tumble Has Affected Biggest Foundations How Some…
By Michael Anft
Contributor
ACCION New York: Appointed Robert Espaillat, former director of ALSO SEE:A Specialist in Geriatrics to Head Robert Wood Johnson Foundation operations at Greenpath (New York), to be president and chief executive officer. Albright College (Reading, Pa.): Appointed Kristine L. Douglass, former events…
Tips for Getting the Most from Informational Interviewing
JOB MARKET By Sandy Asirvatham Most people love to talk about themselves and the work they do -- and it is this basic human truth that makes the informational interview possible. In such an interview, an active job seeker, or even a person just beginning to explore a new career path, might call…
By Sandy Asirvatham
Contributor
How a Careful Orientation Can Help New Trustees Get On Board
VOLUNTEERISM By Kimberlee Roth By the end of next year, all the founding board members of Covenant House Washington, a shelter for homeless and runaway youths, will leave their posts due to term limits. But when the new trustees start their tours of duty, the executive director, Vincent Gray, will…
By Kimberlee Roth
Contributor
If you’re interested in foundation work, don’t rule out the pursuit of an advanced degree outside the realm of specific nonprofit management fields.
By Alison Stein Wellner
Contributor
Q. Where can I find sample contracts that nonprofit executive directors could use when negotiating with a board of directors? A. The American Society of Association Executives, in Washington, has a model of an employment agreement for a chief executive that you might find useful. Association…
By Sandy Asirvatham
Contributor
Seeking Nonprofit Employment Abroad
When you’re seeking work in the nonprofit field in another country, the most important task is to absorb the major and subtle differences in the culture and day-to-day operations of a nonprofit organization.
By Alison Stein Wellner
Contributor
Foundation Programs Aim to Increase Diversity Among Grant-Making Staffs
TOOLS AND TRAINING By Darlene M. Siska Three years ago, armed with a master’s degree from Stanford University and a work history that ALSO SEE:Foundation Staffs Do Not Reflect Diversity of U.S. Population, Report Says included stints at charities that primarily serve minorities, Adele James entered…
By Darlene M. Siska
Contributor
Snaring Foundation Program-Officer Jobs
Q. I would like to provide management assistance to charities to help them build stronger programs, and also review programs’ requests for funding. How can I prepare to become a program officer for a foundation? A. Program officers often take many paths to their jobs. To prepare, gain as much…
By Alison Stein Wellner
Contributor
IRS Issues Guidelines for Religious Groups
In time for this November’s elections, the Internal Revenue Service has published guidelines on how leaders of churches, mosques, synagogues, and other religious organizations may conduct political activities without causing their groups to lose tax-exempt status. The information is contained in a…
By Elizabeth Schwinn
Contributor
Automobile Donations Are High Priority for IRS
The IRS’s Exempt Organizations Division has announced its priorities for enforcing laws affecting charities in fiscal 2003, which begins October 1. Among the new items is a plan to issue guidelines on the charitable deductions that donors are allowed to take on the automobiles they donate to…
By Elizabeth Schwinn
Contributor
A Rear Admiral Takes Helm of Red Cross
In the past year, the American Red Cross has received an unprecedented amount of public scrutiny following allegations of mismanagement related to donations raised after the September 11 attacks, a public fight between the charity’s former president and its board of governors, and a fund-raising…
By Ian Wilhelm
Contributor
Benchmarks for Strengthening an Organization
Standards for Excellence: A Self-Help Tool for Nonprofits’ Organizational Effectiveness gives pointers on how well-managed and responsibly governed organizations should operate. Organized in a checklist format, the booklet concentrates on areas like a charity’s mission and programs, governance,…
By Katy Marquardt
Contributor
Profiles of Major Corporate Foundations and Corporate Charitable-Giving Programs
Corporate Giving Directory, 2003, edited by Laurie J. Fundukian, profiles companies that make annual contributions of at least $200,000, including non-cash gifts, to charities. This reference work provides detailed profiles that include giving preferences, application procedures, and contact…
By Katy Marquardt
Contributor
Growing Number of Theaters Lost Money, Report Says
Many nonprofit theaters are facing a tough financial time, according to a new survey. Forty-four ALSO SEE: Nonprofit Theaters: a Statistical Profile percent of the 363 theaters that provided figures to the Theatre Communications Group, in New York, said they lost money in the fiscal year that…
By DAVID WHELAN
Contributor
Nonprofit Groups Shine in Web-Site Honors
Nonprofit organizations made their mark at the 2002 Webby Awards by taking top honors in eight categories. Given by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, an association for online-communication professionals, the Webbys honor Internet sites in 30 categories, such as activism,…
By NICOLE WALLACE
Features Editor