Content Seen as Key to ‘Digital Divide’
A new report identifies an element of the “digital divide” that few have paid attention to -- the lack of information on the Internet that is useful to people who are poor, live in rural areas, or are members of minority groups. Published by the Children’s Partnership, a public-policy organization…
By NICOLE WALLACE
Features Editor
Foundation Tax Forms Go Online
Copies of the informational tax returns filed by the nation’s approximately 56,000 private foundations are scheduled to go online this week. As part of its efforts to make financial information about non-profit organizations more accessible to the public, the organization Philanthropic Research and…
By Harvy Lipman
Contributor
Hunger Site’s Success Inspires Imitators
The remarkable success of the Hunger Site has inspired a wave of similar “click-and-donate” Web sites for other causes. Every time a visitor goes to the Hunger Site (http://www.thehungersite.com) and clicks on “donate free food,” the site’s corporate advertisers each donate half a cent to the…
By NICOLE WALLACE
Features Editor
Charities Should Plan Carefully for the Time That a Leader Is Away
Making the most of a sabbatical requires ALSO SEE:A Break Between Good DeedsNon-Profit Leaves: a Sampling of Programs more than just figuring out what to do during the time off. To ensure that the experience is a positive one for both the individual and the organization from which he or she is…
By Meg Sommerfeld
Contributor
Sabbaticals give charity executives the chance to hone skills -- or just unwind As founder of the Boston charity Jobs for the Future, ALSO SEE:Charities Should Plan Carefully for the Time That a Leader Is AwayNon-Profit Leaves: a Sampling of Programs Hilary Pennington is always thinking about work.…
By Meg Sommerfeld
Contributor
Following are summaries of recent reports by the Council of Better Business Bureaus’ Philanthropic Advisory Service and the National Charities Information Bureau. Those two private organizations report on whether charities meet standards for fund raising, governance, financial management, and…
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Air Safety Foundation (Frederick, Md.): Appointed Robert J. Milanchus, director of development at the Washington County Health System (Hagerstown, Md.), to be vice president for development. American Academy of Periodontology Foundation (Chicago): Appointed…
* Americans United for Separation of Church and State has asked the I.R.S. to investigate Third New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, in Detroit, after its pastor reportedly said in a sermon that “our governor wants to see a certain candidate do well in Michigan. His name rhymes with ‘hush.’ Don’t…
By GRANT WILLIAMS
Contributor
Christian Coalition Sues Tax Agency
The Christian Coalition is suing the Internal Revenue Service in federal court for denying the organization’s application for tax-exempt status as an advocacy group last year (The Chronicle, July 15). The group charged that the tax agency’s action was improper, unconstitutional, and arbitrary…
By GRANT WILLIAMS
Contributor
IRS Issues Proposed Rules for Corporate Sponsorships
The Internal Revenue Service has issued proposed regulations designed to guide charities that enlist corporations to support non-profit events. The government’s proposal clarifies when charities can accept corporate sponsorships and avoid paying unrelated-business income tax on revenue they receive…
By GRANT WILLIAMS
Contributor
Accountants Offer Guide to IRS Penalties
What a Difference Knowledge Makes: A Guide to Intermediate Sanctions for Tax-Exempt Organizations and Their Leaders, edited by Steven B. Jarett, is a primer on understanding and avoiding the penalty taxes that the Internal Revenue Service can wield at charities whose top officials receive overly…
By C. Quinn Hanchette
Contributor
Scholars Examine ‘Charitable Choice’ in Mississippi
Religious Organizations, Anti-Poverty Relief, and Charitable Choice: A Feasibility Study of Faith-Based Welfare Reform in Mississippi, by John P. Bartkowski and Helen A. Regis, was written to help lawmakers who are considering expanding government aid to religious organizations that provide social…
By C. Quinn Hanchette
Contributor
Guide Profiles Grant Makers That Support Gay Causes
Funders of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Programs: A Directory for Grantseekers lists 280 foundations and corporate-giving programs that support programs for gay and lesbian causes. Each entry contains contact information, the organization’s grant-making priorities and giving limitations,…
By C. Quinn Hanchette
Contributor
Bits: Fellowships for Technology Writers; E-mail Greetings Benefit Charities
* The John and Mary R. Markle Foundation, in New York, has committed $845,000 over the next two years to a new fellowship program to support writers who are examining the effects of information technology on society. The Markle Fellows program is part of a fellowship program run by the New America…
By NICOLE WALLACE
Features Editor
Web Site to Peddle Works of Older Craftspeople
Geezer.com is a new Web site that helps older craftspeople sell their wares online -- even if they don’t have access to the Internet. The site -- which will feature a wide variety of items such as pottery, wooden toys, hand-tied fishing lures, and baskets -- is a project of Green Thumb, a charity…
By NICOLE WALLACE
Features Editor
Company Gives Equipment, Training to Chicago Charities
The petroleum company BP Amoco will donate more than $500,000 in computer hardware and software and $250,000 in technology services and training to more than 100 non-profit organizations in Chicago. The company’s “Nonprofit Technology Advancement Initiative” kicks off with a conference on March 24…
By NICOLE WALLACE
Features Editor