IRS Eases Charities’ Worries About Audits for Lobbying
The Internal Revenue Service has good news for charities that have been reluctant to embrace an alternate way to have their lobbying work measured by the government. Contrary to widespread opinion, such charities do not risk an I.R.S. audit as a result of making that choice. Federal law has long…
By GRANT WILLIAMS
Contributor
Florida Jury Finds Church Leader Guilty of Misusing Donations
A Florida jury has found the Rev. Henry J. Lyons, president of the National Baptist Convention USA, guilty of theft and racketeering under state law. The same jury acquitted Bernice Edwards, an aide to Mr. Lyons, of racketeering charges. During a six-week trial, prosecutors argued that Mr. Lyons --…
By Debra E. Blum
Contributor
New Campaign Hopes to Persuade Charities to Fully Engage Young People’s Talents
Although most young Americans have some experience working for a community organization or grassroots campaign, only 15 per cent of U.S. non-profit groups actively involve young people in their work, a New York charity has found. ALSO SEE:Degree of Young People’s Involvement in Different Types of…
By Stephen G. Greene
Contributor
Booklet Assesses Economic Woes in Minneapolis
Measuring Neighborhood Health: Baseline Indicators for Seven Minneapolis Neighborhoods is a booklet from the Minneapolis Foundation that uses a mapping technique developed by the University of Minnesota’s Institute on Race and Poverty to measure the income levels, property values, and deficiencies…
By C. Quinn Hanchette
Contributor
Guide Explains How to Stretch Political Influence
The Connection: Strategies for Creating and Operating 501(c)(3)s, 501(c)(4)s, and PACs, by B. Holly Schadler, details the rules and regulations that govern the creation and management of advocacy groups and political fund-raising committees. Ms. Schadler, a lawyer at the Washington firm Perkins…
By C. Quinn Hanchette
Contributor
Council on Foundations Releases Survey Results
Foundation Management Series, Ninth Edition
By C. Quinn Hanchette
Contributor
Foundation Investment and Governance Policies Detailed in New Report
Nearly 15 per cent of foundations take special steps to avoid investing in companies that sell tobacco or liquor or otherwise violate the grant makers’ social and ethical standards, according to a survey by the Council on Foundations. ALSO SEE:Related facts & figures The proportion of funds that…
By Thomas J. Billitteri
Contributor
New Health-Care Foundation Created in Ohio
A four-year legal dispute between the Ohio Attorney General’s Office and Anthem, a health-insurance provider, has been settled with the creation of a $28-million health-care foundation. The Anthem Foundation, to be based in Cincinnati, will support health-care services for poor residents in 36 Ohio…
By DOMENICA MARCHETTI
Contributor
Advice on Year-2000 Problem Offered in Non-Profit Guide
A new publication is available to help charities determine if their computers and software programs may be affected by the year-2000 problem. The year-2000 problem arises because much of the computer hardware and software still in use today identifies years by only the last two digits, and those…
By NICOLE WALLACE
Features Editor
New Site Aids Shoppers Who Want to Help Charities
A Seattle company is helping non-profit groups tap into the growing amount of money that people spend on line. GreaterGood.com builds and maintains on-line “shopping villages” for non-profit groups -- at no cost to the charity. The villages include participating retailers such as Amazon.com,…
By NICOLE WALLACE
Features Editor
Profiles of Business Ventures Posted on the Internet
Share Our Strength, an anti-hunger organization in Washington, has introduced a new Web site, CommunityWealth.org, that offers examples of how non-profit organizations are developing non-traditional sources of revenue. The site features profiles of more than 90 non-profit business ventures,…
By NICOLE WALLACE
Features Editor
Internet Classes Click for Charities
More and more employees are taking on-line courses to improve skills Donna Ancypa was studying to earn a certificate in non-profit management at Virginia’s George Mason University when she received a job offer she couldn’t refuse -- to become a fund raiser for her alma mater, Oberlin College, in…
By DOMENICA MARCHETTI
Contributor
Colleges of Education and an Art Museum Receive Gifts; Other Donations
Several non-profit institutions have received big gifts. * The philanthropist and art collector Audrey Jones Beck has donated 47 Impressionist and post-Impressionist paintings to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. The museum would not disclose the value of the artworks, but experts have estimated…
Following are summaries of recent reports by the National Charities Information Bureau. That private organization reports on whether charities meet standards for fund raising, governance, financial management, and public information. The organization does not approve or disapprove of charities, and…
IRS Adjusts Rules on Allowable Deductions
The I.R.S. has announced several changes for the 1999 tax year that adjust tax laws to reflect inflation. One change affects the way donors calculate their deductions. Federal law allows donors to take income-tax deductions only for the portion of their contributions that are outright gifts. If…
By Grant Williams
Contributor
A Better Chance (Boston): Appointed Marilyn M. Brimberg, development associate at the Westchester Community College Foundation (Valhalla, N.Y.), to be associate director of development; Natalie L. Dougherty, domestic-violence coordinator at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office (New York), to be…