IRS Reacts to Charges of Anti-Gay Bias
The I.R.S. is responding to accusations that it is biased against homosexuals by sending agents from its national office to talk to local employees about its policies on gay groups. Marc Owens, director of the I.R.S.'s Exempt Organizations Division, explained the move in a letter to the Lambda…
By GRANT WILLIAMS
Contributor
Status of Internet Groups May Be in Jeopardy
Many of the nation’s more than 350 “community networks,” which provide Internet access at discounted rates in specific geographic areas, are currently classified as charities by the I.R.S. But the service has taken steps that suggest it might be rethinking its position. The I.R.S. has audited…
By GRANT WILLIAMS
Contributor
Court Backs Decision to Revoke Charity’s Status
The U.S. Tax Court has ruled that the Internal Revenue Service properly pulled the tax-exemption of a Florida charity. The reason: The Anclote Psychiatric Center sold its hospital in 1983 for less than the facility’s fair market value to a company owned by the charity’s board members. The deal, the…
By GRANT WILLIAMS
Contributor
IRS Handbook’s Advice on Commercial Funds
The Internal Revenue Service is providing its agents with new advice on how to handle a range of issues that may arise during charity audits and other reviews. Among the topics: the controversy over tax-exempt funds set up by for-profit banks and investment companies. The advice appears in the…
By GRANT WILLIAMS
Contributor
‘Working Woman’: Female Donors Seek Change
Female business executives “are looking for new ways to make their voices heard -- and their money mean something -- in the philanthropic arena,” says an article in Working Woman magazine (July-August). “Driven by mounting disposable incomes and the desire to give,” says the magazine, “and, in some…
By Thomas J. Billitteri
Contributor
‘The American Prospect’: Conservative Philanthropy
Lobbying groups and think tanks that get money from conservative foundations have eclipsed their liberal counterparts in strategy and public influence, largely because conservative foundations spend their money more effectively than do liberal ones, according to an article in The American Prospect…
By Thomas J. Billitteri
Contributor
Salaries of CEO’s at Child-Welfare Groups Fail to Keep Pace With Inflation, Report Says
Salaries for top executives of child-welfare groups rose by only 5 per cent from 1995 to 1997, according to a survey by the Child Welfare League of America. Those increases failed to keep pace with inflation, which climbed by 5.8 per cent during that period, and represented the smallest percentage…
By GRANT WILLIAMS
Contributor
New California Bill May Stall Vehicle-Donation Abuses
The California Legislature has passed a bill intended to crack down on donors who take excessive charitable tax deductions for gifts of used cars, boats, and airplanes. Gov. Pete Wilson now will decide whether to sign or veto the measure, which some observers think may be adopted by lawmakers in…
By GRANT WILLIAMS
Contributor
Canadians Spar Over Who Should Decide What Constitutes a Charity
The question of which organizations qualify for charity status -- and who should decide -- is a hot topic in Canada’s non-profit world. Currently, those decisions are made in the Ministry of National Revenue by Revenue Canada, the federal agency (like the Internal Revenue Service) that registers…
By Stephen G. Greene
Contributor
Guides to Ethical Behavior From Canadian Charities
* “Cost of Fundraising Guidelines,” and “Statement of Principles of Donors’ Rights,” both developed by United Way of Canada/Centraide Canada, are available from the United Way’s office at 404-56 Sparks Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5A9, Canada; (613) 236-7041. * “Ethical Fundraising and…
A Crossroads for Canadian Charities
As demand for services rises, so does debate on regulations and ethics Canada’s non-profit world is debating how best to govern and police itself to meet the challenges of the next century. In meetings across the country, Canadians are offering their opinions on questions ranging from what…
By Stephen G. Greene
Contributor
Following are summaries of recent reports by the Council of Better Business Bureaus’ Philanthropic Advisory Service. The service reports on whether charities meet standards for fund raising, governance, financial management, and public information. The service cautions that it does not approve or…
Alfred U. (N.Y.): Appointed Susan C. Goetschius, director of external affairs and communications at the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred U., to be director of communications. Alma College (Mich.): Appointed Carol Furrow Hyble, regional director of development, to be vice-president for…
‘American Demographics’: Finding Wealthy Donors
The most generous donors to charity do not necessarily live in the wealthiest neighborhoods, says an article by a non-profit researcher in American Demographics (August), a business magazine that tracks consumer trends. By comparing giving data from the United Way with estimates of charitable…
By Debra E. Blum and Stephen G. Greene
‘Wild Earth’ Magazine: Saving Untamed Places
Private donations in the past century have helped shield from development more than 100 million acres in the United States as national parks or wilderness areas -- and such action is needed now more than ever, says Wild Earth (Summer) in a collection of articles on what it calls “wildlands…
By Debra E. Blum and Stephen G. Greene
Charities Aid Foundation America (Alexandria, Va.): Melanie Peyser Cummins Engine Foundation (Columbus, Ind.): Tracy H. Souza Cuyahoga Community College Foundation (Cleveland): Lawrence Mervine Donald Danforth Plant Science Center (St. Louis): Roger N. Beachy Fannie Mae Foundation (Washington): Ann…