Pew Partnership Tries to Spur ‘Civic Change’ in Small Cities
Rebecca Anderson long had a hunch that western North Carolina’s history as a center of handmade crafts could be used as a catalyst to attract tourists, bolster the economy, and improve life in the region. But even when she worked at the Asheville Chamber of Commerce, she lacked the resources she…
By Paul Demko
Contributor
Crafting a Real-Life Civics Lesson
North Carolina group uses arts heritage to unite disparate segments of society When Jon Ellenbogen, a potter in nearby Penland, N.C., heard about a nascent effort here to use handmade crafts as a vehicle to drive tourism, economic growth, and civic engagement in western North Carolina, he was…
By Paul Demko
Contributor
AIDS Foundation of Chicago: Appointed Mark Ishaug, associate director for policy and programs, to be executive director. He will succeed Karen Fishman, who is stepping down at the end of August. Allegheny College (Meadville, Pa.): Appointed John McCandless, vice-president for college advancement at…
AmeriCorps Program to Aid Youth Groups
President Clinton has announced a new $5-million effort to recruit up to 1,000 new AmeriCorps members over the next six months to serve non-profit organizations that help needy youngsters. The new recruits, who will be called the AmeriCorps Promise Fellows, will work on projects to carry out the…
Second Harvest Chief to Depart in July
Christine Vladimiroff, president of the national food-bank network Second Harvest, has announced that she will leave her post in July. The charity described the departure as “unexpected,” and members of the group’s board said they would miss her leadership. Ms. Vladimiroff, 58, a Benedictine nun,…
Congress Passes Legislation on Bankrupt Donors
Congress has approved legislation to protect churches and other charities from having to give up contributions they receive from donors who declare bankruptcy. The bill last month passed the Senate, 99 to 1, and this month went on to win the unanimous approval of the House. President Clinton was…
By Thomas J. Billitteri
Contributor
Treasury Weighs Foundation Payout Rule — or Does It?
Was it a revelation -- or a misunderstanding? At a seminar last week on non-profit organizations and the government, a top Treasury Department official suggested that his agency is prepared to re-examine the rules mandating that private foundations distribute at least 5 per cent of their investment…
The following awards have been presented for work in philanthropy, fund raising, volunteerism, and non-profit management: Arts. Americans for the Arts (Washington) has given its 1998 Michael Newton Award, which recognizes exemplary leadership and dedication to supporting the arts through united…
Non-Profit Publicity Campaigns Honored for Creativity and Innovation
Innovative advertisements created for non-profit organizations around the world were honored last month at the 39th Annual Clio Awards in New York. An Australian campaign designed for the International Campaign to Ban Landmines won a gold Clio. The organization scattered circular stickers,…
By NICOLE WALLACE
Features Editor
‘Salon’: Lavish Spending at Tax-Exempt Magazine
The editor of The American Spectator, R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr., has received lavish personal benefits paid for by the non-profit group that owns the conservative publication, according to the on-line magazine Salon (http://www.salonmagazine.com). The article, which was written by Salon’s Washington…
By Paul Demko
Contributor
‘The Economist’: A Challenge to America’s Wealthy
“America could be on the verge of a golden age of philanthropy, of a sort not seen since the 1900s,” says The Economist (May 30). “But if that is to happen,” it says, “many more of the entrepreneurs who are changing the rules of everything from computers to high finance will have to start applying…
By Paul Demko
Contributor
Charities Cheer Defeat of California Ballot Measure That Threatened Advocacy
A contentious California ballot measure that many non-profit officials feared would lead to restrictions on advocacy efforts by charities has been rejected by voters. It is the first of a handful of measures expected to come up at the state and federal levels in coming months that threaten to put…
By Paul Demko
Contributor
Censored Documents Posted on Charity’s Site
The Digital Freedom Network is turning to the Internet to fight censorship around the world. The Hackensack, N.J., non-profit group has posted on its Web site essays, letters, and other writings by people who have been imprisoned, persecuted, or otherwise silenced in their home countries. “In the…
By Paul Demko
Contributor
Company Creates On-Line Giving Guides
Donor Resource, a Seattle company, has created an on-line storehouse of data about charities that it hopes donors nationwide will turn to for information. Donor Resource’s “Commit” Web site currently features free giving guides for the San Francisco and Seattle areas, with a Portland, Ore., site…
Management Course Available via Satellite
The Public Broadcasting Service has created a new educational series and certificate program on non-profit management. The PBS Adult Learning Service, in collaboration with the Learning Institute for Nonprofit Organizations, a Madison, Wis., group that trains non-profit employees, will offer via…
Cancer society’s all-out lobbying helps advance tough new anti-tobacco legislation, but critics say role is inappropriate for a charity The American Cancer Society has been “a little bit outrageous” in its push to pass anti-tobacco legislation in Congress, the charity’s chief lobbyist, Linda Hay…
By GRANT WILLIAMS
Contributor