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…
American Medical Association (Chicago): Appointed E. Ratcliffe Anderson, a professor of medicine at the U. of Missouri at Kansas City, School of Medicine, to be chief executive. Association of Systematics Collections (Washington): Appointed Roberta Faul-Zeitler, a consultant based in Washington, to…
Write-Offs: Bingo Rules, On-Line Discussion, and Web Content
* The I.R.S. has just published a comprehensive guide to the federal rules that govern charitable bingo games, lotteries, and other forms of gambling. To order a free copy of “Gaming Publication for Tax-Exempt Organizations” (Pub. 3079), call (800) 829-3676. Or to retrieve an electronic version…
By Jennifer Moore and GRANT WILLIAMS
Journalism Group Sues IRS, Says Audit Was Political
The Western Journalism Center, in Sacramento, Cal., has filed a $20-million lawsuit against a former Internal Revenue Service official and a White House employee, charging that a 1996 audit the center underwent was “politically motivated.” Joseph Farah, the center’s executive director, said he…
By Jennifer Moore and GRANT WILLIAMS
Lesbian Health Group Wins Tax-Exempt Status
The Internal Revenue Service has given charity status to a Rhode Island health group that serves gay women, but not before drawing charges of anti-gay bias from homosexual-rights activists for its handling of the matter. In February, Kathys’ Group received a faxed note from an I.R.S. official that…
By Jennifer Moore and GRANT WILLIAMS
‘The New Republic’: Fund Raising at Colleges
The increased attention that college presidents must pay to fund raising has dangerous implications for higher education -- and for society, warns The New Republic in a June 1 cover story entitled “The Incredible Shrinking College President.” “As universities have become more like other…
By Thomas J. Billitteri
Contributor
‘Forbes’: Is Charity an Irrational Act?
Did Scrooge have it right? Is giving to charity an irrational act? Forbes contributing editor Dan Seligman advances that incendiary notion in the magazine’s June 1 issue, arguing that “an emerging case” exists against charitable giving. Rational people maximize their investment returns, Mr.…
By Thomas J. Billitteri
Contributor
Bits: New Web Sites for SeniorNet and Volunteer Program
* SeniorNet, a charity in San Francisco that helps the elderly get on line, has revamped its Web site (http://www.seniornet.org). It now features information on how charities can use the Internet for fund raising, as well as profiles of people who participate in SeniorNet programs. * Impact Online,…
By DOMENICA MARCHETTI
Contributor
Foundation Center Offers Free Web Space to Grant Makers
The Foundation Center, in New York, is now offering free space on its World-Wide Web site for grant makers. All private, community, and corporate foundations are eligible to post recent grants, mission statements, descriptions of program areas, and other information that would be useful to grant…
By DOMENICA MARCHETTI
Contributor
Postal Information Available On Line
The Alliance of Nonprofit Mailers, an organization charged with watching out for charities’ real-world postal concerns, has gone virtual. The Washington organization’s new Web site features “Tools for Nonprofit Mailers,” where visitors can read popular publications that the group puts out, such as…
By DOMENICA MARCHETTI
Contributor
Foundation Posts Reports About Completed Grants
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has begun posting reports about its completed grants on its World-Wide Web site. So far, reports on more than 50 projects are available, and the foundation plans to eventually include reports on all grants that have been completed, with new summaries to be added…
By DOMENICA MARCHETTI
Contributor
ACLU Sues Schools Over Boy Scouts
The American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon has filed suit on behalf of a Portland family to prevent the Portland School District from allowing the Boy Scouts to recruit in public schools. The lawsuit, filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court, argues that recruiting Cub Scouts during school hours…
Increase Urged in Aid to Charities
A new report urges individuals, politicians, and companies to strengthen their support of churches and other charities as a key way to turn around an “increasingly uncivil” American society. The report, published by the Institute for American Values, was compiled by a group of activists, charity…
Judge’s Ruling Favors Breakaway Affiliate
A federal judge has ruled that the former Mississippi affiliate of the American Diabetes Association can retain ownership of a roughly $1-million fund balance plus records, membership lists, and other property that the association had sought after the affiliate broke away from the national charity.…
Volunteering Varies Widely by Country
The percentage of adults who donate time to charity varies widely from one country to another, a new survey reports. Half of all adult Americans claim that they do some volunteer work, according to a poll of practices in seven countries. In India, by contrast, 32 per cent of adults say they…
By Stephen G. Greene
Contributor
Tracking the Effectiveness of Charities
Competition for funds leads to rise in ‘performance-based’ evaluations For decades, the Michigan Association of Rehabilitation Organizations and other non-profit groups have sought money from Congress by arguing that every new dollar produces corresponding social benefits. But, laments David Price,…
By Thomas J. Billitteri
Contributor