Idea to Change Filing Rules Draws Fire from Regulators
State charity regulators are opposed to an idea recently floated by the Internal Revenue Service: allowing many more small tax-exempt groups to avoid filing informational tax returns that detail their finances. Non-profit organizations must provide such a return -- known as the Form 990 -- if their…
By GRANT WILLIAMS
Contributor
Promise Keepers Recalls Employees
Promise Keepers, the Christian men’s evangelical group, which last month laid off its entire paid staff of 345 people, has recalled all of its employees. The Denver group, best known for holding religious rallies in sports stadiums around the country, said that it could afford to reinstate its…
Court Ruling Protects Gifts to Churches
A federal appeals court has reaffirmed that creditors may not recover gifts made to churches by donors who later declare bankruptcy. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit had ruled previously that, under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act passed by Congress in 1993, such gifts could…
Proposed Deduction Seen Yielding Billions
Americans would increase their giving to charity by $16.5-billion over the next five years if Congress allowed people who do not itemize on their federal income-tax returns to claim a charitable tax deduction, says a new report. The report, based on a study by the Price Waterhouse accounting…
By Jennifer Moore
Contributor
Bits: Wildlife Alerts and Books for the Poor
* The World Wildlife Fund in Washington has started a “conservation action network” (http://takeaction.worldwildlife.org). Visitors can view “action alerts” on issues such as the protection of tigers and then send a fax directly to their Congressional representatives to voice their opinions. By the…
By Paul Demko
Contributor
Overseas Development News Available on Internet Site
The International Development Network is hoping to become a one-stop on-line resource center for charities that work on economic development across the globe. The Athens, Ga., non-profit group’s Web site is updated daily with news of concern to charities -- as well as government agencies and…
By Paul Demko
Contributor
AIDS Watchdog Group Posts Financial Data On Line
Financial data about AIDS charities -- including salaries paid to top officials -- are now available on the Internet. The AIDS Service Provider Accountability Project, a group in San Francisco started by several AIDS activists, has posted financial data for at least 29 AIDS organizations on its Web…
By Paul Demko
Contributor
59 Foundations to Receive Publicity Awards
The Council on Foundations next week will honor 59 grant makers that it says have done a good job of keeping the public informed about their activities. The Wilmer Shields Rich Awards for Excellence in Communications, named in memory of the council’s first executive director, will be presented at…
‘Salon’ Magazine: the Scaife Connection
The Pittsburgh philanthropist and publisher Richard Mellon Scaife is the “shadowy figure” at the center of a brewing controversy involving independent counsel Kenneth Starr’s Whitewater investigation, according to Salon, an on-line magazine (http://www.salonmagazine.com). David Hale, a key witness…
By Stephen G. Greene
Contributor
The interplay between soul and money is explored in the Spring issue of Whole Earth. In articles, brief book reviews and excerpts, and lists of resources, the magazine examines the history of money and the myriad ways in which it is used, invested, and given away. “Education on giving is rare,”…
By Stephen G. Greene and Paul Demko
‘Governing’: Philanthropy Comes Under Attack
Foundations are increasingly coming under attack for promoting government policies at the state and local levels that are “more liberal than either the legislature or majority opinion in the state would feel comfortable with,” according to a cover story in Governing magazine (April). The article…
By Stephen G. Greene and Paul Demko
Polls Show Americans Say Volunteering Is Important
Three new surveys have provided fresh insights into Americans’ views on volunteering: * A United Parcel Service survey released this month found that more than half of Americans believe that volunteering is more important today than it was five years ago. And 40 per cent said they would like to…
By Holly Hall
Contributor
General Powell’s Charity Gets Mixed Reviews From Non-Profit Leaders
When Gen. Colin Powell agreed to chair last year’s Presidents’ Summit for America’s Future in Philadelphia, he made it clear that he wanted to also lead the toughest part of the battle: getting companies, government agencies, and charities to make good on the promises they made to help needy…
By Holly Hall
Contributor
America Answers Call to Help Kids
A year after Presidents’ Summit, charities gain many new partners Nearly 350 businesses, government agencies, and national charities are working on new or expanded efforts to help kids in response to last year’s Presidents’ Summit for America’s Future. Their combined efforts are generating millions…
By Holly Hall
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…
Albany College of Pharmacy of Union U. (N.Y.): Appointed Raymond Brownell, director of development at the Hudson Valley Hospital Center (Peekskill, N.Y.), to be assistant director of advancement and alumni affairs; Ralph Provenza, director of development and alumni affairs at the LaSalle Institute…