6 Steps to Start a Benchmarking Group
Public broadcasting stations formed a group to share fundraising data, identify areas for improvement, and then help each station raise more money. Here’s how to start a similar group.
N.J. Town Panel OKs Demolition of Doris Duke Mansion
Officials in Hillsborough, N.J., approved controversial plans by the nonprofit that manages the late socialite and philanthropist’s rural estate to raze her 122-year-old home, reports the Associated Press.
Advocacy Group Aims to Get People Talking — About Death
Ellen Goodman struggled to discern her dying mother’s end-of-life wishes. Now the Boston Globe columnist is trying to make it easier for others to have important conversations with loved ones before it’s too late.
By Heather Joslyn
Contributor
N.F.L. Owner’s New Nonprofit Will Use Sports to Tackle Racism
Billionaire property developer and Miami Dolphins owner Stephen M. Ross is launching an organization Friday that aims to take advantage of the massive popularity of professional sports to combat racial prejudice and foster tolerance, reports The New York Times.
Anti-Abortion Activist Details Planned Parenthood Infiltration
The Washington Post profiles David Daleiden, the 26-year-old activist whose secretly filmed encounters with Planned Parenthood officials sparked a firestorm over the women’s-health group’s provision of fetal tissue for medical research.
Impact Investing Can Bring Big Returns and Court Battles
The Wall Street Journal examines the growth in high-dollar impact investments by activist philanthropies, focusing on the Baltimore-based Abell Foundation’s stakes in mission-aligned areas like sustainable energy.
How Charities Can Gain the Public’s Confidence
Helping people understand how charities operate is a start, and better regulation can increase transparency, says one expert. Also, see our exclusive poll results, available to Chronicle subscribers.
By Tony Martignetti
Contributor
N.Y. State Shutters Pet Hospice Supported by Celebrities
State officials have closed a rural shelter for ill and injured dogs and cats, accusing its owner of multimillion-dollar mismanagement, reports the Associated Press. The group had won televised kudos from Oprah Winfrey.
Global Body Ready to Investigate Charity Hospital Bombing
The International Humanitarian Fact-Finding Commission has offered to examine the U.S. airstrike that killed 22 people at a Doctors Without Borders facility in Afghanistan earlier this month but is awaiting for a green light from the American and Afghan governments, Reuters reports.
Pregnancy Clinics Sue to Block Calif. Law on Abortion Information
Two faith-affiliated crisis-pregnancy centers filed a court challenge against a new state law mandating that such facilities inform patients about abortion and contraceptive services available from other providers, The Sacramento Bee and the Los Angeles Times report.
Land-Rights Group Landesa Wins $2-Million Hilton Humanitarian Prize
The award recognizes an organization that has made extraordinary progress in alleviating human suffering.
By Megan O’Neil
Contributor
Mother Teresa’s Charity Halts Adoption Services in India
The Missionaries of Charity, a Roman Catholic order, opted to stop providing adoption services following an Indian government mandate that single and divorced parents be able to adopt, reports the Associated Press.
How to Detect Online Donation Fraud
Thieves use poorly protected donation pages to test the validity of stolen credit card numbers. Here’s how to stop them in their tracks.
By Rebecca Koenig
Contributor
An 8-Week Plan for Success on Giving Tuesday or Any Giving Day
A community foundation’s planning tool includes questions to help you plan a 24-hour fundraising event week by week, as well as checklists and charts to keep track of goals and assign tasks.
By Eden Stiffman
Senior Editor
How a Program for Women Donors Re-Energized Its Marketing Materials
The Women & Philanthropy program at the University of California at Los Angeles updated its brochure to reflect its new membership criteria and breathe new life into the program.
By Margie Fleming Glennon
Chief Content Officer
House OKs Special Panel to Investigate Planned Parenthood
The House of Representatives voted Wednesday to convene a “select investigative panel” to examine the women’s-health organization’s handling of fetal tissue, USA Today reports.