U. of Massachusetts to Drop All Fossil-Fuel Investments
The UMass system said Wednesday that it will sell all of its $770 million endowment’s holdings in oil, coal, and gas, reportedly becoming the first major public university to fully embrace fossil-fuel divestment, writes The Boston Globe.
How Grant Makers Can Help Charities Beyond Giving Money
Foundation representatives can sit on committees, write letters of support, and more.
By Eden Stiffman
Senior Editor
Cash Giving to Poor Gains Ground but Fuels Backlash
New Republic magazine looks at the rising popularity of direct, unrestricted cash transfers to poor people and the pushback against the aid method among traditional relief agencies.
Land Gift for Proposed Maine Park Mired in Controversy
The Washington Post reports on the latest developments in the battle over Burt’s Bees founder Roxanne Quimby’s proposal to donate 88,000 acres of land valued at $40 million to establish a national park in Maine’s pristine North Woods, which has generated heated local opposition.
More Nonprofits Ramp Up Their Donor Stewardship
Fierce competition for support results in new and expanded donor-relations staffs and creative ways of saying thanks.
By Timothy Sandoval
Contributor
Hollywood Star Power Puts Spotlight on Saving Elephants
Conservationists have embraced the activism of celebrities like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Susan Sarandon, Lupita Nyong’o, and Leonardo DiCaprio who have promoted anti-poaching efforts and raised money for the cause, The New York Times reports.
Humanitarian Aid Reached Record $28 Billion in 2015
Relief funding, including $6.2 billion from private donors, increased 12 percent from 2014 but still failed to keep pace with the galloping need for crisis assistance, the Thomson Reuters Foundation reports, citing new data from a research group Development Initiatives.
D.C. Consultants Get Windfall From ‘Dark Money’ Nonprofits
Much of the money funneled into election and issue campaigns via nonprofit “dark money” groups ends up with a handful of political-advertising and -consulting firms in Washington and its environs, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
Red Cross Draws More Criticism for Miss. Flood Response
Emails among emergency-response officials in Mississippi in the wake of record flooding across the state in March fault the American Red Cross for poor deployment of resources and a lack of coordination with local teams, reports ProPublica, which obtained the communications.
Podcast: Tips for Taking Your Fundraising Auction Digital
In this month’s Fundraising Fundamentals, two experts explain how to use data and audience engagement to move a benefit sale online.
By TONY MARTIGNETTI
Contributor
Russia’s ‘Foreign Agent’ Law Ensnaring Service Charities
Russian nonprofits addressing HIV, refugees, and other social issues are increasingly facing pressure under a law restricting groups deemed by authorities to be engaging in foreign-funded political activity, according to International Business Times.
Foundations Show Signs of Moving Beyond ‘Overhead Myth’
New efforts aim to identify charity’s “true costs” and invest in the financial health of nonprofits.
By Drew Lindsay
Senior Editor, Special Projects
6 Ways to Evaluate Personal Risk Before Joining a Nonprofit Board
An insurance expert suggests ways to assess your risk of liability before accepting the role of nonprofit trustee.
Report Examines Afghan Forces’ Role in Hospital Bombing
The New York Times Magazine delves into the U.S. airstrike that destroyed a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan, last October and whether hostility toward the medical charity on the Afghan military’s part was a contributing factor in the attack, which killed at least 42 people.
Gates Fund Commits $80 Million to Close Gender ‘Data Gap’
Announcing the three-year funding program Tuesday at the Women Deliver conference in Copenhagen, Melinda Gates aligned the data effort with the United Nations goal to achieve gender equality worldwide by 2030, reports bdnews24.com, a Bangladeshi news website.
San Francisco News Outlets Unite for Day of Reporting on Homelessness
Led by the San Francisco Chronicle, 30 news organizations are devoting resources to flooding local media with coverage of homelessness in the city, The New York Times writes.