Boy Scouts Considering Bankruptcy Filing; Google Donation Tool; Daily News Roundup
The potential chapter 11 filing would halt lawsuits against the organization for alleged inappropriate behavior by employees. In other articles, Google has added a donate feature for users of Android phones; the Senate voted to overturn a Treasury Department rule on donor disclosure; an Australian businessman who died last month left $4 billion to his charitable foundation; the Glide Foundation has been sued by its parent organization, the United Methodist Church; and much more.
Salesforce.Org to Include Schools in Its Philanthropy: Daily News Roundup
The organizaton is giving $2 million to train principals and teachers, unlike its past education gifts that have funded better technology and expanded programs. In other articles, nonprofit victims of Bernard Madoff’s Ponzi scheme are close to getting their money back; and much more on big donors, cultural organizations, and innovation.
IRS Softens Blow From Taxed Employee Perks at Nonprofits: Daily News Roundup
Under pressure, House leaders revisit taxing of benefits such as free parking and mass transit subsidies; proposed revisions of tax plan seek to reverse ban on political activity by nonprofits; how to spur people to give to charity by making it about them, and more.
Boy Scouts’ Recruitment of Girls Sows Confusion: Daily News Roundup
Membership rift in Scouting has girls and their parents wondering about the best fit; how the More Than Me charity gamed the internet and Hollywood; Wreaths Across America raise questions over self-dealings; why some hedge fund managers give to charity, and more.
Nonprofit Founder Made Millions Housing Migrant Children; Daily News Roundup
The founder of Southwest Key Programs may also have engaged in self-dealing with top executives. Plus, the National Rifle Association has awarded millions of dollars in contracts to people with close ties to the group; critics are noting that the American system that allows some wealthy philanthropists to build fortunes contributes to the social ills their gifts are attempting to alleviate; companies that use the “buy one, give one” strategy are now key to some entrepreneurs; and more.
Nonprofit Investment Returns Average Only 6.7%: Daily News Roundup
A 2009-16 study shows that they underperform even U.S Treasurys. Plus, charities are anxiously anticipating a drop in year-end giving because of the new tax law; a musician has announced a new foundation for prison overhaul; the president of Dillard University is chiding philanthropists for giving less to historically black colleges and universities; Mary’s Place, one of Jeff Bezos’s favorite charities, is launching a campaign to raise $2 million for a new shelter; and much more.
Giving to Hospitals and Other Health Institutions Grew 2.9% in 2017, Report Says
Organizations that had at least seven fundraisers did the best, the report noted.
By Timothy Sandoval
Contributor
Giving Rose 14% Last Quarter, Mainly Due to Big Gifts
Big donors have driven the growth so far this year, but nonprofits should be concerned that smaller contributors are giving less, researchers say.
By Timothy Sandoval
Contributor
Ford Foundation’s 2-Year, $205 Million Headquarters Makeover Is Complete: Daily News Roundup
The building has a soaring atrium and a saw-tooth skylight but also a smaller footprint with room for other foundations, plus a public art gallery and a touch-and-feel garden for the blind. Plus, the Trump administration’s Opportunity Zones could be a boon to distressed areas; Michael Bloomberg’s $1.8 billion gift to Johns Hopkins has prompted a variety of responses; Rhode Island prisons are working to get opioid treatment for inmates; and more about innovation and cultural groups.
Trump Administration Urged 4H Youth Group to Drop LGBT Policy: Daily News Roundup
The move helped lead to the CEO’s firing. Plus, housing units for homeless people provided by a New York City nonprofit are unsafe for children, according to a city review, and the group fails to see that residents get social services; a foundation CEO gets about $40,000 a year for working there two hours a week, according to a foundation report; giving circles account for a small fraction of charitable giving, but they’ve been on the rise; and much more.
How Academics, Nonprofit News Sites, and Government Can Collaborate to Inform the Public
Scholars want to spread their ideas, and policy makers want to demonstrate why colleges matter. When they work with news organizations, they can tell stories in more substantive ways.
By Global Reporting Centre
Contributor
Election Results May Give Charities a Shot at Tax-Law Changes
One immediate goal is to delay new taxes on nonprofit employee fringe benefits, and some see a shot at reopening the debate on letting all taxpayers deduct their charitable giving.
By Alex Daniels and Julian Wyllie
Study Adds Fuel to Debate Over Operating Costs
When compared with rankings of efficiency used commonly by scholars, charity ratings based on administrative spending don’t measure up.
By Timothy Sandoval
Contributor
Nonprofits and Foundations Are Slow to Take Up E-Filing of Public Tax Documents
One third still choose paper tax returns over e-filing, IRS records show. Critics say transparency suffers as a result.
By Alex Daniels and Peter Olsen-Phillips
Clark Foundation Spins Off Blue Meridian as It Works to Spend All of Its Assets
The grant-making collaboration that Clark created, which has attracted $1.7 billion in commitments from wealthy philanthropies, will become an independent nonprofit organization.
By Alex Daniels
Contributor
Nonprofits Decry Latest Proposed Postal-Rate Increases
Some charities balked at a proposed 10 percent hike in the cost of a first-class stamp, saying they still rely heavily on mailings and that online revenue remains a small slice of their fundraising.
By Julian Wyllie
Contributor