Nonprofit Calif. College Adopts ‘Benefit Corporation’ Model
Heralding a potential new third way between nonprofit and for-profit education, Alliant International University in California has become a public benefit corporation, embracing the emerging model of businesses beholden to social aims as well as the bottom line, Inside Higher Ed reports.
Alibaba Puts $129-Million Into Entrepreneurship Nonprofit
The Chinese Internet giant announced the creation of a new nonprofit aimed at helping Hong Kong entrepreneurs build businesses using Alibaba’s platforms, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Stanford U. Gets $50-Million Gates Grant for Vaccine Work
The 10-year-grant announced Friday by the university and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will help establish a new Stanford center focused on harnessing the immune system to develop inoculations for AIDS, malaria, and other deadly diseases, reports Reuters.
Opinion: Donating Data Could Be New Philanthropic Frontier
Two British researchers speculate on a future in which giving away data on personal habits becomes as much a part of the philanthropic landscape as donating money, blood, or time, in an article reposted by business-news site Quartz from online academic journal The Conversation.
U.S. Firm and British Charity Team Up on Contactless Giving
Texas-based advertising company Clear Channel Outdoor and Cancer Research UK are working together to develop shop-window displays that will allow people to make contactless donations day or night using smart cards, the San Antonio Business Journal writes.
New App Helps People Aid the Homeless
The app uses a smartphone’s GPS function to give information about shelters, food programs, and other services close by.
By NICOLE WALLACE
Features Editor
Charity Creates Financial-Coaching Site
The Change Machine helps workers assist clients in identifying money problems, finding solutions, and monitoring progress.
Charities Are Missing Out on Tools That Could Give Them an Edge
Nonprofits say they are eager to experiment with approaches like design thinking and contingency planning.
By Ben Gose
Senior Editor
Technology Start-Ups Don’t Hold All the Answers for ‘Broken’ Nonprofits
Lack of good journalism about nonprofits and strong professional training at business schools and elsewhere perpetuates dangerous myths.
By PHIL BUCHANAN
Contributor
Anti-Trafficking Groups Harness Big Data to Fight Sex Trade
Organizations combating human trafficking are working with high-tech partners to help victims and identify hot spots in the global sex and slave trades, U.S. News & World Report writes.
Advocacy Groups Raise Patients’ Voices in Biotech
Venture philanthropy and greater advocacy by disease nonprofits are helping patients become an influential force in the pursuit of breakthrough treatments, according to The Boston Globe.
Are Taxpayers Subsidizing Rich Collectors’ Private Museums?
A growing number of wealthy art collectors are opening small, private museums, some with strictly limited visitor access, raising questions about whether the public is in effect subsidizing patrons’ multimillion-dollar art troves through tax deductions, The New York Times writes.
Local Governments and Nonprofits Test Crowdfunding for Civic Projects
Advocates say the funds raised by the technology help unlock additional sources of giving, but some taxpayers see city hall trying to double-dip into their wallets.
By Drew Lindsay
Senior Editor, Special Projects
Impact Investing Eyed by More Community Foundations, Study Finds
As community foundations pay more attention to underlying structural causes of poverty, a small but growing number of them are experimenting with investing in social enterprises to meet their mission, Forbes writes, citing recent research by the Democracy Collaborative, a nonprofit that promotes community-development strategies.
Dustin Moskovitz and Cari Tuna Set to Ramp Up Giving in 2015
The Facebook co-founder and his wife will announce their first major donations in early 2015 after spending three years developing their philanthropic strategy, The Washington Post writes in a profile of the billionaire couple.
Salesforce’s Benioff Takes Lead in Pushing Tech Giving
BusinessWeek profiles Internet billionaire Marc Benioff and his highly public campaign to make Silicon Valley more synonymous with philanthropy, focusing on the Salesforce CEO’s efforts in the San Francisco area.