UNC replaces firm working on search for fundraising chief � Philanthropy North Carolina

UNC replaces firm working on search for fundraising chief � Philanthropy North Carolina: CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Plans for a long-delayed comprehensive campaign at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to raise $3 billion have taken yet another turn with the replacement of the search firm hired earlier this year to help find a new vice chancellor for development.

ProPublica Launches Online Tool to Search Nonprofit Tax Forms - Tax Watch - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

ProPublica Launches Online Tool to Search Nonprofit Tax Forms - Tax Watch - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: ProPublica Launches Online Tool to Search Nonprofit Tax Forms

By Doug Donovan

The investigative-journalism organization ProPublica started a free online service today for searching the federal tax returns of more than 615,000 nonprofits.

Dr. Judith Rodin: The Transformative Power of Philanthropy

Dr. Judith Rodin: The Transformative Power of Philanthropy: We see these transformations in modern day philanthropy -- from the Gates Foundation’s work to rid the world of polio, which could save hundreds of millions of lives, to the work of the Omidyar Network, the Rockefeller Foundation and many others involved in impact investing and innovative finance to unlock trillions of dollars in private capital to improve the lives of countless people worldwide.

Prince Harry set to kick off US tour that will include charity events and a visit to Jersey Shore to see the Hurricane Sandy destruction | Mail Online

Prince Harry set to kick off US tour that will include charity events and a visit to Jersey Shore to see the Hurricane Sandy destruction | Mail Online: Prince Harry will arrive in the US Thursday to begin his jam-packed nine-day tour that will include a stop in a New Jersey town ravaged by Hurricane Sandy.

In the course of his visit that will take Harry of Wales from coast to coast, the high-born guest will meet with wounded veterans, take part in charity events benefiting inner-city youths and promote British business and tourism.

Changing the Culture of Philanthropy in Michigan: From Audacious Beginnings to Real Results - National Committee For Responsive Philanthropy

Changing the Culture of Philanthropy in Michigan: From Audacious Beginnings to Real Results - National Committee For Responsive Philanthropy: Changing the Culture of Philanthropy in Michigan: From Audacious Beginnings to Real Results

Rebirth of the Charitable Remainder Trust | Planned Giving Design Center

Rebirth of the Charitable Remainder Trust | Planned Giving Design Center: Charitable remainder trusts are back! This according to attorney and PGDC contributing author David Wheeler Newman of Mitchell, Silverberg & Knupp, LLP. Read on to see why CRTs are enjoying renewed popularity.

How to become a philanthropist | Voluntary Sector Network | Guardian Professional

How to become a philanthropist | Voluntary Sector Network | Guardian Professional: How to become a philanthropist

Researchers at the Centre for Charitable Giving are investigating the reasons why prominent entrepreneurs, like Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, become philanthropic

Fundraising Intermission #1: Retention (Again!) | The Agitator - Fundraising, Direct Marketing and Advocacy Strategies for Nonprofits

Fundraising Intermission #1: Retention (Again!) | The Agitator - Fundraising, Direct Marketing and Advocacy Strategies for Nonprofits: hus, in this two-part Agitator Intermission we want to: 1) reinforce attention to what we consider the most fundamental problem facing nonprofits — donor retention; and, (2) give a reminder that there are a set of basic principles that guide us all. Virtually immutable laws we ignore at our peril — and disastrous retention rates.

No Money for Donor Acquisition? Focus on Retention

No Money for Donor Acquisition? Focus on Retention: At a FundRaising Success conference, Roger Craver reminded attendees of the importance of donor retention. Craver is the founder of DonorTrends and chief blogger at The Agitator.

In his keynote address at the conference, Craver said that, during these difficult times, we should focus our resources on our organization's "missionaries," "loyalists," and "lapsed donors."

Nonprofits shifting money model in tough economy � Philanthropy North Carolina

Nonprofits shifting money model in tough economy � Philanthropy North Carolina: Faced with continuing financial stress in the wake the recession, nonprofits plan to rework their strategies for raising and spending money, a new survey says.

Among 5,983 nonprofits responding to the 2013 State of the Nonprofit Sector Survey from the Nonprofit Finance Fund, 42 percent say they lack the right mix of financial resources to thrive and be effective in the next three years, and one in four has 30 days or less cash on hand.

Blog Roundup – May 2013 | Whats New at Creating the Future

Blog Roundup – May 2013 | Whats New at Creating the Future: Creating the Future now has seven blogs, as well as a small and growing cadre of blog authors. And so, herewith, a round-up of the great stuff you’ll find at Creating the Future’s blogs. (And remember – if you like what you see there, subscribe to that blog.)

Good charities spend more on admin but it is not money wasted | Voluntary Sector Network | Guardian Professional

Good charities spend more on admin but it is not money wasted | Voluntary Sector Network | Guardian Professional: Good charities spend more on admin but it is not money wasted

The popular idea that charities fritter money on unnecessary admin has been proven wrong. You must spend to be effective

npVOICES - #Episode #1 | npENGAGE

 New offering from Blackbaud npEngage

npVOICES - #Episode #1 | npENGAGE: Sometimes there’s not enough conversation in a blog post or a 140 character tweet. The goal of npVOICES is go deeper into topics that matter in the nonprofit sector. We hope you’ll listen, comment, and share.

n this episode…
- Sarah DiJulio with M+R Strategic Services discusses the e-Nonprofit Benchmarks Study
- Mark Hrywna from The NonProfit Times covers the debate in Congress over the charitable deduction
- Frank Barry with Blackbaud talks about the hot topics from across the nonprofit sector.

keeping a close eye... by the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy: Reflections from the Middle Space between Grantmaking and Grantseeking

keeping a close eye... by the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy: Reflections from the Middle Space between Grantmaking and Grantseeking: Having spent time on both "sides" and organizing in the middle spaces, my conclusion is that grantseekers and grantmakers are not so different. I believe we would all be better off imagining each other to be actual people – with motivations, fears, joys and stories – who want to improve our communities by working in different professional functions.

Marathon Bombings May Have Hurt Nonprofits’ Fundraising

massnonprofit.org ::: May 7, 2013 — Fallout from last month's Boston Marathon bombings seems to have included local nonprofit fundraising efforts, perhaps temporarily, as people, responding generously to help victims of the attack, may have diverted their philanthropy from other worthy causes, based on results from signature fundraising events of three nonprofits – Project Bread, Run-Walk to Home Base, and Longwood Giving.

The AFP Blog: The Fundraising Community Coming Together

The AFP Blog: The Fundraising Community Coming Together: The Fundraising Community Coming Together

San Diego seems a long time ago, even if it has only been a few weeks. Since then I've joined the Deutsche Fundraising Verband in celebrating their 20th anniversary in Berlin, I've met with fundraising colleagues from Hong Kong and Jakarta and I'm about to join the Fundraising Institute of New Zealand at their annual conference in Wellington.

Getting to Know Emily Mapes – From AFP Collegiate Chapter Member to Development Coordinator, Thanks to AFP Connections - About AFP - AFP

Getting to Know Emily Mapes – From AFP Collegiate Chapter Member to Development Coordinator, Thanks to AFP Connections - About AFP - AFP: 2.) How and why did you get involved with AFP?

During the spring of my freshman year is when they kicked off the AFP OK, Sooner Collegiate Chapter at OU. My college advisor said, “If you want to be involved in nonprofits, you have to know about fundraising”—it made sense! By my sophomore year I became president of the AFP collegiate chapter. I found that it was the gateway to having success in the nonprofit world.

Charity overhead stats are useful, but not in the way you think | Humanosphere

Charity overhead stats are useful, but not in the way you think | Humanosphere: Overhead has become a totem in the humanitarian world as charities and aid organizations seek to spend the most on services and the least on administrative costs.

Keeping Monthly Donors Is Worth The Effort | The NonProfit Times

Keeping Monthly Donors Is Worth The Effort | The NonProfit Times: Monthly donors have some of the strongest retention rates in the business. Retention among donors giving one-time gifts is between 41 and 50 percent, while donors enrolled in a monthly giving program are retained 70 to 80 percent of the time.

IRS makes progress in creating Interactive Form 1023 | Philanthropy Journal

IRS makes progress in creating Interactive Form 1023 | Philanthropy Journal: At a recent Georgetown Law School's conference on nonprofit organizations, EO Director Lois Lerner stated that an interim Interactive Form 1023 will be made available later in FY2013. She credited a fast-changing technology environment that is making once impossible tasks "very doable today."

Improvements to the current Form 1023 will permit applicants to access IRS educational resources through the interactive pop-up links embedded in the form. Improved quality and consistency of exemption applications is anticipated to result in increased efficiency of IRS review.

The FINANCIAL - American Express Leadership Academy Celebrates Fifth Year by Welcoming a Nonprofit Leaders

The FINANCIAL - American Express Leadership Academy Celebrates Fifth Year by Welcoming a Nonprofit Leaders: American Express celebrated five years of training emerging, nonprofit leaders with the tenth installment of the company's flagship American Express Leadership Academy welcoming the newest class in New York City.

Networking: Key to Keeping Maine a Quality Place?

Networking: Key to Keeping Maine a Quality Place?: The goal of the unique funding effort was to improve not only Maine's renowned landscapes and recreational attractions, but also its forests, farms and waterfronts, and its historic downtowns. So it's not entirely a "green" initiative, but more broadly, a "quality" one.

To test the idea that pooling resources can lead to greater impact, the Maine Philanthropy Center and the Maine Community Foundation assembled the Environmental Funders Network. Jo D. Saffeir explained what's meant by "quality of place."

"All the qualities that make Maine unique and attractive for people to live" go into that, she declared. "So, it's making sure that Maine's natural environment is protected, but also its historic downtowns."

Giving grows 7% in 1st quarter � Philanthropy North Carolina

Giving grows 7% in 1st quarter � Philanthropy North Carolina: Charitable giving totaled $97.26 billion in the first three months of 2013, up 7.1 percent from the same period a year earlier, and is expected to total $383.15 billion for the year, up 3.9 percent from 2012, a new report says.

That would mark a decline in growth from 6.7 percent in 2012, says the Atlas of Giving.

How Local Events Shake Up Corporate Philanthropy — HBS Working Knowledge

How Local Events Shake Up Corporate Philanthropy — HBS Working Knowledge: A recent research paper shows that enormous events like the Olympics lead to a dramatic, albeit relatively short-term increase in otherwise steady charitable-giving patterns among firms that are headquartered in the event's host city. Natural disasters also have a strong effect on firms' giving patterns, according to the study Punctuated Generosity: How Mega-events and Natural Disasters Affect Corporate Philanthropy in US Communities, which was published in the March issue of Administrative Science Quarterly.

NH nonprofits learning to engage volunteers - News - Boston.com

NH nonprofits learning to engage volunteers - News - Boston.com: The New Hampshire Charitable Foundation and the New Hampshire Center for Non-Profits have launched a program called the High Impact Volunteer Engagement Project. The goal is to teach nonprofits how to make the most of their volunteer resources while making volunteering a more rewarding experience.

A study by the Corporation for National and Community Service estimates that about 30 percent of New Hampshire residents volunteer in the course of a year

Taiwanese man trying to ‘collect smiles’ for Japan’s disaster victims | The Japan Daily Press

Taiwanese man trying to ‘collect smiles’ for Japan’s disaster victims | The Japan Daily Press: Taiwanese man trying to ‘collect smiles’ for Japan’s disaster victims
Posted on May 6, 2013 by Ida Torres in Lifestyle & Travel with 1 Comment
Taiwanese man trying to ‘collect smiles’ for Japan’s disaster victims

We’ve heard it said that “laughter is the best medicine”. For Taiwanese Terry Chung, he believes that the “power of smiles” can help victims of Japan’s Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 as they try to recover from the triple disaster that hit them. He thinks that by collecting enough smiles, he can put one on each of the victims as well.

Sept. 11 Museum to Charge Mandatory Admission Fee - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Sept. 11 Museum to Charge Mandatory Admission Fee - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: The organization’s board voted last week to approve the mandatory admission fee, determining that “it’s more fiscally prudent to have a straight ticket charge” than an optional donation for visitors, said Joseph Daniels, president of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum.

Met Museum Reverses Course; Will Return Cambodian Statues - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Met Museum Reverses Course; Will Return Cambodian Statues - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: In a move that reflects major museums’ growing sensitivity to foreign governments’ claims on cultural artifacts, New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art has agreed to return two signature works from its Asian collection to Cambodia, saying it now has convincing evidence they were smuggled out of the country, The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times write.

N.Y. Judge Shutters Fundraising Firm Tied to Cancer Charity - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

N.Y. Judge Shutters Fundraising Firm Tied to Cancer Charity - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: New York State’s attorney general has obtained a court order shutting down a professional fundraising firm that kept 85 cents of every dollar it collected on behalf of a supposed breast-cancer charity, the New York Daily News and Binghamton television station WBNG report.

Hopkins to raise $4.5 billion - baltimoresun.com

Hopkins to raise $4.5 billion - baltimoresun.com: Johns Hopkins announced Saturday a $4.5 billion fundraising goal — among the largest in the country — to help the university and health system address some of the world's most challenging issues, including water scarcity, education quality and city revitalization.

Contributors have already committed nearly $2 billion, including a $350 million pledge from New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, a Hopkins alumnus, in what is known as the "quiet phase" of the campaign, dubbed "Rising to the Challenge."

'Giving circles' growing as new form of Pittsburgh philanthropy - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

'Giving circles' growing as new form of Pittsburgh philanthropy - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Giving circles typically have involved friends meeting over drinks and food in each other's living rooms to discuss what charitable causes they should support.

But the model has evolved into one that some foundations are using to assemble groups of donors with common interests around particular issues and then help those groups make informed, strategic contributions.