Grantsmanship News and Articles
Jul. 08, 2008
Raising Planned Gifts by Mail
Written by: Larry Stelter
Despite the lack of confidence we sometimes feel about direct mail's efficacy, the fact remains—it works. Maybe one day this will change—perhaps the Internet will come into its own as a fundraising medium. But for now, raising planned gifts by mail is a solid and revenue-producing strategy. ...
Jul. 08, 2008
No-Ask Fundraising: Six High-Impact Jobs for Board Members
Written by: Gail Perry
How do we harness our board members' passion for the cause and channel it into productive fundraising activities? Here are practical, easy ways your board members can open the door, connect their friends to your organization, expand your organization's social networks, and help you find new friends and donors—without having to solicit.
Jul. 08, 2008
Most Corporations Not Maximizing Their Philanthropy, Report Finds
Although the majority of CEOs believe corporate philanthropy is an effective way to meet evolving expectations for their companies' social behavior, only a small percentage of companies are truly efficient in their philanthropy, a new report from the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy finds.
Jul. 08, 2008
Collaborative Approaches Work to Maintain, Extend Arts Education, Study Finds
Amid cutbacks in funding for arts education, public and private organizations in six urban regions have joined together to expand access to arts learning for children in and outside of public school, a new report from the RAND Corporation finds.
Jul. 07, 2008
Kresge Foundation Announces New Health, Environment Programs
The Kresge Foundation in Troy, Michigan, has announced the launch of new programs in the areas of health and the environment. The new programs are part of the foundation's multiyear plan, announced a year ago, to expand its grantmaking to better address society's pressing issues.
Jun. 24, 2008
Giving's Tough Climate - Economic Woes Put Damper on Some Donations in 2007
Written by: Holly Hall
The sluggish economy is showing its effects on charitable donations, which rose just 1 percent last year after inflation, according to Giving USA, the annual tally of American philanthropy to be released this week.
Jun. 24, 2008
Annie E. Casey Foundation Releases 2008 KIDS COUNT Data Book
National trends in child well-being taken together have improved slightly since 2000, with five indicators showing at least modest improvement, even as more children are living in relative poverty in the United States than in any other economically advanced nation, a new report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation finds.
Jun. 23, 2008
How to Prove to a Foundation That a Grant Produced Results
Written by: Elizabeth Schwinn
When charities ask foundations to renew their grants, they can’t show only that a program was instituted as promised or that it served a certain number of people, says John A. LaRocca, vice president of the Rensselaerville Institute, a think tank for charities and foundations.
Jun. 23, 2008
Corporate Philanthropy Increased in 2007, Survey Finds
Despite turmoil in the credit markets and growing economic uncertainty, corporate philanthropy increased in 2007 and is expected to stay at those levels in 2008, a new survey from the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy finds.
Jun. 10, 2008
Four Steps to Take Board Members from Fear of Fundraising to Enthusiasm
Written by: Gail Perry
If you want to get your board members fully active in fundraising, you need to approach them from a new perspective. You have to change their mind-set about fundraising and redefine it from an entirely new point of view.
Jun. 10, 2008
Grant Costs: Are they worth it?
Written by: Cassandra O’Neill
Question: What do getting a grant and taking a payday loan have in common? Answer: They cost you much more than what you receive.
Almost all grants require organizations that receive them to spend MORE money to implement the project or program -- than they are receiving. Sometimes the amount that an organization needs to spend in addition to the amount of the grant they are awarded - is very large. The opportunity costs, what they could have done with those resources if allocated differently, is very costly to the long term stability, growth, and sustainability of the organization.
Jun. 10, 2008
Discovery Visits with Foundations
Many larger development offices utilize similar visits, called discovery visits, to get acquainted with potential individual donors. These initial visits provide critical information that often results in establishing a connection between the prospect and the organization, identifying mutual interests and determining the possibility of future involvement and investment. More and more organizations and their development staff are finding that discovery visits such as the fictitious one described above can often be the starting point for building a long-term relationship with a foundation just as they often do with potential individual donors.
May. 27, 2008
United Way to Target Health, Education and Income
The United Way of America has announced that it will direct most of its giving toward a ten-year effort to halve the high school dropout rate and number of working families struggling financially while increasing by a third the number of youths and adults considered healthy, the Washington Post reports.
May. 27, 2008
Community Foundation Giving Jumps 14 Percent, Study Finds
Estimated giving by the nation's 717 community foundations rose 14 percent in 2007, to an estimated $4.1 billion, a new report from the New York City-based Foundation Center finds.
May. 27, 2008
Getting It All Together: A MUST for Grant Writers
Written by: Roberta Cooke
We have all been finalizing a grant at the eleventh hour and been scrambling around to find all of the standard attachments. Then you ask yourself: Why didn't I set this all up earlier, I do this every time? Or perhaps the main grant writer is out of the office un-expectantly and you need to "finalize" the job. Even though many proposals are submitted online they still require the basics.
This article presents a basic list of items and documents that will help you create an efficient office.
May. 27, 2008
Reading a Private Foundation's Form 990-PF
Written by: Michael Wells, GPC, CFRE
The 990-PF gives a real insight into a foundation’s inner workings, and some grant-seekers spend hours poring over them. If you’re not sure it’s worth your time and trouble to review the 990-PF, think about this: Representatives of the foundation have spent weeks, or even months, compiling data and filling out the report.
May. 27, 2008
Private Foundations
Written by: Michael Wells, GPC, CFRE
Private foundations first came into being in the early 20th century when business tycoons like John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie formed trusts to support their charitable activities....
May. 20, 2008
Building Leaderful Organizations: Succession Planning for Nonprofits
Released as part of an Annie E. Casey Foundation series on executive transitions, Building Leaderful Organizations: Succession Planning for Nonprofits provides tools for emergency succession planning, guidance for executive directors about when and how to leave an organization, and a list of recommendations for boards working to maintain an organization's stability through a period of transition.
May. 16, 2008
Many Nonprofit CEOs Dissatisfied With Board Performance, Report Finds
A significant number of CEOs at midsize nonprofits are dissatisfied with the performance of their boards, particularly in regard to fundraising and the way boards monitor their own performance, a new report from the Urban Institute finds.
May. 16, 2008
Younger Donors as Generous as Other Generations, Report Finds
Donors across all generations tend to give roughly the same amount to philanthropic causes when controlling for other factors such as income, education, and frequency of attendance at religious services, a new report from the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University finds.
May. 07, 2008
Foundation Giving Posts Double-Digit Growth in 2007, Report Finds
The country's more than 72,000 grantmaking foundations increased their giving to $42.9 billion in 2007, a new report from the Foundation Center finds. The estimated 10 percent gain follows a 7.1 percent increase in 2006.
May. 07, 2008
Bank of America, Countrywide Announce $35 Million Package to Aid Distressed Homeowners, Communities
Bank of America and Countrywide Financial Corporation have announced a $35 million program designed to help homeowners and communities (including Arizona) hard hit by the ongoing mortgage foreclosure crisis.
May. 02, 2008
Corporate Foundation Giving Reaches an Estimated $4.4 Billion, Report Finds
Giving by corporate foundations increased 6.6 percent in 2007 to an estimated $4.4 billion, a new summary report from the Foundation Center finds. Looking ahead, 54 percent of the corporate foundations surveyed expect their giving to increase in 2008.
May. 02, 2008
Foundations, Nonprofits Struggle With Grant Application, Reporting Process, Study Finds
Facing an "effectiveness paradox," foundations have begun to recognize that some of the measures they've adopted to ensure strategic and accountable grantmaking are backfiring, resulting in a system that drains both foundations and nonprofits of time and energy, a new report from Project Streamline, an initiative of the Grants Managers Network, finds.
May. 02, 2008
Foundations Step Up Giving to Help Those Harmed by Bad Economy, Study Finds
Written by: Suzanne Perry
Almost one-third of foundations say they have stepped up their giving this year to help families, provide human services, or support economic development — and 37 percent said they planned to increase such grant making next year, according to a study released today by the Council on Foundations.
May. 02, 2008
The Fired-Up Board: Preparing Your Board Members for Fundraising
Written by: Gail Perry
Just think, how much could your organization raise if you had all your board members engaged in fundraising?
If we want to fire up our board members for fundraising, we first need to fire them up about our organization and the good work we are doing in the world. As we know, a board that is not engaged and excited about the work at hand is not going to put itself out for fundraising.
May. 02, 2008
IRS Updates, May 2008: Intermediate Sanctions, Instructions for Filing the New Form 990, and More
Written by: Patrick Ferraro
If your organization is still struggling to understand fully the definition and implications of excess benefit transactions, take note. The IRS has issued its final regulations on intermediate sanctions, the penalty imposed on nonprofits that are deemed to have overcompensated CEOs, board members, and other "disqualified" individuals specified in the regulations. Rather than enacting substantive changes to the proposed regulations set forth in 2005, the final document attempts to clarify complex issues with specific examples and to serve as a guide for potentially troubled organizations.
Apr. 29, 2008
Basic Grant Tracking for the Small Organization
Written by: Michael Wells, GPC, CFRE
A typical nonprofit may submit a dozen, or 50, or 100 proposals a year and have maybe 30 percent of them funded. As a grantwriter, how do you keep track of them? In the course of that year, you or someone in your organization may talk to foundation or government agency staff countless times. How do you remember what was said?
Apr. 29, 2008
Writing for Substance Abuse Treatment Programs
Written by: Bruce Ripley
Are you a freelance grant consultant? Or a grant writer who changes jobs periodically? Then you could be writing grant proposals on behalf of substance abuse treatment programs at some point in your career.
Any experience writing for other kinds of nonprofits will serve you well when raising funds for treatment programs. Even so, you may want to keep the following tips and issues in mind when entering this arena...
Apr. 29, 2008
Tips for Grantwriting for National Organizations
Written by: Susan Schaefer
The fundamental challenge of writing grants for national nonprofits is taking an organization’s vast set of issues, programs and stakeholders and making them seem familiar to a funder who may be thousands of miles away. How do you take a national story and give it a local resonance? While people everywhere share a set of universal experiences, there is no accounting for the emotional ties that form when a proposal strikes a familiar chord with a reader. When your organization has a national scope, you must promote your charity while also creating a common denominator that people from most any walk of life can share.
Apr. 27, 2008
IRS to Step Up Efforts to Ensure Charities Are Efficient and Effective
Written by: Grant Williams
The Internal Revenue Service is stepping up efforts to ensure that the nation’s charities are not hoarding or wasting money, a top official of the agency said.
Apr. 15, 2008
Giving by U.S. Family Foundations Increased 21 Percent, Report Finds
America's family foundations awarded $17 billion in grants in 2006, a 21 percent increase from the previous year, a new report from the Foundation Center finds.
Apr. 15, 2008
IRS Releases Instructions for Charity Tax Form
Written by: Sam Kean and Peter Panepento
The Internal Revenue Service has posted the draft instructions for the new Form 990, the primary tax document that charities file each year with the government.
Apr. 15, 2008
Direct-Marketing Appeals Produced Sluggish Results Last Year, Study Finds
Written by: Elizabeth Schwinn
The signs of an economic downturn continue as a new study shows that donations made in response to direct-marketing appeals are growing at a considerably slower rate than in past years, according to a new study of many of the nation’s biggest charities.
Apr. 14, 2008
A Year of Slower Growth
Written by: Sam Kean
Assets and giving at the nation's wealthiest foundations increased in 2007, a new Chronicle survey finds, but the outlook for 2008 and beyond is considerably gloomier, as the slumping stock market causes the endownments of many grant makers to shrink.
Apr. 04, 2008
What to Do After Your're Funded
Written by: Martin Teitel
After you've been told the fabulous news of your winning a sizable grant award, and the champagne in your Dixie cups has gone flat, I (the head of a foundation myself) recommend you do three things...
Apr. 04, 2008
The Myths and Realities of Board Members and Fundraising
Written by: Gail Perry
Where is our dream trustee who can solicit gifts with passion and energy? Unfortunately few board members fit this ideal. One of the biggest myths perpetuated in fundraising is that most board members are willing and able to raise money.
Apr. 01, 2008
Ethical Standards Erode at Nonprofit Groups, Study Finds
Written by: Peter Panepento
Nonprofit organizations have long held a reputation for having significantly higher ethical standards than businesses and government. But a report released today by the Ethics Resource Center, in Washington, shows that gap is closing quickly — as standards at charities are declining at what the study’s authors say is a disturbing rate.
Apr. 01, 2008
Nonprofit Jobseekers See Obstacles in Building Long-Term Careers, Survey Finds
Many nonprofit jobseekers are eager to build long-term careers in the social sector but believe that nonprofit employers are not doing enough to address the obstacles they face, a new report from Commongood Careers finds.
Mar. 24, 2008
Foundations Ponder How Best to Measure Impact
With a record number of individual donations of $100 million or more made in the past few years, philanthropy is undeniably a growing industry. But many new philanthropists are increasingly concerned about whether their bequests will have a notable impact, the New York Times Magazine reports.
Mar. 24, 2008
Google Offers New Site for Nonprofit Groups
Written by: Sam Kean
The Internet search company Google has opened a new portal for nonprofit groups that explains how to adopt various Google features and software for charitable work.
Mar. 17, 2008
Some Charities Adopt Capitalism's Virtues
A new breed of social entrepreneurs is administering doses of bottom-line thinking to traditional philanthropy in order to make charity more effective, the New York Times reports.
Mar. 17, 2008
Five Fundraising Mistakes We Make with Our Boards
Written by: Gail Perry
Too often nonprofit board members shy away from fundraising. When the subject comes up, many trustees suddenly become invisible or silent. Yet it is our responsibility to set up board members in active, satisfying roles that can support the fundraising process. But we frequently make mistakes that hurt, rather than help, our cause.
Mar. 17, 2008
Deadly Offenses
Written by: Jerold Panas
With some organizations, if you want to kill an idea, get the board to discuss it. They don't know what they want—and won't be happy until they get it. I've been a consultant to philanthropy for 40 years. In that time, I've attended hundreds and hundreds of board meetings—perhaps a thousand. Time and time again, I've heard the same seven deadly statements that can kill an idea...
Mar. 17, 2008
Follow the Events Path to Major Gifts
Written by: David Lawson
Events are a common fundraising tactic among nonprofits. Dinners, galas, runs, walks, and auctions are all variations of the ever-promising, always-delivering event fundraiser. Events encourage constituents to act in favor of the organization and provide a means for nonprofits to cultivate the relationship. But events have much more to offer. They can be a mechanism to discover major gift donors.
Mar. 17, 2008
IRS Updates
Written by: Patrick Ferraro and Suzanne E. Coffman
If your organization is required to file a Form 990-N, you can now find it on-line at the Web site of the Urban Institute, the IRS's partner for this project. Organizations with gross receipts of $25,000 or less (except for churches and their auxiliaries and organizations included in a group return) are generally required to file the Form 990-N, which is also known as the e-Postcard.
Mar. 17, 2008
What Makes People Give?
Two economists explore why people donate to charity in a special report on money and philanthropy in The New York Times Sunday magazine. The authors look at how effective matching gifts and challenge grants are.
Mar. 17, 2008
Wal-Mart Overhauls Charity Spending
Wal-Mart, one of the biggest corporate donors in the United States, is overhauling how it donates money to ensure that its philanthropic efforts are more closely linked to its brand positioning, the Financial Times reports.
Mar. 17, 2008
Kresge Foundation Shares Results of 'Grantee Perception Survey'
The Kresge Foundation in Troy, Michigan, has announced the results of a Grantee Perception Report (22 pages, PDF), which was prepared for the foundation by the Center for Effective Philanthropy in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Mar. 17, 2008
Chevron Announces Employee Giving, Volunteering Program
Chevron Corporation in San Ramon, California, has announced a new employee giving and volunteer program that will provide up to $20 million annually to U.S. nonprofit organizations.
Mar. 04, 2008
Foundations Increased Giving by 14.6% in 2006, New Study Finds
Written by: Caroline Preston
The nation’s largest foundations increased their giving to $19.1-billion in 2006, rising 16.4 percent over the previous year, according to a report released today by the Foundation Center, in New York.
Mar. 04, 2008
Potential Charity Leaders See Top Job as Unappealing, New Survey Reveals
Written by: Jennifer C. Berkshire
The charity world is expected to require tens of thousands of new leaders within the next decade, as the baby-boomer generation of senior managers begins to retire. Now a new survey of nearly 6,000 potential nonprofit leaders shows just how difficult recruiting those executives is going to be.
Mar. 04, 2008
Non-profits fear shrinking donations
Written by: Eugene Scott
Local non-profit organizations expect individual giving to decrease more than 5 percent this year due to strains on the economy. Corporate giving is expected to shrink as well.
Some charitable groups say they've already experienced a hit in donations from corporations and individuals.
Mar. 03, 2008
New Report Projects U.S. Population Growth Over Next Half Century
If current trends continue, the population of the United States will rise to 438 million in 2050, from 296 million in 2005, with 82 percent of the increase due to immigrants and their U.S.-born descendants, a new report from the Pew Research Center finds.
Mar. 03, 2008
Association of Fundraising Professionals Urges Expansion of IRA Rollover Provision
The Association of Fundraising Professionals in Alexandria, Virginia, has announced that it is working with Congress and the White House to expand the Individual Retirement Account (IRA) Rollover provision, which expired at the end of 2007.
Mar. 03, 2008
Businesses See Opportunity in CSR, Study Finds
Many companies believe that including social responsibility as a core principle of their business strategy makes them more competitive, gives them access to new business opportunities, and helps them attract and retain the best talent, a new study by the IBM Institute for Business Value finds.
Mar. 03, 2008
Winners Announced in Contest Designed to Spur Online Giving
Written by: Anne Howard
An Oklahoma charity that aids orphaned Chinese children, a small animal-rescue group in New Jersey, and an organization that fights epilepsy are among the top winners of a pair of online fund-raising contests designed to demonstrate the power of large numbers of small donations.
Mar. 03, 2008
Number of Americans Who Volunteered Rose 10% in 2007, Survey Finds
Written by: Caroline Preston
A growing number of Americans say they are volunteering, according to a study by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. Seventy-four percent of the 1,000 adults surveyed said they participated in some form of volunteer service in 2007, a 10-percent increase over the previous year.
Feb. 18, 2008
Many Americans Say Charity Overhead Costs Are Too High, Study Finds
Written by: Elizabeth Schwinn
Sixty-two percent of the public thinks that charities spend too much money on overhead costs such as fund raising and administration, according to a new study, a belief that could make it harder for charities to raise money.
Feb. 18, 2008
The Time Has Come For Educational Institutions To Focus Upon Developing Strong Grant Offices
Written by: Rebecca Vermillion Shawver
started my fund development career working for a federation of fourteen social service agencies in the early 1990s. At the time, United Way agencies nationwide were significantly cutting allocations. Officials warned member agencies to become better fundraisers because future reductions were planned. And as most development professionals now know, massive reductions in funding levels were made year after year by United Ways across the country.
Feb. 18, 2008
Charities Face Postal Increases In May
Written by: Holly Hall
The U.S. Postal Service has proposed new postage rates for nonprofit organizations and other mailers to take effect on May 12. Under the proposal, postage for nonprofit standard mail, mostly letter-size pieces, will increase by an average of 0.7 percent, and nonprofit periodical mail will go up by an average of 2.7 percent.
Feb. 18, 2008
Fire, Aim, Ready: Why Most Foundation-Funded Capacity Building Efforts Miss the Mark
Written by: Mary Genis
To what extent has the plethora of capacity-building programs, trainings, and initiatives in recent years increased the capacity of the nonprofit sector to serve more people in a way that promotes social change? Has the professionalization of the sector broadened or deepened society's safety net? And have foundation-funded capacity-building efforts groomed the next generation of leaders or equipped the sector sufficiently to prepare for the future?
Feb. 13, 2008
Foundation Spending Patterns Driven by Multiple Factors, Report Finds
Foundation type, size, staffing patterns, and operating activities are the key factors that consistently drive foundation expense and compensation patterns, a new report from the Urban Institute, the Foundation Center, and GuideStar finds. Moreover, even under changing or volatile economic conditions, the administrative expense and compensation patterns of U.S. foundations are consistent and predictable.
Feb. 11, 2008
Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix
Written by: Daniel J. Wakin
Not for Robert J. Ulrich, the chairman and chief executive of Target Corporation, the purveyor of cheap chic. Mr. Ulrich is donating millions of dollars to establish the decidedly unglamorous Musical Instrument Museum, which he says will be the country’s only free-standing museum devoted to instruments of world cultures.
Feb. 11, 2008
Bracing for Tough Times - Many Charities Feel Vulnerable as Economy Slips
Written by: Holly Hall and Sam Kean
The faltering economy is starting to affect a growing number of charities and the people they serve. In recent weeks, nonprofit organizations have heard from donors who are putting off big gifts, and some groups that rely mostly on small donations have also seed a falloff.
Feb. 11, 2008
Corporate Philanthropy Continues to Rise, Survey Finds
Total corporate contributions in the United States and abroad amounted to $10.2 billion in 2006, up from $9.8 billion in 2005, a new report from the New York City-based Conference Board finds.
Feb. 11, 2008
Congress Continues to Scrutinize Nonprofit Boards
In response to irregularities at a handful of charities, Congress has focused its attention over the past few years on the accountability of the nonprofit board as a governing body and of each member in his or her individual capacity, according to the Chicago-based accounting firm Grant Thornton.
Feb. 11, 2008
Charities Vow to Fight Proposed cuts in Federal Budge
Written by: Brennen Jensen and Suzanne Perry
Charities and advocacy groups have expressed alarm at President Bush’s proposals to curtail spending on social services, the arts, and health care as part of the $3.1-trillion budget for fiscal year 2009 he proposed this week.
Feb. 11, 2008
Building Donor Affinity While Incorporating Financial Data into Fundraising Campaigns
Written by: Howard Horowitz
Every once in a while the finance team and the development and marketing departments will get together, mostly for budgeting purposes. But the finance department and the numbers it maintains can make a dramatic difference in the success of the development team's campaigns. Financial information can be used for more than setting and maintaining the budget.
Feb. 05, 2008
President Bush Includes Charitable-Giving Incentives in Budget Proposal
Written by: Sam Kean
In his administration’s newly released 2009 budget, President Bush proposed making permanent a number of temporary incentives for charitable giving. He also proposed eliminating the two-tier structure of taxes that private foundations must pay on their investment income, replacing it with a flat rate of 1 percent instead.
Feb. 02, 2008
Independent Sector Urges Senate Finance Committee to Include Nonprofits in Stimulus Package
In a statement submitted last week to the Senate Finance Committee, Diana Aviv, president and CEO of Independent Sector, commended the committee for its efforts to address concerns about the slowing economy and urged it to consider the full range of interests, including those of the charitable community and the people it serves, as it works to develop an economic stimulus package.
Feb. 02, 2008
Washington Mutual Reduces Charitable Giving Program
Washington Mutual has announced that it will reduce its charitable giving program this year because of a significant downturn in its business due to slumping housing and credit markets, the Tampa Bay Business Journal reports.
Feb. 02, 2008
Philanthropic Foundations Named 2007 Arizonan of the Year
A new player is emerging on the state scene. Acting as catalyst, leader, resource, visionary.
The Arizonan of the Year for 2007 is not a person but a group with a growing impact: philanthropic foundations.
Jan. 28, 2008
Direct-Mail Executive Proposes Voluntary Fund-Raising Disclosure System
Written by: Suzanne Perry
Following Congressional criticism of the fund-raising practices of some veterans charities, an executive at a prominent direct-mail company that became embroiled in the controversy has proposed a new system for providing information to donors.
Jan. 28, 2008
IRS to Release Some 990 Instructions Early
Written by: Sam Kean
The Internal Revenue Service will release the new informational tax return, known as Form 990 tax, on a staggered schedule, the agency announced last week at a meeting of tax lawyers.
Jan. 28, 2008
A Taxing Matter
Written by: Peter Panepento and Grant Williams
Nonprofit organizations make billions of dollars in income from activities unrelated to their core missions, but roughly half of the groups raising such funds pay little or nothing in federal taxes on the income.
Jan. 24, 2008
Television Companies Donate 17 Seconds an Hour to Public-Service Ads
Written by: Nicole Lewis - Chronicle of Philanthropy
Broadcast and cable networks donate 17 seconds an hour, on average, to airing free public-service advertisements, according to a new study sponsored by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, in Menlo Park, Calif. The donated time represents one half of 1 percent of all television programming.
Jan. 21, 2008
Lawmakers Propose New Fund-Raising Disclosure Requirements at Hearing
Written by: Elizabeth Schwinn
Members of a key House committee today suggested that all charities should be required by law to tell donors how much of their contribution would be spent on programs related to the group’s mission.
Jan. 08, 2008
Can Foundations Take the Long View Again?
Written by: Denise Caruso
AS business leaders like Ted Turner, Bill Gates and George Soros have moved vast swaths of their private wealth into the philanthropic sector, market expertise has migrated there, too. As a result, foundation directors, trustees and advisers from corporate America have taken a stance that the return on charitable dollars should be tangible and measurable, and should drive capital flow in much the same way that earnings figures do in commerce. But a small and increasingly vocal group of foundation leaders is challenging the benefits of this approach.
Jan. 07, 2008
Principles from the Panel on the Nonprofit Sector: Yet Another List of "Shoulds"?
Written by: Linda Lampkin, ERI Economic Research Institute
With increased enforcement by the IRS and state charity regulators, renewed Congressional interest in investigating just what it means to be a charity, and continuing media stories highlighting some nonprofit abuses, the Panel on the Nonprofit Sector (convened by Independent Sector) published Principles for Good Governance and Ethical Practice: A Guide for Charities and Foundations in October to help guide charities in these sometimes difficult times.
Jan. 07, 2008
On-line Monthly Giving—A Review of Nonprofit Programs
Written by: Marie Ewald and Karen Matheson, M+R Strategic Services
Monthly giving (also known as a recurring donors or sustainers program) has come a long way from the early days of child sponsorship. Now a centerpiece of many direct-marketing programs, monthly giving provides a reliable, low-cost stream of revenue that sustains ongoing programs.
Jan. 07, 2008
Grant Professionals Introduce Credentialing Program
Written by: Katie Krueger
The Grant Professionals Certification Institute, an independent organization affiliated with the American Association of Grant Professionals, administered the first professional credentialing exam to 102 grant professionals on November 10 - 11, 2007. Those who pass the test will be recognized as professionals with adequate experience and mastery of nine formalized competencies required for the profession. They will be recognized as "Grant Professional Certified" and can place the GPC acronym after their name in professional correspondence.
Jan. 04, 2008
Biggest Gifts and Pledges Announced by Individuals in 2007
William Barron Hilton, the hotel mogul, made the biggest single charitable gift of 2007 by pledging $1.2-billion to his family’s foundation, a Chronicle of Philanthropy tally finds. Ranking No. 2 on the list was Jon M. Huntsman Sr., who donated $700-million to his foundation.
Dec. 31, 2007
Largest Philanthropic Gifts Go to Colleges and Universities, Study Finds
Higher education, health, and cultural organizations receive the majority of the largest gifts that individuals, foundations, and corporations contribute to charitable and tax-exempt causes, a new study from the San Francisco-based Institute for Jewish & Community Research finds.
Dec. 31, 2007
Senate to Consider Embedded Giving Programs
The practice of building a charitable gift into everyday purchases, sometimes called embedded giving, has attracted the interest of Congress, the New York Times reports.
Dec. 31, 2007
Nonprofit Leaders and Experts Offer Their Predictions for 2008
The new year promises to be a pivotal one in the world of philanthropy.
A hotly contested presidential election, a turbulent economy, heightened concerns about charities among government leaders, rapidly evolving technology, and shifting demographics are all expected to shape the way nonprofit groups and foundations operate in 2008 and beyond.
Dec. 31, 2007
IRS Gives Small Groups Grace Period for Filing New Form 990
Written by: Peter Panepento
The Internal Revenue Service today delivered an unexpected holiday gift to small nonprofit organizations that have worried about how they would be able to adjust to filing the revised Form 990 — the main tax form for nonprofit groups.
Dec. 17, 2007
A Quest for the Best: Fledgling Grant Maker Posts Online Charity Evaluations
Written by: Suzzane Perry
When Holden Karnofsky, 26 started earning good money doing research on hedge funds for an investment company several years ago, he began thinking seriously about giving to charity for the first time in his life...."I wanted to give, and I wanted to give a fair amount, and I wanted to be able to just find the best one" to give to, he says.
Dec. 17, 2007
Kresge Foundation Opens Challenge Grant Program to Community Colleges
The Kresge Foundation in Troy, Michigan, has announced that degree-granting community colleges are now eligible to apply to its Challenge Grant Program.
Dec. 17, 2007
Philanthropic Goals Among the Rich Vary Widely, Study Finds
The nation's wealthiest donors approach philanthropy differently from the average donor, and they also vary in practice among themselves, a new study from the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University finds.
Dec. 17, 2007
Growing Share of 'Megagifts' Goes to Colleges, Hospitals, and Museums, Study Finds
Written by: Debra Blum
Colleges, hospitals, and museums, long at the top of the list for America’s biggest donors and grant makers, are receiving a growing slice of multimillion-dollar gifts, according to a new by the Institute for Jewish and Community Research, in San Francisco.
Dec. 17, 2007
Indirect Costs
Written by: Michael Wells
Unlike many private foundations, the Federal Government acknowledges that it costs money to run your agency, above and beyond the costs of providing direct services. These administrative overhead or "indirect" costs are the things that keep your organization operating smoothly and efficiently, but are not tied to any one. The federal government has a standardized, and fairly complex, method of determining your indirect costs, which results in a negotiated Indirect Cost Rate.
Dec. 04, 2007
WHATEVER happened to Anonymous?
Written by: CHARLES ISHERWOOD
I am wondering instead what became of those wealthy philanthropists who used to support arts organizations and other not-for-profit and charitable institutions without requiring that their names be slapped somewhere — anywhere, it sometimes seems — on a building.
Dec. 04, 2007
The Story of the Gold Toes: The Best-Kept Holiday Fundraising Secret
Written by: Katya Andresen
Open your sock drawer and look inside. I am willing to bet that if you're a man, you'll own at least one pair of Gold Toes. Those are the dress socks with the distinctive gold thread at the toe. If you're a woman, you may have a pair of white work-out socks with that gold color on the toes. The odds are in my favor because more than half of all men's socks sold at U.S. department stores are the Gold Toe brand, and the company weaves more than 140 million pairs for men, women, and children every year.
Dec. 04, 2007
Misconceptions about Writing Fundraising Letters
Written by: Stephen Hitchcock
One of the most crippling misconceptions about letter writing is that it's hard and something to labor over. Not so. The secret to writing effective fundraising letters is to write quickly and naturally. To let the words flow from your fingers, to talk a "blue streak" on paper.
Nov. 26, 2007
Many Top Philanthropists Choose to Give Close to Home
Many of the country's top philanthropists support institutions close to home and choose to stay involved with those institutions to make sure their gifts are used effectively, BusinessWeek reports.
Nov. 26, 2007
Charities Looking to Mergers to Trim Costs
With the number of nonprofits increasing rapidly and donors growing tired of solicitations, charities are experimenting with mergers as a way to cut costs, reduce duplication of services, and expand their reach, the New York Times reports.
Nov. 26, 2007
Few Donors Use Online Giving Options, Survey Finds
Although 65 percent of Americans gave to charity in the past year, only one in ten regularly gives online, a new survey from American Express and the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University finds.
Nov. 20, 2007
Direct Charitable Activities on the Rise at U.S. Foundations, Study Finds
According to what is believed to be the first study to track the growing role of operating programs -- known as direct charitable activities -- at philanthropic foundations in the United States, 60 percent of independent and family foundations involved in these types of activities increased their levels in the past five years, a new report from the New York City-based Foundation Center finds.
Nov. 20, 2007
Foundations, Charities Urged to Spend More
Proponents of more grantmaking by foundations say the mandatory payout rate of 5 percent that private foundations are subject to has in many cases become the maximum and further argue that to really solve a host of social problems, foundations and other endowed, tax-exempt institutions need to open their coffers wider, the New York Times reports.
Nov. 14, 2007
IRS Official Says Tax Agency May Step Up Efforts to Identify Ineffective Charities
Written by: Ben Gose
The Internal Revenue Service may need to take further steps to better help the public identify inefficient and ineffective nonprofit organizations, Steven T. Miller, the commissioner of the agency’s tax-exempt and government-entities division, told a group of foundation officials and donors here on Saturday.
Nov. 13, 2007
Trustees Don't Do Enough to Help Charities Raise Money, Study Finds
Written by: Elizabeth Schwinn
Board members of nonprofit organizations aren’t doing enough to raise money for their groups, according to a new report that surveyed chief executives and board members from more than 1,100 organizations.
Nov. 13, 2007
Sustainability: More than a fiction writing contest
Written by: Cassandra O'Neill
What does sustainability mean? If you are writing a grant, there is usually a sustainability section, where you are asked to describe how the new program you are requesting funds for will be continued after the grant ends. The reality is that new programs started with grant funds are almost never continued when the grant ends. This is because funders only want to fund new programs. However, what most grant proposals include in the sustainability section, is a list of the foundations the organization plans to submit grants to in order to continue the proposed program. What if sustainability was more than a fiction writing contest, what if funding was directed to activities that would result in lasting change and not require more money after the grant ended? Why are funders only interested in funding new programs that there is no way to continue?
Nov. 06, 2007
The 20 Biggest Fundraising Mistakes, Part II
Written by: David Lansdowne
Last month, JGA posted an article from Guidestar "The 20 Biggest Fundraising Mistakes, Part I." This article outlined mistakes 1-10. This month, Guidestar completes the list with mistakes 11-20.
Nov. 06, 2007
Piper Trust, Flinn Foundation Launch $45 Million Partnership for Personalized Medicine
The Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust in Scottsdale, Arizona, and the Phoenix-based Flinn Foundation have pledged a total of $45 million for a global initiative to develop personalized molecular diagnostics to treat disease based on a patient's unique physiological makeup — an approach that could improve health outcomes while reducing medical costs.
Nov. 06, 2007
Corporate Giving Increased Nearly 5 Percent Between 2005 and 2006, Report Finds
While American corporations posted a median percentage increase of 4.8 percent in philanthropic giving between 2005 and 2006, companies were split in whether their giving increased or decreased during that time, a new report from the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy finds.
Nov. 06, 2007
The Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly
Written by: Carl Richardson
A well-known nursery rhyme goes: "I knew an old woman who swallowed a fly. I don't know why she swallowed the fly. Perhaps, she'll die." The old woman continues swallowing increasingly larger animals to catch the animal before it until at last, the rhyme reports: "I knew an old woman who swallowed a horse. She's dead, of course."
In the world of grant writing, program development is essential to avoid mission creep, similar to the old woman's animal creep.
Oct. 30, 2007
Don't You Hate the 'Easy' Grants?
Written by: Rebecca Vermillion Shawver, MPA
I'm confident that by now you're wondering, exactly what is an easy grant award? While those of you new to the grant development field may never have encountered this mixed blessing type of grant, every long-time grant professional is well aware of the type to which I refer. We may all call it something different (or maybe we don't call it anything at all in hopes that it will disappear). But we've all encountered them on occasion.
Oct. 23, 2007
Does Your Proposal Pass The 'Who Cares' Test?
Written by: Bruce Ripley
My earliest proposals failed the "who cares" test because it was a foregone conclusion my organization passed itor so I thought. I eased off a little on the sales pitch as a result. I figured, who could quibble with substance abuse treatment for low-income folks? Or housing for the homeless? I eventually realized that foundation officers are swamped with appeals for equally righteous causes and I'd better adjust accordingly.
Oct. 22, 2007
Nonprofit Groups Urged to Follow 33 Fund-Raising and Management Standards
Written by: Marty Michaels
A committee of experts on nonprofit governance and management today issued guidelines designed to help nonprofit groups avoid ethical and legal improprieties.
The report, issued by a committee appointed by Independent Sector, sets forth 33 principles that charities and foundations can use as benchmarks to evaluate their policies for insuring they comply with the law and are monitoring their finances closely.
Oct. 22, 2007
New Ethics Code Governs Businesses That Serve Fund Raisers
Written by: Holly Hall
The Association of Fundraising Professionals, which represents more than 29,000 fund raisers, has released new ethical standards to govern the practices of businesses that help nonprofit organizations raise money.
Oct. 22, 2007
Companies Increased Giving by 4.8% in 2006
Written by: Nicole Lewis
Corporations increased their giving by a median of 4.8 percent last year, according to a new study. The median value of company contributions of cash and products last year was nearly $33-million, which means half the companies gave less than that amount and half gave more.
Oct. 18, 2007
Governance Is Key Issue in Regulating Charities, IRS Official Tells State Leaders
Written by: Grant Williams
A top official of the Internal Revenue Service says the tax agency is sticking with its plan to ask charities a series of questions about their management and governance policies and practices on the IRS’s new version of its Form 990 informational tax return, the primary tax document charities file each year.
Oct. 08, 2007
The Courting Ritual of a Foundation: Only Organizations Seeking Long-Term Relationships Need Apply!
Written by: Florence Davenport
Many years ago, I had the serendipitous opportunity to meet with the executive of a national foundation. Our submitted grant request had somehow been "misplaced" by the foundation's staff. The foundation's executive apologized profusely for the error and offered me a 15-minute information session with him albeit stressing to me our organization would not receive funding.
Oct. 07, 2007
Foundations Talk Strategy, But Few Follow a Clear Plan, Report Says
Written by: Ian Wilhelm
While many foundations say they have a strategy for their giving, a new report suggests only a small number of grant makers actually do.
Oct. 07, 2007
Multi-Channel Fundraising: Tips of the Trade
Written by: David Lawson
Multi-channel fundraising has received a lot of attention lately, but is it really worth all the hype? Yes! With today's ever-expanding communication choices and ever-changing technology, multi-channel fundraising deserves consideration from the nonprofit community.
Oct. 07, 2007
The 20 Biggest Fundraising Mistakes, Part I
Written by: David Lansdowne
Call them what you will—gaffes, blunders, oversights, or errors—mistakes creep into everyone's professional life. But in fundraising—unlike other fields—where thousands if not millions of dollars are often at stake, mistakes can be especially hazardous.
Oct. 04, 2007
IRS Revises Proposed Tax Form in Response to Critics
Written by: Peter Panepento
The Internal Revenue Service is making major changes to its proposal to redesign the primary informational tax form nonprofit groups file each year, the Form 990.
Sep. 25, 2007
Using Testimonials to Make Your Grant Proposal Sing
Written by: Pamela Grow
While statistics and data are critical in describing your program to a potential grantor, nothing makes a proposal more compelling than good storytelling. Storytelling allows you to provide a foundation with an engaging look at the population your program serves and how you serve them. Storytelling shows why your donors keep coming back, year after year, and why your staff is so dedicated to your mission. Telling the story of your program through testimonials lets you bring a diversity of voices to your proposal in a way that numbers can't and helps your application stand apart from the rest, long after the numbers have been forgotten.
Sep. 24, 2007
Giving by Community Foundations Reached $3.6 Billion in 2006, Report Finds
Giving by the nation's 707 community foundations increased to an estimated $3.6 billion in 2006, a new report from the New York City-based Foundation Center finds.
Sep. 19, 2007
United Ways Raised More Than $4 Billion Last Year
Written by: Sue Hoye
A majority of United Ways raised more money in 2006 than in the previous year, with donations totaling $4.14-billion — a 2.7-percent increase, according to numbers released by United Way of America.
Sep. 12, 2007
Cover Letters: Introducing Your Proposal with Style
Written by: Cheryl Kester
Cover letters, not to be confused with letters of support or letters of inquiry, can play a valuable role in smoothing the way for your grant proposal. If we have just spent days putting together a complex proposal, it can be tempting to throw together a bland cover letter just to get the proposal out the door. Or maybe we omit the letter completely.
Sep. 11, 2007
Lessons Learned About Grant Administration
Written by: Janet Polli
Nonprofits face an uphill battle when it comes to getting funding. Not only are there fewer dollars available and increased competition, government and private funders have implemented stricter reporting requirements and more complicated compliance rules. Strengthening the grant administration process is one way nonprofits can more efficiently utilize their funding and increase their success in managing awards.
Sep. 11, 2007
If You Write It (with Emotion), They Will Give
Written by: Thomas Ahern
People don't give to your organization because they've made a coolly calculated decision to support you. They give because you've moved them somehow, sometimes in ways that don't sound all that "charitable." Flattery and greed are important emotional triggers, for instance. But, then, so are hope and joy.
Sep. 11, 2007
Donors Debate Merits of Charity Tax Breaks
Some donors and researchers have begun to question the wisdom of giving tax breaks for charitable donations, arguing that the causes individuals support are not those that do the most good, reports The New York Times.
Sep. 11, 2007
Asking for Money Is Becoming Part of Most Charity Jobs
Charity staff members who don’t work in the development office are increasingly being asked to solicit donations for their organizations, to give donors hands-on experiences, and to engage them in the group’s work, reports The Boston Globe.
Aug. 27, 2007
A New Generation Reinvents Philanthropy
Written by: Rachel Emma Silverman
Young donors and volunteers, snubbing traditional appeals such as direct mail and phone calls, are satisfying their philanthropic urges on the Internet.
Aug. 20, 2007
Rural Nonprofits Must Overcome Significant Hurdles to Attract Funding
Grantmakers' perceptions of rural life, geographical isolation, and capacity-building needs greatly reduce the ability of rural nonprofits to secure funding, a new report from the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy finds.
Aug. 20, 2007
Most Individual Giving Misses the Poor, Study Finds
According to a new report from the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, most charitable giving by individuals does not directly benefit the poor, the Hackensack (New Jersey) Record reports.
Aug. 07, 2007
Foundations More Willing to Acknowledge Failures, Share Lessons Learned
A few years ago, it would have been astonishing for a foundation to publicize an initiative that had failed, whereas today many of the nation's largest funders readily disclose and analyze their failures, the New York Times reports.
Aug. 07, 2007
Funders Recommend Streamlining Grant Process, Survey Finds
An overwhelming majority of grantmakers want to streamline the grant application and reporting processes for nonprofits, a new survey by Harvard University's Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations and the New York City-based Nonprofit Finance Fund finds.
Aug. 07, 2007
Annie E. Casey Foundation Releases 2007 KIDS COUNT Data Book
National trends in child well-being taken together have improved slightly since 2000, with six of ten indicators showing at least slight improvement, a new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation finds.
Aug. 07, 2007
Are They Really Serious?
Written by: Rebecca Vermillion Shawver, MPA
As you've sat and listened to the myriad warnings that slap you up side the head at each and every federal grant workshop you've ever attended, have you ever said to yourself, "Yeah, right! If I believe there are margin police employed by the federal government, I would believe in Santa Claus too!"
Well, get ready to believe in the fat guy in the fur trimmed red suit because "Yes, Virginia, there really are margin police in Washington, DC." In fact, there aren't only margin police, but lots of other staffers policing each and every rule and guideline listed in that federal Request for Proposals that you sat reading last week (all the while dreaming of big, fat federal checks speeding their way to your accounting department).
Jul. 31, 2007
Nonprofit Officials Offer Warnings, Share Advice About Next Generation of Leaders
Written by: Caroline Preston
Charities will lose young people to other professions unless they start doing a better job of preparing early- and mid-career employees for leadership positions, said participants at Nonprofit 2020: Issues and Answers from the Next Generation.
Jul. 31, 2007
IRS Announces New Filing Requirement for Small Tax-Exempt Organizations
The Internal Revenue Service has announced that, beginning next year, small tax-exempt organizations that were not previously required to file returns may be required to file an annual electronic notice, Form 990-N, also known as the e-Postcard. Organizations that do not file the notice risk the loss of their tax-exempt status.
Jul. 31, 2007
Community Foundation for Southern Arizona Makes $60,000 Grant to United Way
The Community Foundation for Southern Arizona, a $113 million grant making organization and a leading voice for innovative solutions in southern Arizona, today announced a $60,000 grant to United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona for their work in Early Education/Literacy.
Jul. 17, 2007
Google Offers Free Software to Nonprofit Groups
Written by: Nicole Wallace
Google has announced that it is making the educational version of its Google Apps product available free to nonprofit organizations in the United States. The collection of communication and collaboration tools includes e-mail and calendar programs, Internet-based telephone and text-messaging services, and word-processing, spreadsheet, and Web-publishing applications. Google charges businesses $50 a year for the tools and services.
Jul. 17, 2007
Grant Professional Certification
Written by: Michael Wells
It's finally happening! After almost two years of development and seven years of planning, the Grant Professional Certification Institute (GPCI) will be offering the first professional credential for grantwriters this fall. The GPC credential will be similar to the CFRE for nonprofit fundraisers, in that it certifies experience and requires a test to demonstrate knowledge in the field.
Jul. 17, 2007
Direct Mail Provides Mixed Returns for Charities
Written by: Holly Hall
Charities that raise money from direct mail and other mass appeals say they are garnering more dollars from such solicitations than they did in the past, but many organizations face a harder time recruiting such donors and persuading them to give again, a new survey has found.
Jul. 17, 2007
Bank Mergers Result In Increased Giving, Study Finds
Although many in the nonprofit community have worried that bank mergers would result in significant decreases in charitable giving, a new report from the Washington, D.C.-based National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy finds the opposite is true.
Jul. 17, 2007
Avondale to Give $110,000 in Grants to Non-profits
Written by: David Madrid
The Avondale City Council has approved the distribution of $110,000 in grants to non-profit agaencies through its Contributions Assistance Fund.
Jul. 17, 2007
Pulliam Trust Awards $2.7 Million to 22 Charities
Written by: Russ Wiles
Twenty-two charities operating in Arizona will split more than $2.7 million in grants from a trust established by a former newspaper executive. The donations from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust primarily go to organizations that help people in need. Some gifts, however, go to animal-welfare groups and charities that enrich the community.
Jul. 17, 2007
Southern Arizona Chapter of AFP Announces Tucson's Philanthropists of the Year
The Southern Arizona Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals is proud to announce this year’s local National Philanthropy Day honorees—two individuals and two organizations whose exemplary generosity and leadership are worthy of our attention.
Jul. 03, 2007
U.S. Foundations Report Higher Average Annual Return in 2006
Independent and community foundations in the United States reported an average annual return of 13.7 percent in fiscal year 2006, according to the Commonfund Benchmarks Study 2007 Foundations Report, a new report from the Commonfund Institute.
Jul. 03, 2007
Foundations Use Real-Time Feedback to Refine, Change Grantmaking
In their evaluation efforts, foundations increasingly are moving beyond traditional third-party outcome studies toward more real-time, performance-centered approaches that provide actionable insights while grant-funded projects are still under way, a new report from FSG Social Impact Advisors finds.
Jul. 03, 2007
Postal Service Rejects Plan to Give Mailers a Temporary Break
Written by: Holly Hall
The Postal Service’s Board of Governors rejected a plan that would give nonprofit groups and other mailers a temporary discount for “flats,” mail pieces that are larger than letters.
Jul. 03, 2007
Donations by Americans Reached $295 Billion in 2006
Written by: Holly Hall
Donations totaled $295-billion last year — an increase of 1 percent after inflation, according to Giving USA, the yearbook of American philanthropy released this week. That marked the third straight year that donations grew following the economic slump from 2001 through 2003, when contributions stagnated or declined.
Jun. 18, 2007
I Must Be Dreaming: Ten Great Things Sprung from Relationships with Program Officers
Written by: Susan Schaefer
Given the increasing competition for foundation grants, the most coveted thing a program officer can deliver is a check. Yet if you develop real bonds with your foundation contacts, the relationships may yield well more than a gift to your annual coffers. Savvy development planning includes ways in which to replace perfunctory calls about application deadlines and program marketing with tasks leading to meaningful, long-term relationships with your funders.
Jun. 14, 2007
IRS Unveils New Nonprofit Tax Form
Written by: Grant Williams
The Internal Revenue Service on Thursday released a new version of its Form 990 informational tax return, the primary tax document that charities file each year with the government.
The version released is a draft that charities, lawmakers, and other people will get to debate over the next few months.
Charities with $25,000 or more in annual revenue are now required to file the form.
Jun. 08, 2007
Do Your Budget First
Written by: Cassandra O'Neill, MA
When thinking about applying for a grant the first question to ask yourself is, "Are we eligible?" If yes, the second question should be, "Is there a matching funds requirement?" If so, "Is it cash or in-kind, and can we come up with it?" If not, do not proceed.
Jun. 06, 2007
Senate Finance Committee Calls for Greater Transparency from Nonprofits
Senators Max Baucus (D-MT) and Charles Grassley (R-IA), the chair and ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, have issued a letter to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson urging the department to update Forms 990 and 990-PF, the tax documents filed with the Internal Revenue Service by private foundations and many tax-exempt organizations.
Jun. 05, 2007
One-Third of Charities Expect to Come Under Severe Financial Stress This Year
Written by: Peter Panepento
Steep cost increases and waning government support are squeezing nonprofit groups to the point that about one third of all organizations are expecting severe financial stress during the next year, according to a report released today by the Johns Hopkins University's Center for Civil Society Studies.
Jun. 05, 2007
Corporate Philanthropy Up in 2006, Despite Decrease in Disaster-Relief Funding
Corporate giving remained strong in 2006, increasing 4.7 percent on average for top companies, even without a major natural disaster to fuel additional giving, new research by the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy suggests.
Jun. 05, 2007
Lessons For-Profits Can Teach Nonprofits about Getting Funded: Business Plan (Part 2)
Written by: Carl Richardson
Detailed and well-conceived financial statements quickly indicate the chance for success of a new project or program. Developing a schedule of start-up expenses, capital equipment needed, and a month-to-month forecast of income and expenses will show the true cost of the project while balance sheets, summary budgets, and statements of cashflow will help forecast continued operations. In the written word, however, for-profit businesses also offer lessons in fundraising.
Jun. 05, 2007
Lessons For-Profits Can Teach Nonprofits about Getting Funded: Business Plan (Part 1)
Written by: Carl Richardson
Business plans are perhaps the best known and least understood tools of operating any kind of organization. Everyone knows for-profit businesses use them – you can’t get a business loan without a business plan. Grantwriters and nonprofit managers, however, use these plans nearly every day and often don’t understand what they really do. (Many seasoned professionals reading this article just went, “Oh. Not again.”) For-profits make use of business plans to greater effect than nonprofits. In fact, the real lessons to be learned from for-profits is how to use your business plan to plan and fund your venture.
May. 25, 2007
What is most important in getting a grant funded?
Written by: Cassandra O'Neill, MA
Ask 10 people that work for non profit agencies and they'll probably say write a good grant. If you ask 10 funders they will probably say the same thing.
May. 22, 2007
Melinda Gates, Former Virginia Governor Urge Foundations to Embrace Challenges, Collaborate
Speaking at the fifty-eighth annual Council on Foundations conference in Seattle, Melinda Gates of the Seattle-based Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and former Virginia governor Mark Warner urged grantmakers to work with governments, businesses, and other foundations to help solve the world's problems, the Chronicle of Philanthropy reports.
May. 22, 2007
Governance Issues Revisited by Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation
The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation in Scottsdale, Arizona, is again attempting to change its bylaws to curb the power of a group of the famous architect's followers known as the Taliesin Fellowship, the Arizona Republic reports.
May. 22, 2007
Lilly Company to Post Grants Information Online
In a move designed to enhance transparency in its grantmaking, Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly and Company has announced that it has begun to post all educational grants and other monetary contributions made through the Lilly Foundation to U.S. organizations on its Web site.
May. 22, 2007
Corporate Foundations Gave a Record $4.2 Billion in 2006, Report Finds
Charitable giving by corporate foundations rose to an estimated $4.2 billion in 2006, and a majority of the foundations surveyed project continued growth in 2007, a new summary report issued by the New York City-based Foundation Center finds.
May. 22, 2007
Most Foundations Fund Nonprofits' Overhead Costs, Study Finds
Foundations are more likely to support nonprofits' overhead costs than is commonly believed, a new study of foundations and educational and human services nonprofits by the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University finds.
May. 22, 2007
Northern Arizona U. Receives $25-Million for Business School
Northern Arizona University’s business school, in Flagstaff, has received $25-million from William A. Franke, managing partner of Indigo Partners and former chief executive officer of America West Airlines and several other local companies, reports the university.
May. 10, 2007
Keeping that love alive: How to spice up your relationship with your current sources of funding
Written by: Jennifer Mansfield
If you are lucky it happens: You've gotten funding from a great source (local family foundation, corporate funder with ties in your community...) and the next year's deadline rolls around and you want to try again. Yet you are the same entity that was funded last year. You have a new grant proposal but much in it remains similar to last year's version -- your mission, your board and staffing, even most (but probably not all) of your programs. So how do you make sure that you are successful another year (or two, or more) with this funder? How do you maintain excitement in your agency after the initial windfall?
May. 08, 2007
Online Applications: Somewhere Between Agony and Ecstasy
Written by: Janet Neff and Johnell Kelley
Online applications just haven't quite set our hearts a-twitter, according to a mini poll of grant writers, but they are being accepted as the way of the future. A 13-question survey*, hitting on various aspects of online applications, brought a small but vocal number of opinions.
While the respondents submitted about the same number of applications online compared to hard copy in any given month, they tended to believe the online applications took more time and the majority "cringed" at the prospect of online submissions.
May. 08, 2007
William T. Grant Foundation Announces Newest Class of William T. Grant Scholars
Five Promising Early Career Researchers Will Receive Five Years of Support to Pursue Their Work on Youth Development including one from Arizona State University.
May. 08, 2007
Kellog Foundation Awards $4.5 Million to Foster Healthy Communities
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation in Battle Creek, Michigan, has announced $4.5 million in grants to nine community groups across the country working to encourage active living and healthy eating locally, including one in Sells, Arizona.
May. 08, 2007
Charities Struggle With Postal-Rate Increases
Starting May 14, first-class postage for single-piece, 1-ounce letters will go from 39 to 41 cents; for postcards the rate will jump from 24 to 26 cents.
Although nonprofits get special rates, it's anticipated they will experience on average a 6.7 percent hike. The increase comes just 16 months after the last one and is the third in five years.
Apr. 24, 2007
Giving Circles and Fundraising in the New Philanthropy Environment
Written by: Angela Eikenberry
A new study funded in part by the AFP Foundation for Philanthropy finds that giving circles — groups of individuals who pool their money for charitable causes — have much to offer, but that the relationships between giving circles and charities often fail to live up to their full potential.
Apr. 24, 2007
The Unbearable Lightness of Difficult Grant Guidelines
Written by: Risto Karajkov
To play with rephrasing, there are many difficult grant guidelines, but some are more difficult than others. Only not always for a reason.
The analysis of grant guidelines has become a trade in itself for grant professionals. When reading grant guidelines the grant writer analyses the stated priorities of the donor, but also the non-stated ones (through comparison of information from other sources).
Apr. 10, 2007
Tips for On-Line Applications
Written by: Cheryl Kester
It’s certainly not news to most of us that more funders are requiring applications or Letters of Inquiry to be submitted on-line. The complexity of these on-line methods ranges from simple e-mail forms with a few checkboxes and a “send” button to the ever-favorite Grants.gov.
Here are a few tips that can help make your transition into the world of on-line grant seeking a little easier.
Apr. 10, 2007
Websites Every Grants Professional Should Have Bookmarked
Written by: Alyssa L. Hanada
Try this. Go to google.com. Type in grant resources and click “search.” Check out the results: 1-10 of 78,500,000 pages. As I write this, the number has undoubtedly grown.
Whether you’re a novice to the field, or have been at it for years, how do you find the best websites and resources to generate new leads? Seek out statistical information to back up your facts? And increase your knowledge? Without information overload that is.
Apr. 10, 2007
Foundation Giving Continued Double-Digit Growth in 2006
Giving by the nation's 71,000 grantmaking foundations rose to an estimated $40.7 billion in 2006, an 11.7 percent increase from 2005, a new report by the New York City-based Foundation Center finds.
Apr. 10, 2007
New Hewlett Foundation Report Examines "Hard Lessons" of Neighborhood Improvement Initiative
A new report released by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation in Menlo Park, California, examines what went wrong with the 1996 Neighborhood Improvement Initiative, an acknowledged disappointment that was intended to improve the lives of residents in three disadvantaged neighborhoods in the Bay Area: East Palo Alto, the Mayfair area of San Jose, and West Oakland.
Apr. 10, 2007
Site Promotes Direct Giving Over Groups
Ken and Kristie Sigler have sold cookbooks and football tickets to raise $16,000 for an adoption. For the final $8,700, they are appealing directly to strangers -- through a new online clearinghouse that bypasses traditional charities.
Apr. 10, 2007
Independent Sector Announces New Estimate for Value of Volunteer Time
Independent Sector announces that the 2006 estimate for the value of a volunteer hour has reached $18.77 per hour. Such an estimate can be used to help organizations quantify the enormous value volunteers provide. The 2006 estimate increased from $18.04 per hour in 2005.
Apr. 10, 2007
Editorial Response: Value of Volunteer Time
Written by: Maryn Boess
There is no such thing! There is absolutely no way a single dollar amount can reflect "the value of volunteer time" for any purpose whatsoever. The value of volunteer time is what the marketplace pays a person performing the same type of work in the same type of environment and community. No exceptions!
Apr. 10, 2007
Arizona Community Foundation Announces New Board Chair
Written by: Megan Brownell - Arizona Communication Foundation
Richard Silverman, general manager of Salt River Project, one of the nation’s largest public water and electric utilities, has been elected chairman of the board of the Arizona Community Foundation.
Silverman succeeds Jerry Bisgrove, chairman and CEO of Stardust Companies, as chair of one of Arizona’s largest philanthropies. Silverman has served on the ACF board for nine years, the past two of them as vice chair.
Mar. 31, 2007
Wallace Foundation of Arizona Closing
Written by: Laura Atwell, Executive Director - Wallace Foundation of Arizona
From literacy to domestic violence to homeless shelters, The Wallace Foundation of Arizona has been funding Arizona agencies since 1977. During that time, more than 300 agencies have received in excess of $7.3 million. In November of 2007, The Foundation will cease funding.
Mar. 27, 2007
NCRP REPORT CALLS FOR INCREASED GENERAL SUPPORT GRANTMAKING BY FOUNDATIONS
While the philanthropic sector controls close to a trillion dollars in assets, many nonprofits struggle to raise core operating support to maintain their most basic operations, a new report from the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy in Washington, D.C., finds.
Mar. 24, 2007
Weak Economy Not Yet Hurting Charities, Survey Finds
Despite a slowing economy and fears of recession, major charities say their fundraising has not fallen off, the New York Times reports.
Mar. 08, 2007
Buffet Wants Charities to Spend Fast
Written by: Josh Funk
In his annual letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders, Warren Buffett said he has stipulated in his will that the proceeds from all Berkshire shares he owns at death must be used for philanthropic purposes within ten years of the final settlement of his estate, BusinessWeek reports.
Mar. 07, 2007
Fundraising's Four Magic Questions: Answer These and the Gift Is Yours
Written by: Jerold Panas
If I must say so myself, I thought I'd made quite a good presentation. Perhaps short of dazzling—but not bad at all. I had listened carefully, probed when necessary, searched for areas of interest, and maintained intent eye contact. We had come to that charged moment—frightening and awesome, when the air crackles with hope and expectation. The time had come ... I was about to ask Dick for his gift. ...
Mar. 07, 2007
Strategic Grant Seeking
Written by: Stacey Abate
There is a difference between responsive grant seeking and strategic grant seeking. The former is something most of us are familiar with -- "oh look, this is due in two weeks but it's worth $100,000, what do we have that fits?" This is usually followed by lots of scrambling and futile searches for information. Strategic grant seeking can only occur when your organization has an actual strategy.
Feb. 23, 2007
Piper Trust Invests Over $4.2 Million With 15 Local Nonprofits
The Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust announced today grants totaling more than $4.2 million to 15 Maricopa County nonprofit organizations dedicated to improving lives and strengthening the community. The grants, awarded across the Trust’s investment priorities, focus on Arts and Culture; Children; Healthcare and Medical Research; Older Adults and Religious Organizations. With these grants, the Trust’s year-to-date grants in the community total over $17,000,000.
Feb. 23, 2007
Making Their Privilege Pay - Wealthy Young Adults Turn to Philanthropy
Written by: Kimberly Palmer
The next few decades will see baby boomers leaving their wealth to their children and grandchildren, thus creating a potentially significant source of charitable giving. Boston College researchers estimate that bequests may total $41-trillion through 2052. Rather than spending most of the money on themselves, young heirs are opting to start their own philanthropic organizations.
Feb. 23, 2007
Arts Organizations Adjust to Decline in Funding
Written by: ROBIN POGREBIN
Corporate giving to the arts has significantly decreased, leaving arts organizations pressed to find new sources of funds, reports The New York Times.
Feb. 13, 2007
Winning Support Letters Don't Just Happen
Written by: Rebecca Vermillion Shawver, MPA
It's Friday afternoon. You're overwhelmed by the fact that the proposal staring back at you is due in just one week. As the calendar taunts, you realize that the guidelines require the inclusion of support letters from your partners; but you forgot to mention this to them during your monthly planning meetings. How can you possibly get the letters in time?
Feb. 13, 2007
If You Didn't Get the Gift, Here's Why
Written by: Jerold Panas
If you didn't get the gift—and in some instances you won't—there are usually ten "horrid reasons." There may be more, but these are the primary ones.
Feb. 13, 2007
Kresge's 4th Quarter Grants Introduce New Dimensions of Grantmaking
The Kresge Foundation in Troy, Michigan, has announced fourth-quarter grants totaling more than $39 million as well as a new emphasis in its approach to grantmaking.
Jan. 30, 2007
When Corporations Restructure, Grants to Nonprofits Dwindle
Written by: Philanthropy News Digest
When companies merge, get new management, or restructure, they often redirect or cut their charitable giving, which can affect both large and small nonprofits that had benefited from their philanthropy, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Jan. 30, 2007
Sales Go Up $6 for Every $1 Companies Add to Giving Budgets
Written by: Ian Wilhelm - The Chronicle of Philanthropy
For every new dollar a retail company, bank, or popular-goods manufacturer allocates to its charitable-giving budget, it can expect sales to grow on average by $6, according to a study by several university researchers who attempted to quantify the economic benefit of corporate giving.
Jan. 30, 2007
Enticing Faculty & Staff to Become Involved with Grants
Written by: Rebecca Vermillion Shawver, MPA
Not that many years ago, I worked for social services and youth development agencies where staff members clearly recognized that fund development was the responsibility of everyone. The organization's financial stability was dependent upon the acquisition of grant funds. If grant applications were not submitted and proposals were not funded, clients lost services (and positions were cut). Therefore, I was surrounded by trained professionals that wanted to be actively involved in the processes that secured grant funds.
Jan. 11, 2007
Catholic Charities’ Immigration Services Awarded $45,000 Grant
Catholic Charities’ Chief Executive Officer Paul Martodam is pleased to announce that the non-profit’s Immigration Services was awarded a $45,000 grant by the Arizona Foundation for Legal Services and Education, whose mission is to provide equal access to legal services and representation, specifically to the underserved.
This is the seventh consecutive year that Catholic Charities has received an award from the Foundation. “We received an additional $10,000 this year because the demand for services continues to rise,” he said. “In fact, our immigration program recently expanded from Phoenix to the East Valley in order to meet the growing demand. This grant money will help us to continue to serve some of our community’s most vulnerable residents.”
Jan. 11, 2007
Charities Make Case for Funding Administrative Costs
Written by: Rachel Emma Silverman and Sally Beatty, The Wall Street Journal
(WSJ-12/27/06) After years of listening to donors insist that the funds they donate should be devoted exclusively to programs, a growing
number of nonprofits are trying to convince donors that spending money on overhead isn't necessarily a bad thing, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Jan. 09, 2007
Arizona Community Foundation Names New COO
Deborah Whitehurst, a 13-year veteran of the Arizona Community Foundation, has been named chief operating officer of the Phoenix-based organization and its 12 statewide affiliates. Whitehurst has served as executive vice president for external affairs since 1993, managing programs for planned giving and asset acquisition, affiliate development, donor relations, programs and marketing. "Deborah has been an indispensable part of ACF for many years, providing practical experience, diverse and deep knowledge of foundation business, keen judgment and thoughtful leadership to every aspect of our work," said Robert L. King, ACF president and CEO.
Jan. 09, 2007
Arizona's Latino-led Nonprofits Get a Boost
Ten of Arizona's Latino-led Nonprofits awarded more than $600,000. Ten nonprofit organizations have received new grant funds from a collaborative of funders whose mission is to build strong Latino communities. The Arizona Hispanic Funders' Collaborative for Strong Latino Communities is $31 Million coordinated effort of more than 158 local, national and transnational funders and corporations. The Funders' Collaborative targets nonprofit organizations that have annual operating budgets of less than $2 million and serve a primarily Latino constituency. Its focus is on developing the infrastructure of the Latino nonprofit sector and cultivating the next generation of Latino philanthropic leaders.
Jan. 02, 2007
Charity for Charities
Written by: Arthur C. Brooks
Charities that seek and accept government grants might be doing themselves long-term harm, argues Syracuse University professor, Arthur C. Brooks in an opinion article in The Wall Street Journal.
Government money for charities, Brooks, is cyclical and can disappear when the economy falters or other issues take political priority. Unlike government spending, private donations are more stable across time, he argues.
Jan. 02, 2007
83% of Americans Donated to Charity in the Past Year, Poll Finds
Written by: Suzanne Perry
Eighty-three percent of American adults say they have contributed to a charity during the past 12 months, although their average donations fell to $1,220 from $1,352 in 2005, a new poll has found, reports The Chronicle of Philanthropy.
Dec. 19, 2006
Norvilles Help Make Tucson a Better Community
Allan and Alfie Norville have graciously donated one million dollars to United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona to help Build A Better Community.
Dec. 18, 2006
The Power Team, Part III: The CAO
Written by: Bob Carter
Where the duty of the nonprofit chief executive officer (CEO) is to provide the vision and forum for others in the organization to excel, the chief advancement/development officer (CAO) is expected to lead an internal team that must develop strong relationships and loyalty among its constituents. The ultimate purpose of that relationship is to inspire the constituents to give to the institution. Corporations, foundations, individuals, and other relevant groups have to be cultivated and led to the "gift decision" by the advancement team.
Dec. 18, 2006
The Power Team, Part I: The Head of the Board
Written by: Bob Carter
The position of head of a nonprofit's external governing body is arguably the most critical leadership role of all. The ultimate commitment of a loyal volunteer is to agree to sit at the head of the board of trustees and be responsible for seeing to the continuance, improvement, and/or expansion of a nonprofit organization with the altruistic and philanthropic incentives "to do good."
Dec. 18, 2006
The Power Team, Part II: The CEO
Written by: Bob Carter
The nonprofit field is full of leadership opportunities. From my experience as a fundraiser and nonprofit leader for the last 38 years, I think that an organization's ability to succeed is determined by the leadership characteristics of the chief executive officer (CEO). As I look at the successes of the broader institution, it is clear that this individual's traits or behaviors have the most direct impact. The CEO's capacity to provide the vision and forum for others to excel has become more and more clear to me as I have worked with organizations throughout the years.
Dec. 18, 2006
When They Just Won't Listen
Written by: Shelley Uva
You've just been hired as the grant writer or foundations relations expert or major gifts officer or development associate for a fabulous university, museum, hospital, or social service agency. You're sitting in your first meeting with your superiors in the development office and some of the people you will need to work with to raise programming funds. These people may be professors or doctors or social workers. Whoever they are, they are the people who make the programs work. You need to work with them to do your job, but what happens when personalities clash? When you disagree with the fundraising strategy that is being adopted? When egos get out of control?
Dec. 18, 2006
Operating Support Must Be Large, Long-Term to Be Effective, Study Finds
Operating support is important to nonprofit organizations, but only when grants are larger and awarded for a longer term than those typically provided by even the nation's largest foundations, a new report from the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Center for Effective Philanthropy finds.
Dec. 05, 2006
Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust Announces $1,224,000 In Grants
(Phoenix - 11/16/06) The Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust awarded $1,224,000 to 16 Arizona nonprofit organizations Thursday, November 16. "The Trust has continued to further the causes Nina Pulliam supported during her life. As Trustees, we are pleased to continue her legacy of helping people in need, protecting animals and nature, and enriching community life," said Frank E. Russell, Trustee chairman.
Dec. 05, 2006
Social Venture Partners Announced $120,000 in Grants to Maricopa County Non-Profits
Written by: Michael Clancy - Arizona Republic
(Phoenix - AZ Republic 12/2/06)
Social Venture Partners Arizona has announced $120,000 in grants to Maricopa County non-profits.
Since it started in 1999, the organization has donated more than $2.5 million to children's and educational non-profits in the Valley.
Nov. 17, 2006
HELP WANTED: Recruiting Top Job Candidates
Written by: Debra E. Blum
Many recruiting ads for key nonprofit jobs turn off more candidates than they attract, experts say. The Chronicle of Philanthropy asked veteren job recruiters for advice on what works--and what does not.
Nov. 17, 2006
Grantmakers, Nonprofit Boards Can Help Prevent Executive Burnout
Written by: Julie L. Rogers, President and CEO - Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation
Even under the best circumstances, serving as the executive director of a nonprofit organization is a challenge. Executive directors are expected to have programmatic expertise, fundraising skills, and financial acumen. While advocating tirelessly for a cause, idea, or community, they must also manage an organization's internal operations, support and work in partnership with the board of directors, and represent the organization to the public.
Nov. 17, 2006
Big-Money Gifts Giving Valley a Lift
Written by: Yvette Armendariz - The Arizona Republic
A string of multi-million-dollar pledges, the creation of several large trusts, and an influx of wealth has philanthropy on the upswing in Phoenix, but the city still lags other major metropolitan areas in giving by foundations, corporations, and individuals, the Arizona Republic reports.
Nov. 17, 2006
The Output Outcome Downstream Impact Blues
And now for something completely different.....
Oct. 12, 2006
Piper Trust Awards Grants Totaling Nearly $3.8 Million
The Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust on October 10 announced the awarding of nearly $3.8 million to 20 nonprofit organizations serving Maricopa County residents.
Sep. 15, 2006
Arizona Women’s Partnership, Inc. Announces 2006 Grant Recipients
Arizona Women’s Partnership, Inc. is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization dedicated to assisting grass roots organizations that help underserved women and children at risk. AZWP raises money through donations and its annual Wine, Women & Jazz FUNdraiser.
Arizona Women’s Partnership, Inc. grant recipients for 2006 are:
Sep. 15, 2006
Catholic Charities’ Office of Peace and Justice Announces $140,000 in Local Seed Grants
The Catholic Charities Office of Peace and Justice announced recently that the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) has awarded five seed grants to assist growing community organizations and economic initiatives.
Jun. 29, 2006
BHHS Legacy Foundation Awards Over $1 Million in Healthcare Grants
BHHS Legacy Foundation announced the awarding of $1,088,300 in healthcare-related grants to 20 non-profit organizations in Maricopa County. The new grants bring the total amount awarded by the Foundation in 2006 to more than $1.8 million.
Jun. 26, 2006
Buffett, Gates Unite on $60 Billion Foundation
Written by: Jonathan Stempel (Reuters Business News Service)
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Warren Buffett on Monday signed over much of his $44 billion fortune to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, uniting the world's two richest people in a bid to fight disease, reduce poverty and improve education. The roughly $30.7 billion donation doubles the Gates Foundation's size to $60 billion, five times larger than any other U.S. charitable group and bigger than the gross domestic product of Kuwait.
Jun. 22, 2006
Community Foundation for Southern Arizona Grants $290,000 to Local Nonprofits
(Tucson)—One year ago, the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona granted $121,000 to 25 nonprofits through the Spring Grant Round, the Foundation’s largest competitive grant round. This year, thanks to the generosity of our donors, we were able to grant $290,000 among 33 nonprofits, and also increase the maximum award amount from $8,000 to $15,000.
Jun. 19, 2006
Charitable Giving Rises 6 Percent to More than $260 Billion in 2005
Giving USA, the yearbook of philanthropy, estimates Americans gave total contributions of $260.28 billion for 2005, growth of 6.1 percent (2.7 percent adjusted for inflation). The year 2005 saw extraordinary philanthropic response to three
major natural disasters. About half of the $15 billion increase in total giving from the revised
estimate of $245.22 billion in 2004 is attributable to disaster relief giving.
Jun. 15, 2006
Piper Trust Awards Nearly $4.7 Million to 27 Nonprofits Serving Maricopa County
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. (June 15, 2006) – The Board of Trustees of The Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust today announced awards of nearly $4.7 million to 27 nonprofits serving Maricopa County residents.
Jun. 15, 2006
State's Largest Social Justice Grants Awarded
Scottsdale – Nine Arizona organizations will share more than $535,000 awarded for social justice work by The Wallace Foundation of Arizona. It is the largest grant award made in Arizona for the cause of social justice.
Mar. 16, 2006
Boston Globe Reports U.S. Dept. of Education Breaks Grants Rules
WASHINGTON -- The Education Department bent its rules to award grants worth millions of dollars to handpicked organizations and institutions in 2001 and 2002, congressional investigators have found.
Feb. 25, 2006
Community Foundation for Southern Arizona Announces Achievement Award Finalists
(Tucson)—The Community Foundation for Southern Arizona is pleased to announce the 12 nonprofits selected as finalists for the third-annual Achievement Awards, a Community Foundation initiative recognizing excellence in the local nonprofit sector.
Feb. 23, 2006
The President's Budget Proposal: Impact on the States
The Bush administration released its budget request for fiscal year 2007 proposing deep cuts to domestic spending. The National Priorities Project offers an analysis with state-level breakdowns on the impact of this budget proposal.
Feb. 23, 2006
Piper Trust Awards $6.7 Million to 18 Nonprofits
The Board of Trustees of The Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust on Feb. 23 announced the awarding of more than $6.7 million to 18 nonprofits serving Maricopa County residents.
Feb. 16, 2006
Founder of The Grantsmanship Center Norton J. Kiritz Dies at 70
Norton J. Kiritz, who transformed the nonprofit sector by streamlining and demystifying the process of obtaining grant money, died of cancer Jan. 30 at Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles. He was 70. Kiritz was founder and president of the Grantsmanship Center. Since 1972, the L.A.-based center has trained 100,000 people from nonprofit organizations and public agencies around the country in the art of writing grant proposals.
Feb. 09, 2006
Arizona Community Foundation’s Endowment Surpasses $500 Million
Phoenix – For the first time ever, the 28-year-old permanent charitable endowment at the Arizona Community Foundation (ACF) exceeds $500 million.
More than 800 individual funds totaling $502 million have been created at ACF, reflecting charitable gifts to the central office in Phoenix as well as the 11 affiliates across the state. Most funds established at ACF create a permanent charitable endowment.
Feb. 09, 2006
Robert L. King Joins Arizona Community Foundation as New CEO
Robert L. King joined the Arizona Community Foundation as chief executive officer, effective February 1. King succeeds Stephen D. Mittenthal, who retired as president and chief executive officer of the statewide nonprofit organization after 22 years.
Jan. 17, 2006
Cloak-and-Dagger Grant Writers
A woman was arrested in December for passing herself off as a grantwriter who could obtain federal grants for business owners -- and bilked the unsuspecting out of over $5,000.
Jan. 15, 2006
BHHS Legacy Foundation Announces Nearly $4 Million in Grants for 2005
PHOENIX (Jan. 9, 2006)—BHHS Legacy Foundation announced today that in calendar year 2005 the foundation awarded nearly $4 million in grants to support health and health-related programs benefiting Arizona children, families and seniors. This reflects more than a $1 million increase from its 2004 grantmaking total of $2.8 million.
Dec. 26, 2005
Honeywell: Corporate Funding Update
Notes and comments from Don Wilt, Director of Community Affairs for Honeywell, based on his presentation to the Phoenix Grants Forum in December 2006.
Dec. 14, 2005
Hurricane giving to top 9/11 soohn
The public response to the hurricane devastation on the Gulf Coast is about to become the biggest charitable outpouring in U.S. history, surpassing the relief effort that followed the Sept. 11 attacks.
Dec. 07, 2005
Piper Trust Announces 2005 Piper Fellowships
The Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust today announced five recipients of its 2005 Piper Fellowships, which support exemplary nonprofit leaders and help them maintain their professional vitality and effective leadership through sabbaticals.
Nov. 21, 2005
United Way awards $311,247 to groups serving seniors
Groups that help senior citizens in Pima County stay independent and active will receive $311,247 through United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona’s Southern Arizona Compassion Initiative. Funding for 28 groups will go toward 30 projects that will enhance or develop seniors' programs.
Nov. 12, 2005
AAGP/Phoenix Grants Forum Funder Panel Notes, Oct. 28, 2005
Written by: Barbara Polston
On Oct. 28, 2005, the Phoenix Grants Forum and the 7th annual national conference of the American Association of Grant Professionals joined forces in Scottsdale for a morning of funder presentations. The four funder panels represented four very different arenas of grantmaking: Family foundations; corporate foundations; government funders; and sports franchise charities. Barbara Polston (AAGP member, treasurer of the AAGP Arizona chapter, and independent grants fundraising consultant and workshop presenter) attended the panels on government funding and family foundations, and shares her notes here.
Nov. 12, 2005
$8 Million Gift from Zuckerman Family Supports Community Foundation for Southern Arizona
The Community Foundation for Southern Arizona (CFSA) is pleased to announce the creation of a new Supporting Organization, the Zuckerman Community Outreach Foundation. Established with an $8 million gift from members of the Zuckerman family, the mission of the Zuckerman Community Outreach Foundation is “to support individuals and organizations for the promotion of health and wellness on a local and national level, as well as extending generosity to necessary, creative, and artistic endeavors that positively impact the human experience.”
Oct. 25, 2005
Arizona Community Foundation Names New CEO
Robert L. King has been named chief executive officer to lead the Arizona Community Foundation (ACF), beginning February 1, according to Board Chair Jerry Bisgrove. King replaces Stephen D. Mittenthal, who is retiring as president and chief executive officer of the statewide nonprofit organization after 22 years.
Sep. 30, 2005
Piper Trust Awards Grants Totaling $1.8 Million to 14 Nonprofit Organizations
SCOTTSDALE, AZ (September 21, 2005) – The Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust today announced 14 grant awards totaling more than $1.8 million to nonprofit organizations serving Maricopa County. Among the grants are two programs for older adults that bring national models to Valley residents.
Jul. 18, 2005
ACF Awards $435,800 to Support Technology
The Arizona Community Foundation (ACF) has awarded $435,800, averaging $8,380 each, to 52 Arizona nonprofits to help strengthen the organizations’ technology capabilities.
Jul. 07, 2005
Charitable Giving Rises 5 Percent to Nearly $250 Billion in 2004
Estimated charitable giving reached $248.52 billion for 2004, a new record for philanthropic giving in the United States, the Giving USA Foundation announced today. The new Giving USA report released today is the 50th anniversary edition of the yearbook of philanthropy. Giving USA is published by the Giving USA Foundation and researched and written at the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University.
Jul. 06, 2005
Almost $800,000 Granted to Child Abuse Prevention Programs
Phoenix - Almost $800,000 was granted to 22 nonprofit organizations from The Child Abuse Prevention License Plate Fund at the Arizona Community Foundation.
Funding partners include the Arizona Community Foundation, The Arizona Republic, BHHS Legacy Foundation, Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust, United Firefighters Association of Arizona, Valley of the Sun United Way and The Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust.
Jun. 24, 2005
Arizona Community Foundation Sets New Record for Grants in 2004
Phoenix – In 2004, The Arizona Community Foundation (ACF) distributed almost $25 million to nonprofit organizations and has contributed more than $145.2 million dollars into the community since its inception in 1978. ACF also had its third highest asset building year in the Foundation’s history, bringing in $65,932,000 to increase its total assets to more than $400 million.
Jun. 24, 2005
BHHS Legacy Foundation Awards Over $800,000 to 14 Agencies
Phoenix, AZ – The BHHS Legacy Foundation on June 22 announced the awarding of $822,763 to 14 non-profit organizations in Maricopa County. The awards bring the total amount awarded to over $1.5 million during the past year.
Jun. 24, 2005
Piper Trust Awards Grants Totaling Nearly $1.3 Million to 15 Maricopa County Organizations
SCOTTSDALE, AZ (June 17, 2005) – The Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust today announced grant awards totaling nearly $1.2 million to 14 Valley nonprofit organizations. Additionally, the Trust awarded a $100,000 grant that was announced earlier in June to the United Phoenix Fire Fighters Association, Inc. for its Adopt-A-Fence program.
Jun. 24, 2005
Grants.gov: Cautionary Tales from the Trenches
Written by: Maryn Boess
On June 21, 2005, the American Association of Grant Professionals member listserv was buzzing with members' horror stories and cautionary tales about their experiences with Grants.gov. Read on -- and learn from the experiences of your grantseeking peers.
Jun. 04, 2005
5+ Years of Funding in Arizona
Written by: AGF News & Notes, May 2005
51 funders and 91 representatives from nonprofit and consulting organizations gathered together on Thursday May 26th for AGF’s highest-attended luncheon to date, and what may also be the largest assembly of funders with grantseekers in Arizona. They came to not only mix and mingle with one another, but to hear what Ed Portnoy, from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust, and Judy Mohraz, from The Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust, had to say about past and future trends in grantmaking in Arizona.
May. 12, 2005
The Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust Board of Trustees Expands By 2
SCOTTSDALE, AZ (May 11, 2005) – The Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust today announced two new appointments to its board of trustees, bringing to seven the total number of trustees for the Scottsdale-based trust. José A. Cárdenas, chairman of Lewis and Roca, and Stephen J. Zabilski, executive director of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul-Phoenix Diocesan Council, were named to the board.
May. 12, 2005
BHHS LEGACY FOUNDATION EMPLOYS NEW VICE PRESIDENT
PHOENIX-BHHS Legacy Foundation announces the employment of Mary Thomson as Vice President of Program Development in the greater Phoenix region. In this position Thomson will assist the Foundation staff with the management and implementation of the Foundation’s community grant process.
Apr. 21, 2005
In-Kind Contributions at Risk; Charitable Organizations Urged to Contact Elected Officials
The U.S. House and Senate are taking a close look at the practices of the tax-exempt sector, with an eye to possibly making some changes that will affect fundraising, accounting and reporting. The Association of Fundraising Professionals urges members of the charitable sector to contact their elected representatives to express their concerns.
Apr. 20, 2005
Community Foundation for Southern Arizona Announces "Achievement Awards"
(April 15, 2005)—The Community Foundation for Southern Arizona is pleased to announce the Grand Prize recipients of the second-annual Achievement Awards, a $20,000 competitive awards process recognizing Tucson area nonprofits for best practices.
Mar. 30, 2005
Grant Awards Support Arizona's Disadvantaged Women and Children at Risk
Arizona Women's Partnership, Inc. is pleased to announce its 2005 grant recipients who were selected through a grant application and review process. "We aim to empower grass roots organizations who work tirelessly to improve the lives of Arizona's disadvantaged women and children at risk," notes Paula Cullison, President and founder of the Arizona Women's Partnership, Inc.
Mar. 30, 2005
Biggest Mistakes of Arizona Grantseekers?
Written by: Lynn A. Timmons, Grant Coordinator, City of Phoenix
Recently the Arizona Grantmakers conducted a survey of their opinions on mistakes made by grantseekers. Attached are the results of the survey. These are the local grant makers from our corporate and foundation funders. Please feel free to share this with anyone who might benefit from it.
Mar. 28, 2005
Pulliam Trust Grants Reach $100 Million Since 1998
"With the first round of grants for 2005 totaling $4,581,500, the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust has awarded $100,599,650 to 585 nonprofit organizations" since the Trust began grantmaking in 1998, said Frank E. Russell, Trustee chairman.
Mar. 23, 2005
The Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust Awards Nearly $3 Million to 14 Organizations
The Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust announced on Mar. 23 the awarding of nearly $3 million to 14 non-profit organizations in Maricopa County. The awards bring to almost $30 million the total amount the Trust has granted in the past year.
Mar. 07, 2005
Measuring What Matters in Nonprofits
Written by: John Sawhill and David Williamson
Most nonprofit groups track their performance by metrics such as dollars raised, membership growth, number of visitors, people served, and overhead costs. These metrics are certainly important, but they don’t measure the real success of an organization in achieving its mission.
Mar. 07, 2005
IRS Clarifies: Foundations Can Fund Nonprofits That Lobby
A recent letter from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) clarifies and specifies the circumstances under which foundations can make grants to nonprofits for projects that include lobbying.
Feb. 16, 2005
The Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust Names New Communications Director
Judy Jolley Mohraz, President and CEO of The Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust, announced today the appointment of Juliet Martin as Director of Communications.
Dec. 20, 2004
The Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust Awards $4.7 Million in Grants
Scottsdale, AZ -- The Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust announced a $3 million grant to the Maricopa Arts and Culture Partnership (MPAC) to fund the work of the new nonprofit over the next three years. MPAC’s mission is to strengthen arts and cultural organizations regionally and ensure that Greater Phoenix is recognized for its vital creative culture.
Dec. 20, 2004
Understanding Due Diligence: Applying Pre-Grant Assessment to Improve Your Grantmaking
Editor’s Note: The following article is an excerpt from The Due Diligence Tool, written by Liza Culick, Kristen Godard and Natasha Terk of La Piana Associates, published by Grantmakers for Effective Organizations, 2004. The print publication will be released in December 2004.
Dec. 15, 2004
Telemarketer ‘guarantees’ an $8,000 government grant
The New York State Consumer Protection Board today warned Western New Yorkers to hang up on telemarketers who “guarantee” them an $8,000 government grant in exchange for a $257 “processing fee.”
“Thousands of people throughout the nation, including an untold number here in Western New York, have paid this fee and have gotten virtually nothing in return,” warned Teresa A. Santiago, Chairperson and Executive Director of the New York State Consumer Protection Board (“CPB”).
Dec. 13, 2004
Jerry Bisgrove Elected Board Chair of Arizona Community Foundation
Phoenix –Jerry Bisgrove, chairman and CEO of Stardust Companies, has been elected chairman of the board of the Arizona Community Foundation (ACF). Bisgrove, a leading Arizona philanthropist, succeeds Robert M. (Bob) Delgado, president of Anheuser-Busch distributor Hensley & Company, as chair of one | |
