A well-placed media story can do great things—in this case it fed 45 people for a year.
Another Veterans Charity Scandal from Florida: Nonprofit Internet Sweepstakes Cafes
Here’s a toxic mix for nonprofit accountability: relatively unregulated Internet gambling, groups purporting to help veterans, and a state charity oversight function that appears to be missing in action. Welcome to the operations of the 40 Internet sweepstakes cafés of Allied Veterans of the World & Affiliates.
Public Schools—the “Feel Good Hobby” of the Rich?
The tendency of the well-heeled to invest in public schools does not seem to be producing clear positive results for children. This Time article says that maybe the focus is misplaced.
The Joys of Nonprofit Re-Gifting
A college class focusing on the economics of nonprofits gives students money to award to local nonprofits and provides some insight on how next generation philanthropists might view “impact.”
Protests against Tainted Election Results Might Lead to Russian Spring—or Return to a Winter for Russian Democracy
Tens of thousands of Russians took to the streets to protest against parliamentary election results that were widely seen as marred by irregularities promoted by Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party. Putin’s response was to attack the nation’s one election monitoring nonprofit—the Golos Association—and its funding from USAID.
NPQ’s Week in Review | December 5 – December 9, 2011
NPQ‘s Week in Review not only summarizes last week’s most significant happenings in and around the sector but also points you to the most interesting conversations our readers are having online. A new report reveals a 20% rise in international journalist arrests, following uproar about journalist arrests at Occupy Wall Street protests and Occupy Boston is dismantled. And Rick Cohen shares his insights on Habitat for Humanity International and its remarkable ability to adjust, adapt and change throughout the years. All this and more in the Week in Review.
Reflections on Occupy I
2011 . . . wow! It has been a barn burner, what with the disagreements between the top one percent and that bottom ninety-nine. At NPQ, where our intention is to promote active democracy, we have been excited by what is obviously a major resurgence of citizen action. The fact that it has taken place in an explicitly connected yet loose global network is more than fascinating. There is a breaking away from tradition here that reflects an era change in no uncertain terms. Exhibit one: the occupy movement.
Jobs and More Jobs . . . Redux: Chief Development Officer
What does the development director or chief development officer do exactly? Simone Joyaux provides the job description of our dreams for this pivotal position.
PA State Senator Introduces Bill to Require Nonprofits to Pay Real Estate Taxes
The debates over exacting payments in lieu of taxes (PILOTs) from tax-exempt property owners usually occur municipality by municipality, but in Pennsylvania, a democratic State senator has introduced a bill to tax nonprofits on the assessed value of their entire real-estate holdings. This is the second time around for this kind of legislation, prompted in part by the squabble over the tax status of properties owned by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and Highmark.
Sandusky Case Inspires Bill to Withdraw Exempt Status from Nonprofits that Foster or Cover Up Abuse
Bills are being proposed to strip nonprofits of their tax-exempt status for fostering or covering up child abuse.
Governor Cuomo Nixes Millionaires Tax but Extends Multimillionaires Tax—An Outcome of the Occupy Movement?
NYS Governor Andrew Cuomo campaigned for office pledging to end the state’s so-called “millionaires’ tax” because it might drive the superaffluent out of the state. Since the advent of the Occupy movement in Manhattan, the Governor and many of his allies shifted their posture and found a way to live up to their pledge to millionaires while extending almost the same tax rate for 30,000 multimillionaires in the state.
Arrests of Journalists up by 20 Percent Worldwide
Democracies depend on protected speech, but this report finds that arrests and imprisonment of journalists—sometimes for long, undefined periods—has increased significantly over the past year.