Last week, Warren Buffett asked Congress to stop doing him favors, the United Way in Buffalo dumped a processing fee on donor-designated funds, various states dealt with a rash of bad behavior on the part of nonprofits, and City Year cofounder Alan Khazei’s consulting fees came under scrutiny as he runs for Senate. Readers also sounded off on social entrepreneurship and the proper role of nonprofit boards. All this and more in NPQ’s Week in Review.
A judge in Georgia finds that he enjoys the adulation and limelight that comes with giving money to charity. Problem is, it’s not his money.
The challenges faced by foundations committed to the redevelopment of Detroit are huge. As part of NPQ’s continuing effort to monitor philanthropic partnerships with Detroit, we take note of an impressive investment by the JP Morgan Chase Foundation to induce police officers to move into the city.
Amy Winehouse’s grieving father pledged at her funeral to establish a foundation in her name to help young people in the U.K. struggling with drug and alcohol addiction. But when he went to register the name “Amy Winehouse Foundation,” he found that someone else had already done so. Now what?
Pressed for cash, state governments are continuing to take a hard look at the tax-exempt status of certain nonprofit hospitals.
The San Diego Symphony aggressively moves forward to attract new donors as payments from a major pledge wind down.
The CEO of the foundation overseeing the new Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial describes a fundraising effort that proved surprisingly difficult.
Some state governments want to tax Internet-based sellers that own major facilities or have affiliates in their jurisdictions. Amazon doesn’t agree and is fighting back. But in California, nonprofits are standing up to support the state in its tax fight with the e-tailing giant.
Recent debate over the value of the nonprofit sector has focused on the role of nonprofits in human-service delivery. It’s time to remember the critically important function of nonprofits as watchdogs of government and business. Here are several recent examples.
Charitable giving through payroll deduction has been waning in the U.S., but it’s almost nonexistent in the U.K. PM Cameron is now trying to spur more workplace giving. Could a few “nudges” in the right direction boost the percentage of British workers who participate? And could these ideas work in the U.S.?
A refugee from the for-profit world offers some advice to young people thinking about taking a nonprofit job: Observe the energy in the workplace, take note of whether the staff make their own decisions, and watch out for groups that brag about their fundraising prowess.
A charitable thrift store in Maine has left some shoppers confused about where their dollars are going.