The Philanthropy 400
Bad Economy Hobbles Biggest Charities 
While the 400 biggest charities increased donations by a median of nearly 5 percent, that figure masks the real picture for most nonprofits, The Chronicle's annual...
Groups Take Innovative Steps to Attract Young Donors
Nonprofits are trying to make giving affordable and mobilize campaigns that mix social concern and fun.
Charities Draw Donors Closer to Mission
Nonprofits take donors behind the scenes so they can see how their dollars are put to work.
Why Some Charities Fared Better in the Recession
The 400 biggest nonprofits lost a collective $6-billion in the downturn
Reaching Out to Minorities
Some charities have found a successful strategy in seeking groups of supporters who are nothing like their traditional donors.
Matching Donors’ Interests to Appeals
Adding a personal touch and paying attention to doors' preferences for certain programs help lift giving.
Making Mission Central to a Fund-Raising Event
The Natural Resources Defense Council taught donors about the carbon emissions used to prepare the dinners they were eating at a benefit.
Loan Programs Offer New Type of Support
While grants are always preferred, low-interest loans can help charities continue their work as endowments shrink in a volatile market.
Don’t Give Up on Donors Who Can’t Give
A Seattle cancer center is holding events to connect its supporters with its scientific mission but assuring people that it understands if the bad economy has deterred their...
Volunteers Help a College Stay in Touch With Donors
Amherst College overcame the challenge of the recession to near its capital-campaign goal early, in part by relying heavily on alumni and parents who offered to visit...
Affordable Endowments Appeal to Donors
United Way Worldwide is offering affluent people a relatively low-cost way to ensure the charity gets a big gift every year.
Charities Trim Spending on Fund-Raising Events
Nonprofits are cutting back on lavish events and replacing them with intimate gatherings.
How The Chronicle's Philanthropy 400 Was Compiled
Giving Is Weak in 2011’s Second Half
About Managing
Avoiding Messy Breakups: Merger Lesson for Charities
Nonprofits need to do a lot of work to find compatible partners, including involving the board and donors in shaping alliances.
Coalition Exploring Ways to Create More Economic Opportunities
A group of 200 nonprofits and businesses are trying to devise lasting solutions to help the nation's poor.
Nonprofit Officials Gird for Capitol Hill Fight on Giving Break
Scholars estimate that proposals to eliminate giving breaks could cost charities several billion dollars.
New Names Give Charities Louder and Clearer Voices
A growing number of nonprofits are adopting new identities, in part to update their image or stand out amid the competition.
Changing a Charity’s Name: Advice From the Experts
Nonprofits need to talk to a lot of people and think through a lot of logistics before picking a new name.
Nonprofit News Groups Face Long Delays in Winning the IRS’s Blessing
Journalism groups say they are stymied financially by the lag time, but the IRS is thought to be concerned about the precedent it is setting.
A Charity Borrows From the Business World to Overhaul Its Annual Report
Moving beyond the typical rosy annual report, the American Cancer Society has produced a document with real-world information like how it is progressing on its strategic plan...
A Design Firm Lends Its Expertise to Charities
IDEO, a consultant to companies like Apple and Bank of America, is showing nonprofits how to reach out to beneficiaries before designing new aid approaches.
State Regulators Grapple with Social Media, Other Tech Columns
Children’s Advocate to Retire
Marguerite W. Kondracke, head of America's Promise Alliance, plans to become a senior adviser to the nonprofit once her successor is found.
New on the Job: Gary E. Knell, CEO of NPR
Stepping in after scandals ,the new chief hopes to increase private support and strengthen respect for the network as an unbiased source of programming.
Making the Case for 'Impact Investing’ as a Tool for Charities
Two nonprofit experts argue in a new book that the sharp distinction between money that is invested for financial returns and charitable gifts to solve social problems is...
How Foundations Are Influencing Education Policy
The efforts by big American philanthropies get the spotlight in the cover article of Governing magazine, while Town & Country profiles seven wealthy philanthropists under...
How to Handle a Request for Promotion in Tough Times
Nonconventional approaches are needed to ensure professional development while being sensitive to an organization's financial position.
About Giving
A Thirtysomething Billionaire Couple’s Bold Philanthropy
John and Laura Arnold take on issues like criminal justice and improving schools as they seek to give away a big chunk of their wealth.
Wealthy Donors Seek Public-Policy Changes
Texas philanthropists John and Laura Arnold have hired a veteran political strategist to lead their foundation.
Couple Criticizes 'Risk Averse’ Donors
John and Laura Arnold, two generous Texas philanthropists, say they don't understand why many wealthy people are cautious about their giving.
German Émigré Leaves Gift to Holocaust Museum
The largest gift in the museum's history expands the earlier support of the Holocaust survivor Eric F. Ross and his late wife.
Opinion
Philanthropy’s Turn to Occupy Wall Street
Foundations should think about ways to use the clout of their endowments and access to boardrooms to push for changes on Wall Street and in Washington.
Nonprofits Need to Put Aside Self-Interest in Tax Debate
Charities need to push for a more equitable tax system and economic aid that creates jobs, not write-offs for rich donors.
Grant Makers Need to Help States Apply Health-Care Law
States are making big decisions that will determine how the measure works, and philanthropy can influence those deliberations, write two foundation officials.
Let Evaluation Evolve
Charities must pay greater attention to results as competition for donations grows more fierce, but it's important to let measurements mature as a nonprofit grows.
Other Features
Nike’s Charity Fund Seeks to Unleash the 'Girl Effect’
A charitable effort by the sporting-goods company encourages girls in developing countries to get an education and learn to be self-sufficient.
