2012 Foundation Survey
Grant Makers Won’t Increase Giving in 2012
Seventy-one percent of foundations told The Chronicle that their giving would be flat or would drop this year. That's largely because their assets slipped last year by 3.5 percent and are still far from returning to pre-recession levels.
General Operating Support Remains Flat, Study Finds 
Over all, the way that foundations have generally given grants has been little affected by the harsh economy.
Tips for Seeking Foundation Grants in 2012
Foundations At-a-Glance: Marguerite Casey Foundation
The Marguerite Casey Foundation is putting $3-million into a new effort to encourage voter-registration groups to take additional steps to get poor people involved in...
Foundations At-a-Glance: Prince Charitable Trusts
The Chicago branch of the Prince Charitable Trusts is dedicating new grants to help families of veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
How The Chronicle’s Survey of Grant Makers Was Compiled
The Chronicle's survey of the nation's largest foundations shows that the top 10 account for about a third of all foundation assets in this country.
About Managing
National Service’s Fight for the Future
As partisan politics and leadership stymie plans to expand the volunteer corps, supporters of national service face new questions about how to sell, or even repurpose,...
The Corporation for National and Community Service: A Timeline
An overview of National Service and the chief executives who have run the organization.
Chart: How a Legislative Milestone For Volunteerism Has Worked Out
The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, passed in 2009, was designed to greatly expand national service. The federal deficit and other public-policy concerns have kept the...
Leadership Gap at National-Service Agency Diminishes Its Clout
Nonprofit leaders are concerned about the future of the Corporation for National and Community Service, which has been without a chief executive for 15 months.
Nominee to Lead National-Service Agency Faces Scrutiny Over Role in Fla.
Wendy Spencer, the woman President Obama has nominated to run the Corporation for National and Community Service, has been hailed for her dedication to volunteerism, but her...
Budget Cuts Hobble National Service Agency’s Watchdog
As the Corporation for National and Community Service faces questions about its future, its inspector general's office has had to put investigations on hold and let staff...
'Elevator Speech’ Can Sell Mission Succinctly
Experts say that winning over potential supporters is all about telling a charity's story—and the shorter the better.
Employee Feedback Helps Nonprofits Refine Programs
Many groups are finding creative ways to solicit ideas on how programs are going and what workers hear from clients.
Surveys Show Sunnier Pay and Staffing Outlook for Many Nonprofits
The findings indicate that many organizations are hoping to reinstate positions and salaries made during the economic downturn.
Nonprofits Pin Their Social-Media Efforts on New Network
Pinterest is drawing attention because it lets charities use images to spread the word about their causes.
Mapping Treatment for a Childbirth Injury
Three international aid organizations have created a map of health-care facilities that treat a stigmatizing childbirth injury incurred by women in developing countries.
Matching Data Scientists and Nonprofits
New group seeks to give nonprofits help analyzing information that affects programs and operations.
Cancer Charities Hope to Beat Tobacco Lobbying Money With Social Media
A coalition of cancer charities is pushing Californians to vote for a tax on cigarettes, an idea that is drawing a well-financed opposition from tobacco companies.
About Fundraising
Failure of Chief Fundraisers Puts Charities at Risk
As the top job at big nonprofit gets more demanding, few people possess the strategic, financial, and diplomatic skills they need to handle the job, experts say. Learn how...
How to Navigate the Top Fundraising Job: Advice From Veterans
Get a good mentor and expect political jockeying, development leaders say.
Swimsuit Deal Causes Flap at Nature Conservancy
Board and staff members of the environmental group are questioning the appropriateness of the charity's marketing agreement with Sports Illustrated and a tony...
Amazon Wish Lists Put Goods in the Hands of Charities
Nonprofits are increasingly discovering the benefits of the online lists, which allow donors to provide a variety of products that nonprofits need to carry out their work.
Amazon 'Wish Lists’ Can Generate Added Bonus
Child's Play, a Seattle charity, raises tens of thousands dollars by pointing people to the online shopping site.
See Cat Give: a Community Fund Spins a Whimsical Tale of Bequests
In lieu of a death-focused approach to planned gifts, the Greater New Orleans Foundation educates prospective donors through the lighthearted adventures of a feline pair...
Other Features
Film Festival Spotlights People Striving for a Greener World
The 180 productions featured in Washington's Environmental Film Festival come from 42 countries and tell diverse tales, some of them offbeat.
Legacies: Rushworth Kidder, Founder of Institute for Global Ethics
The former journalist advised managers on how to exercise the moral courage needed to speak up when they saw ethical problems.
Hilton Prize Honors International Program to Enlist Older People in Advocacy
HelpAge International, the recipient of the $1.5-million award, gets people involved in public-policy debates.
Make Conversations Count, Veteran Fundraiser Explains in New Book
Nonprofit executives and others can do their jobs more effectively if they ask the right questions and learn how to listen, say consultant Jerold Panas and his co-author.
American Lung Association Chief Steps Down
After 26 years in the U.S. Navy followed by his work for the major charity, Charles D. Connor is looking for the "next challenge."
Opinion
Nonprofits Must Tell Donors About Solutions if They Expect to Win Public’s Trust
The public has a mistrust of all things big, including nonprofits, but by pitching long-terms solutions, charities can avoid some of the skepticism.
Kony Video Is Just the Latest Social-Media Effort to Show Power of Charity Campaigns
Nonprofits working behind the scenes are finding new ways to spark popular online revolts virtually overnight.
Foundation Attention Deficit Disorder Becomes an Epidemic
The major social ills foundations seek to heal can't be solved with the ephemeral efforts that mark philanthropy today, writes a former W.K. Kellogg Foundation official.
Don’t Blame the Culture Wars for Komen’s Problems
Poor management decisions made in the Planned Parenthood controversy offer lessons to nonprofits of all kinds, say two former charity chief executives.
The New York Times Was Wrong to Abandon Philanthropy
As one of the last full-time reporters to cover nonprofits is reassigned to business coverage, the news media is no longer doing its job to hold charities accountable.
