Posts by Maria Di Mento
January 4, 2010, 11:29 AM ET
A Philanthropy Adviser's Concern, Plus More: Monday's Roundup
- While philanthropy benefits when people talk about how it can be improved, some nonprofit experts are becoming “soapbox advocates” who demand that there is only one right way to give, which could hamper charitable appeals, says Richard Marker, a donor adviser, on his blog.
- Many charities are squandering an opportunity to make a good first impression on potential supporters with Web sites that are messy and difficult to navigate, writes Nathaniel Whittemore, founder of Assetmap, a startup company in San Francisco, on the Change.org blog.
- While the number of Chinese charities is growing, the government is hampering their development and should ease the bureaucratic hurdles it requires to register as a nonprofit group, says an editorial in China Daily, an English-language newspaper in Beijing.
- The new nonprofit group Philanthropedia has a “promising model” for...
December 18, 2009, 11:23 AM ET
The Nonprofit World's 'Chronic Self-Esteem Deficiency,' Plus More: Friday's Roundup
- The nonprofit world “suffers from a chronic self-esteem deficiency,” writes Jonathan Spack, executive director of Third Sector New England, on the Blue Avocado blog. He argues that nonprofit organizations are too often perceived as less important than business.
- The United Kingdom plans to phase out checks by 2018, prompting Tom Belford, a fund-raising consultant, to wonder how such a decision in the United States might affect nonprofit fund raising.
December 17, 2009, 11:17 AM ET
Why Charities Should Woo Young Donors, Plus More: Thursday's Roundup
- While some charities avoid seeking donations from people under 40 because they lack sizable financial assets, cultivating younger donors is key to the long-term success of nonprofit groups, says Derrick Feldman, a fund-raising consultant, on the Case Foundation’s Social Citizens blog.
- Setting long-term priorities and living within your means are among several fiscal rules in Governing Magazine that Mike Burns, a consultant to nonprofit groups, says charity officials should pay attention to.
- Should the government allow tax deductions solely for donations to charities that can prove their ability to solve social and environmental problems? Lucy Heady, director of measurement for New Philanthropy Capital, a nonprofit research organization, raises this question on the British group’s blog.
- “Fund raising in its current form just doesn’t work anymore,” says Nell...
December 16, 2009, 11:12 AM ET
Advice for Donors on Giving; and More: Wednesday's Roundup
- Charity accounting can be so “easily manipulated that donors may be disastrously misled,” writes Kathy Kristof, a personal finance columnist, in a column for CBS MoneyWatch about how Americans should donate their money.
- As government ministers debate climate change in Copenhagen, the “best lessons” are happening outside the conference hall, writes Clare Oliver, a volunteer at Catholic Agency for Overseas Development, on the group’s blog. While in Denmark, she says she has learned that the news media drums up controversy to sell newspapers and while many activists agree global warming is occurring, they differ wildly on the solutions.
- Milton Murray, a veteran fund raiser who died this month at age 87, was a trailblazer in philanthropy, writes Paulette Maehara, president of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, on her blog. Among his accomplishments was getting ...
December 15, 2009, 11:47 AM ET
The Case for Increased Government Support, Plus More: Tuesday's Roundup
- As many states face budget shortfalls, those in the nonprofit world should no longer be “shrinking violets,” but instead should make their case to legislators for why they need government support, write Judy Sobin and Melissa Pavlicek, two nonprofit veterans, in an opinion article in The Star Bulletin, in Honolulu.
- While efforts to foster innovation among Jewish charities should be applauded, all too often fellowships and other programs do not provide enough money for people to live off of, making social entrepreneurship a “privilege of the wealthy,” writes Daniel Sieradski, director of digital strategy for Repair the World, in an opinion article for the Jewish Telegraph Agency.
- As the number of Web sites that list charities for donors grows, Adin Miller, a nonprofit consultant, wonders on his blog how small and midsize charities can monitor all of them and make sure...
December 14, 2009, 11:37 AM ET
Facebook Changes May Hinder Nonprofit Groups, Plus More: Monday's Roundup
- Pending changes in Facebook could hamper the ability of small charities to use the social-media Web site, says Heather Mansfield, a nonprofit communications consultant, on her blog.
- Daniel Godin, a California psychotherapist, writes on the Huffington Post about the painful demise of a Hollywood nonprofit drug clinic that was forced to close due to economic difficulties.
- What are the 10 most important developments in social entrepreneurship during the past decade? Nathaniel Whittemore, the founder of Assetmap, a San Francisco charity, is asking for suggestions on Change.org.
- Too many charities have new board members focus on practical duties, like fund raising and attending meetings, but should instead tap the board’s imagination in how to further charitable missions, writes Alison Rapping, a charity consultant, on her blog.
December 11, 2009, 01:21 PM ET
Matching-Grant Advice to President Obama, and More: Friday's Roundup
- Now that President Obama has accepted the Nobel Peace Prize, he should use the $1.4-million that comes with it to spur other giving by saying he will match gifts made to a cause of his choice, writes Dennis Whittle, chief executive of GlobalGiving, on the Huffington Post.
- So-called best practices, while helpful in a general way, can be “boring” and overrated if taken too literally, writes Trina Isakson, who coordinates volunteer services at Simon Fraser University, on her blog.
- Noting a recent study by the Center for Effective Philanthropy, Brad Rourke, a consultant who works on civic engagement, says on his blog that it is “disconcerting” that most foundations require their grant recipients to provide proof that their work is making progress, while so few grant makers collect data on their own effectiveness.
December 10, 2009, 11:27 AM ET
A Skeptical View of Charity Evaluation, Plus More: Thursday's Roundup
- While data can help social entrepreneurs with their work, so-called metrics need to be approached with caution because they can lead to the wrong conclusions, writes Mike Shoemaker, a consultant and volunteer with the Ayllu Initiative, on the Social Earth blog.
- Laura Freschi, an associate director at New York University, writes about how GlobalGiving yanked a project in Kenya from its Web site after an evaluation showed the effort had lost credibility among local people. Ms. Freschi says this shows the importance of asking local people what they think of nonprofit projects. Meanwhile, Holden Karnofsky writes on the GiveWell blog that the finding is worrisome because most aid projects don’t receive such a careful assessment. Mr. Karnofsky is co-founder of the nonprofit evaluation group.
- While GiveWell is a key charity evaluator, it sometimes is too quick to dismiss...
December 9, 2009, 11:30 AM ET
Beyond Press Releases on Charity Blogs, Plus More: Wednesday's Roundup
- As more charities struggle to fill their blogs with something different than the latest press release, they should think of themselves as “curators” of their cause by sharing their expertise and commenting on relevant news events, writes Joanne Fritz, a former nonprofit manager, on About.com.
- A recent push by nonprofit watchdog groups to change how donors evaluate charities will be very difficult, writes Sasha Dichter, director of business development at the Acumen Fund. He doubts people are going to stop looking at how much charities spend on overhead anytime soon. Dan Palotta, founder of a company that raised money for charities, also weighs in on the watchdog efforts on his Harvard Business blog.
- When recruiting a famous actor or musician for a charitable project, charities should draft a contract with the celebrity, give the individual some leeway to develop his or ...
December 8, 2009, 12:09 PM ET
Debating Federal Charter-School Support, Plus More: Tuesday's Roundup
- Is the Obama administration overemphasizing charter schools as a way to improve public education? On the National Journal’s education blog, which is paid for in part by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, school leaders, nonprofit officials, and others debate this idea.
- The controversy caused by a nonprofit Houston toy drive’s request that those seeking gifts provide Social Security numbers is a sign that charities and others need to examine how they view immigrants, says Larry James, chief executive of Central Dallas Ministries, on the Sojourners blog.
- While this week’s United Nations meeting in Copenhagen centers around environmental policies, the discussions are key to finding ways to reduce hunger and global poverty, says Bread for the World, an advocacy group, on its Web site.
- William Easterly, the New York University professor and a critic of foreign aid, ...