Microfranchising is the latest buzzword to take over the world of philanthropy, writes Lucy Bernholz in her blog, Philanthropy 2173.

Ms. Bernholz, who is a consultant to donors and foundations, says some people use the term when a nonprofit organization operates a franchise of a commercial entity, such as a Ben & Jerry’s outlet.

Others use it to describe the creation of small franchise operations that aim to do good—for example, a nonprofit group called Living Goods, which sets up agents to sell low-cost health products to poor people door to door.

Ms. Bernholz has been keeping a list of the most popular philanthropy buzzwords of the year and so far, two others have made her list: hyperlocal and microphilanthropy. If you don’t know what they mean, check out the blog.

Let us know what your favorite buzzwords are by clicking on the comment link just below this posting.

The conservative writer Andrew Sullivan has used his blog to step up his feud with the Human Rights Campaign, a gay-rights advocacy group in Washington, by citing a charity watchdog’s low rating of the organization’s charitable fund.

According to Charity Navigator’s evaluation, which is based on data from the 2005 fiscal year, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation receives one out of four stars in part for spending about 43 percent of its budget on administrative and fund-raising expenses.

In a response from the Human Rights Campaign, the advocacy group writes that Charity Navigator does not accurately reflect its fund’s current finances and that the poor rating was a result of a large effort to raise money for its new national headquarters, which raised overhead costs.

“We estimate that HRCF’s rating on Charity Navigator would rise from one star to three stars for the fiscal year...

Who “owns” a nonprofit group?

Jeff Brooks, who writes Donor Power Blog, says the owners are the clients and the donors. “Compared to those two groups, everyone else is a bystander.”

Mr. Brooks, creative director at Merkle/Domain, a fund-raising consulting firm, was responding to a comment by the head of an antihunger group, who said “owners” included “the people in the region who care about hunger issues,” including educators, health professionals, and government officials. But Mr. Brooks argues it’s the donors who make the good work possible. “Your work needs to be effective at shaping the world in the ways your donors want to shape the world,” he says.

One reader, Bob McGinnis, took Mr. Brooks to task. “I have seen charities venture down the ‘donors shaping the world in the ways your donors want to shape the world’ only to see them either fold because of unrealistic demands...

Have Fun Do Good offers tips to nonprofit groups about how to use blogs to promote their causes

The blog’s author, Britt Bravo, a writer and consultant, says she recently updated her “10 Ways Nonprofits Can Use Blogs” to put more emphasis on ways to enlist other bloggers to get the word out.

Her first tip: “Include bloggers on your press list.” Another suggestion: “Include outreach to bloggers as part of your online fund raising campaigns.”

Ms. Bravo’s list also covers ways nonprofit groups can use their own blogs to attract supporters, keep them informed, and build their trust.

If you have any tips to share about using blogs to build support for social causes, click on the comment link just below this posting.