Live Discussions http://philanthropy.com/section/Live-Discussions/222/ Taxes and Philanthropy: Two Donors Share Their Ideas http://philanthropy.com/article/TaxesPhilanthropy-Two/64644/ Does the complicated U.S. tax system encourage or stifle giving?

Some philanthropists believe the system is set up to unfairly benefit the rich at the expense of the poor -- and that changes to the system will produce greater equity and provide better incentives to wealthy people who want to contribute to charity.

Is this the case? If so, what changes should be made to the tax system to reduce poverty?

Join The Chronicle and Bolder Giving, an organization that...

...]]> Grant-Making Strategies for a Challenging Economy http://philanthropy.com/article/Grant-Making-Strategies-for-a/64570/ Foundations’ assets grew modestly in 2009, according to The Chronicle of Philanthropy's new survey of big grant makers. But grants will still be hard to come by this year, as foundations continue to worry about how much of their wealth was eroded by the stock-market collapse in 2008.

What can nonprofit groups expect from foundations in 2010 and beyond? Has the economy changed the giving philosophies of foundations? If so, how can nonprofit groups position themselves to...

...]]> How to Inspire Giving by Secular Donors http://philanthropy.com/article/How-to-Inspire-Giving-by/64553/ Studies consistently show that donors who actively participate in organized religion tend to give more to charity. Why is that? And what can charities do to increase their appeal to atheists, secular humanists, and others who do not follow a traditional faith?

Join us Tuesday, April 13, at noon Eastern time for a live online discussion with Dale McGowan, executive director of Foundation Beyond Belief, a new organization that seeks to organize and increase philanthropy by nonreligious...

...]]> Advice on Navigating a Nonprofit Career http://philanthropy.com/article/Advice-on-Navigating-a/64552/ Looking to leap into the nonprofit world from another field? Spinning your wheels in a soft job market? Facing staffing challenges with shrinking resources?

Join us Tuesday, March 16, at noon Eastern time for a free-ranging live discussion about job hunting, recruiting, and managing in the nonprofit world, sponsored by Philanthropy Careers’ advice column, Hotline.

You can anonymously pose the questions you might otherwise be afraid to ask about the job...

...]]> Text-Message Fund Raising: What Your Group Needs to Know http://philanthropy.com/article/Text-Message-Fund-Raising-/64447/ Text-message fund-raising tools helped the American Red Cross raise more than $32-million to provide aid after the Haiti earthquake. And many other disaster-relief groups were able to use text messages to solicit instant, small-scale contributions from motivated donors.

This success has many people in the nonprofit world excited about the possibilities of this fund-raising approach. But the success of the Haiti fund-raising effort is also creating what some fund-raising experts...

...]]> Turn First-Time Donors Into Repeat Givers http://philanthropy.com/article/Turn-First-Time-Donors-Into/64403/ Many donors say they want charities to thank them for their gifts and show them how their money will be put to use. In fact, one of the key reasons donors stop giving is that they don't have a sense their money has made a difference, numerous studies show.

Very few charities have taken that lesson to heart, says Kivi Leroux Miller, a nonprofit communications consultant who conducted an experiment and found that only three out of 10 prominent charities responded after she gave...

...]]> Make Sure Your Board Complies With the New Form 990 http://philanthropy.com/article/Make-Sure-Your-Board-Complies/64123/ Now that charities are required to fill out a new version of the Form 990 -- the informational tax return that organizations file each year with the Internal Revenue Service -- some organizations are beginning to get a better understanding of its new requirements.

Yet too many charity trustees have not grasped that the new 990 makes substantial new demands on them, experts say. They may not realize that board members must now take a much more active role in setting...

...]]> Perspectives From a Young Philanthropist http://philanthropy.com/article/Perspectives-From-a-Young/64122/ What motivates some philanthropists to give significant portions of their fortunes to charitable causes? How do they decide what causes and organizations to support?

What lessons can other donors learn from them? And what should fund raisers and other charity officials understand as they seek to encourage more people to give in this difficult economic time?

To answer those questions, The Chronicle and Bolder Giving, an organization that works to encourage...

...]]> Career Advice From the Experts http://philanthropy.com/article/Career-Advice-From-the-Experts/64107/ Considering a career change into the nonprofit world? Finding a job search stalled at the interview stage—or not getting interviews at all? Considering pay cuts and furloughs at your organization? Unsure how to lift employee morale in tough times?

Join us Tuesday, February 23, at 12 noon U.S. Eastern time for a free-ranging live discussion about job hunting, recruiting, and managing in the nonprofit world, sponsored by Philanthropy Careers' advice column, Hotline. You...

...]]> The Role of Community Foundations in Turbulent Times http://philanthropy.com/article/The-Role-of-Community/64106/ As community foundations cope with a volatile economic environment, how can charities appeal to them? How will grant-making priorities change in 2010? And which community foundations are stepping up their efforts to help needy Americans and cash-strapped charities?

To answer these questions and more, join Terry Mazany, chief executive at the Chicago Community Trust, and Linda B. Carter, chief executive at the Community Foundation of Broward, in Florida, for a live online...

...]]> Seeking Big Gifts in Tough Times http://philanthropy.com/article/Seeking-Big-Gifts-in-Tough/63880/ In The Chronicle recent report on America's 50 most-generous donors, the challenges facing fund raisers are clear: Even the wealthiest Americans are slowing their giving as they try to regain their footing in the bad economy.

Nevertheless, many charities are succeeding in winning gifts of $1-million or more, and many more are continuing to make vigorous efforts to cultivate wealthy donors in the hopes that such efforts will eventually pay off.

You can learn the...

...]]> Making Smart Decisions About Overhead Costs http://philanthropy.com/article/Making-Smart-Decisions-About/63662/ Tuesday, January 26, at 12 noon, U.S. Eastern time

Many nonprofit organizations skimp on their overhead costs because of pressure from donors to prove they are spending a high percentage of their money on programs. And the bad economy has prompted many to cut back even further.

But are charities undermining their effectiveness, or even their very existence, by catering to donor concerns about overhead?

Ann Goggins Gregory and Daniel Stid,...

...]]> Philanthropy: The Next Decade http://philanthropy.com/article/Philanthropy-The-Next-Decade/63640/ As the nonprofit world enters 2010, what trends will shape philanthropy during the next 10 years? How can charities and foundations prepare for the increasing number of older Americans, technological changes, and other future trends that are likely to affect nonprofit endeavors and giving?

Join us for a live discussion with Eric Kessler, founder of Arabella Philanthropic Investment Advisors, a donor consulting company, to discuss these and other questions. Mr. Kessler will be...

...]]> Career Advice for the New Year http://philanthropy.com/article/Career-Advice-for-the-New-Year/63639/ Are you applying for jobs in the nonprofit world? Or are you finding a job search stalled at the interview stage - or not getting interviews at all? Perhaps you are a manager considering pay cuts and furloughs at your organization or you are unsure how to boost employee morale in tough times.

Join us Tuesday, January 12, at noon U.S. Eastern time for a free-ranging live discussion about job hunting, recruiting, and managing in the nonprofit world, sponsored by Philanthropy Careers'...

...]]> How Charities Can Make Effective Appeals http://philanthropy.com/article/How-Charities-Can-Make/63435/ As foundations cope with significant endowment losses, many are reducing their giving. How can charities appeal to grant makers during these tough times? How will grant-making priorities change in 2010? And which foundations are stepping up their efforts despite the economic downturn?

Read the transcript of our discussion with Chris DeCardy, vice president and director of communications at the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and Steven Lawrence, senior director of research at the...

...]]> Emerging Forces in 2010: Trends That Will Shape the Nonprofit World http://philanthropy.com/article/Emerging-Forces-in-2010-/63434/ What trends will shape the nonprofit world as it enters what could be the toughest year in its history?

In recent weeks, Chronicle reporters and editors have interviewed nonprofit leaders, fund raisers, support staff, volunteers, and board members to answer that question. The result was the release this week of a special report outlining the 10 key trends shaping the nonprofit world in the next year.

Read the transcript of our discussion that addressed this report...

...]]> Building Communities on Twitter http://philanthropy.com/article/Building-Communities-on/63433/ How can your organization use Twitter to create a community of supporters who are willing to spread the word about your activities, enlist their friends to help your cause, and help you raise money?

Read the transcript of our discussion with John Haydon, a marketing consultant for small nonprofit groups in Boston, who has studied how some charities are using Twitter to build meaningful relationships with supporters. Mr. Haydon shared his observations and answered questions about how...

...]]> Giving As a Way of Life http://philanthropy.com/article/Giving-As-a-Way-of-Life/63432/ Tom Hsieh has taken a novel approach to fighting poverty in his hometown of Los Angeles.

Mr. Hsieh, who owns a telecommunications company, has committed to supporting his family on the U.S. median household income.

In 2008, his family lived on about $38,000 although he earned more than $200,000. He donated the balance of his after-tax income to antipoverty groups in Los Angeles.

What motivates Mr. Hsieh's giving? How does he decide what causes and organizations to...

...]]> Getting Good News Coverage: How to Persuade Journalists to Cover Your Cause http://philanthropy.com/article/Getting-Good-News-Coverage-/63431/ How can charities grab the attention of journalists when so many organizations are clamoring for coverage? What kinds of pitches are most effective? What are some of the most common errors nonprofit groups make when they approach reporters and editors and how can they build a better and more productive relationship?

Read the transcript of our discussion that addressed how organizations can help generate headlines that spread the message about their work and get the attention of...

...]]> Creating Effective Marketing Messages http://philanthropy.com/article/Creating-Effective-Marketing/63430/ Nonprofit groups need to do more than simply have a great mission to capture attention from donors and other supporters. They also must step up their efforts to market their ideas and causes.

One way to grab your supporters' attention is through tag lines, imaginative slogans that cement an image in the public's mind. What are some of the nonprofit world's most effective tag lines? Why is it important to have a compelling tag line? How do you create one that makes others remember what...

...]]> Managing in a Changing Economic Environment http://philanthropy.com/article/Managing-in-a-Changing/63428/ Some economic indicators are up, and some are down -- but most nonprofit groups continue to feel the impact of the weak economy. Financial turmoil has changed the nonprofit world in ways that will play out in the months and years ahead.

This discussion offered practical advice for leaders of nonprofit organizations and foundations dealing with continued economic uncertainty.

How can organizations continue to survive these tough times while preparing for what's ahead? What...

...]]> Disaster Philanthropy in a Post-Recession World http://philanthropy.com/article/Disaster-Philanthropy-in-a/63427/ American charities took the lead in raising billions of dollars to aid survivors in the aftermath of disasters that have struck in the United States and elsewhere in recent years.

The nation's largest charities raised nearly $3.7-billion for relief and recovery efforts after Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast in 2005 and raised more than $41-million to help survivors of the cyclone that struck Myanmar, and the earthquake in China, in 2008.

But at a time when the American...

...]]> The Philosophy of Giving http://philanthropy.com/article/The-Philosophy-of-Giving/63426/ What motivates some philanthropists to give significant portions of their fortunes to charitable causes? How do they decide what causes and organizations to support?

What lessons can other donors learn from them? And what should fund raisers and other charity officials understand as they seek to encourage more people to give in this difficult economic time?

To answer these questions, The Chronicle and Bolder Giving, an organization that works to encourage...

...]]> Fund Raising Forecast: What Does the Future Hold? http://philanthropy.com/article/Fund-Raising-Forecast-What/63425/ The first barometer of fund raising in 2009 is now available as The Chronicle releases its annual Philanthropy 400 rankings showing that the nation's biggest charities predict a sharp drop this year.

Charities on the Philanthropy 400 - the groups that raise the most from private source -- say fund raising is likely to drop by a median 9 percent.

As the tough times continue, charities are coming up with creative ways to approach their fund raising, especially as...

...]]> Building Meaningful Alliances With Other Nonprofit Groups http://philanthropy.com/article/Building-Meaningful-Alliances/63424/ Many nonprofit groups are working together in new and innovative ways in order to maintain services during financial crisis. Organizations are finding that collaboration can be an effective way to sustain programs while dealing with their financial challenges — in both good and bad times.

This discussion offered expert advice about collaborating on programs, including important considerations for nonprofit organizations and foundations that support them. It featured...

...]]> Foundation Giving: What Might the Future Hold? http://philanthropy.com/article/Foundation-Giving-What-Might/63423/ Next year is expected to be one of the toughest ever for grant seekers, as foundations cope with huge losses in their endowments.

Last year alone, The Chronicle of Philanthropy found, assets at the nation's biggest foundations totaled $163.4-billion, compared with $213.8-billion in 2007, a loss of $50.4-billion in just one year. Such figures might automatically mean many foundations must reduce the amount of grant money they can award.

So how are grant makers coping with a...

...]]>