Items relevant to more than one category may appear more than once in this summary. From the issue dated June 15, 2006 About Giving and Grant Making THE SALE of Black Entertainment Television has enabled Sheila Johnson, its co-founder, to dispense some $20-million in grants through her foundation since 2001. CORPORATE GIVING rose 14 percent in 2005, a new study shows, although a separate survey suggests that Americans are not greatly influenced by a company's philanthropy. SKIDMORE COLLEGE received the largest of the charitable bequests, totaling $120-million, left by the New York financier Arthur Zankel, who died in July. CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF PHILADELPHIA will use a $25-million gift to build a research center; other recent gifts to nonprofit organizations and institutions. THE FACE OF PHILANTHROPY: In the past five years, the Dictionary Project has grown from a small effort to hand out the humble reference book to more than 4,000 groups nationwide. RECENT GRANTS by foundations, corporations, and other grant makers. SUMMARIES OF ANNUAL REPORTS from the Foundation for the Carolinas, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and the Lumina Foundation for Education. About Fund Raising ONLINE GIVING continued its upward climb in 2005, according to the annual Chronicle survey of Internet fund raising, though not all charities are riding the trend. THE RED CROSS has put a great deal of effort into expanding its ability to collect donations online, especially after its huge success in raising money for hurricane relief electronically. A PLAN BY AOL AND YAHOO to certify e-mail messages sent by marketers — for a fee — has many nonprofit groups worried. DONATIONS TO HELP VICTIMS of the earthquake in Indonesia have been spotty, groups working on relief efforts report. MATCHING-GIFT OFFERS are a good way to increase donations, but dollar-for-dollar matches are just as effective as more generous enticements, a study by two economists has found. A RECORD AMOUNT of $268.5-million was raised last year through the Combined Federal Campaign, the annual charity appeal for government workers. DEFERRED GIFT ANNUITIES should pay a maximum compounding interest rate of 5.25 percent a year, rather than the current 5 percent, the American Council on Gift Annuities has recommended. UPDATE ON CAMPAIGNS for endowments, capital improvements, and other needs. INTEREST RATES for planned gifts, issued by the Internal Revenue Service. About Managing Nonprofit Groups A CRITICAL REVIEW of the Combined Federal Campaign, the government's annual charity drive, has prompted officials to promise better scrutiny of the nonprofit groups seeking to participate. A LEGAL DECISION halting a Christian charity's work with inmates at an Iowa prison could hamper efforts to direct federal grants to religious groups. A POWERFUL MEMBER OF CONGRESS has demanded an accounting of what the Internal Revenue Service is doing about nonprofit groups that abuse charity tax laws (Tax Watch). A COALITION of housing groups is fighting an IRS ruling that could threaten the tax-exempt status of numerous charities (Tax Watch). A DECISION BY THE U.S. TAX COURT marked a victory for the IRS in its efforts to curb abuses of land-conservation easements (Tax Watch). IDEAS FOR CLEANING UP LITTER and making water fountains more appetizing were among the entries in a Washington charity's contest to come up with ways to improve the nation's capital (Dispatches). ONLY A QUARTER of colleges and universities routinely publicize how they vote on shareholder resolutions filed by companies in which they own stock, according to a survey on college endowments. WHY ARE SO MANY PRESENTATIONS given by nonprofit officials so bad? The author of a new book thinks he knows the answer. FAMILIES are proving to be great volunteers, many charities have discovered, though some groups remain skeptical. AS A FORD FOUNDATION OFFICIAL, Alan Jenkins saw a lot of good research sit on the shelf, so he helped found a charity that aims to engage the national will for social action (New on the Job). HER DAUGHTER'S ILLNESS AND DEATH eventually led Stacy Kellner Rosenberg to leadership of the charity that helped her family through the tragedy (Entry Level) . HOW TO LAND A JOB PLANNING SPECIAL EVENTS, write grant proposals that capture a program's "essence," and move up from a local to a national charity: advice from experts (Hotline). About Educating Nonprofit Leaders GRADUATE STUDENTS are providing free consulting, marketing, and other services to nonprofit groups around the country. NEW COLLEGE OF CALIFORNIA offers a program in activism and social change. SCHOLARS need to do more to reach out to all parts of the nonprofit world, say experts, plus meet many other challenges in teaching nonprofit managers. Also in This Issue OPINION: Trent Stamp has some questions for charities that oppose legislation to curb nonprofit abuses, and Kevin Jennings wonders why some nonprofit leaders have appropriated the title CEO. BOOKS: A handbook on online fund raising, essays on winning big donors via the Internet, and a guide for nonprofit managers on how to handle technology issues. PEOPLE: Appointments and promotions in the nonprofit world. AWARDS: Honors for people and organizations in philanthropy.