Items relevant to more than one category may appear more than once in this summary. From the issue dated March 8, 2007 About Giving and Grant Makers THE WELFARE SYSTEM and ways to improve it are losing ground as a focus of foundation giving, with many grant makers looking instead at broader approaches to alleviating poverty. THE RICHEST U.S. FOUNDATIONS increased their giving by more than 6 percent in 2005, to $16.4-billion, according to a Foundation Center study. FOUR HIGH-PROFILE DONORS, including George Soros and Agnes Gund, spoke at New School University, in New York, about what causes they support and why. THE FANNIE MAE CORPORATION will shut down its foundation on April 30, but has created a unit to continue the company's charitable giving. THE CO-FOUNDER OF YAHOO and his wife have promised $75-million to Stanford University; other recent gifts to nonprofit organizations and institutions. RECENT GRANTS by foundations, corporations, and other grant makers. THE FACE OF PHILANTHROPY: SacredFlight, a charity in Portland, Ore., holds musical performances for people who are dying, with the goal of lessening their physical and psychological pain. About Fund Raising A FOR-PROFIT COMPANY has helped nonprofit groups raise millions of dollars through the federal government's annual drive, but its aggressive tactics have raised questions. A CHARITY'S NAME grabs donors' attention — and other "golden rules" Patrick Maguire passes on to clients attempting to raise money in the Combined Federal Campaign. THE NUMBER of groups raising money in the government's annual charity drive has grown rapidly, opening up new opportunities for donors. But some charity officials worry that instead donors are getting confused by the proliferation of organizations. PRIVATE GIFTS TO U.S. COLLEGES rose 6 percent from 2005 to 2006, the largest increase in six years, according to a study. POSTAL RATES FOR CHARITIES could go up significantly as early as May, but a federation of nonprofit mailers has asked the Postal Service to delay the increase for a year. 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 TO ASSIST OLDER MEMBERS in its fitness program, the YMCA in Rochester, N.Y., needed older employees; thanks to an array of savvy incentives, 20 percent of its work force now is 50 or older. THE MOVEMENT TO HARNESS the energies of older Americans for the greater good needs just one final push to take hold, writes Clint Wilkins in one of a series of reflections on his efforts to engage retirees in charity work. MANY BABY BOOMERS have reached a point in their lives where they are beginning to think about how to help others, says a man in a position to know: an interview with William Novelli, chief executive of AARP. THE UPSIDE OF GETTING OLDER will be the focus of a new PBS series, Life (Part 2), plus an acceptance speech at the Oscars introduced millions of people to a program that enlists retired people to volunteer in schools. AT JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS, women wishing to move into leadership positions face a host of obstacles, a problem that Advancing Women Professionals, a New York charity, is working to correct. THE SUPREME COURT heard arguments in a case challenging the Bush administration's efforts to channel federal money to religious groups that provide social services. THE U.S. GOVERNMENT can require international aid groups to sign an antiprostitution pledge, a district court has ruled. A CONGRESSIONAL REPORT chastises the Internal Revenue Service for failing to clearly explain the regulations governing charities' involvement in political activities (Tax Watch). A LEADING CONGRESSIONAL CRITIC of nonprofit abuses has asked the Smithsonian Institution's board to explain why it approved "lavish expenses" incurred by the institution's chief executive (Tax Watch). WRITE-OFFS: The Internal Revenue Service issued rules for charities that participate in tax shelters later deemed illegal, and the Supreme Court declined to review a case in which a town opposed a nonprofit organization's decision to build a conference center within the township (Tax Watch). REPORTS ON CHARITIES by the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance. About Technology WGBH, Boston's public-broadcasting organization, is working to make video content on the Internet accessible to deaf and blind users. USING ELECTRONIC IMAGES rather than slides to display the work of artists applying for support, a New York foundation has pared time and money from its grant-making process. A NEW INTERACTIVE WEB SITE created by two Boston nonprofit organizations allows people to combine statistical data and mapping software to mine information about eastern Massachusetts locales. TECHNOLOGY BITS: A workshop on Internet advocacy campaigns will be held in Washington in April, while the "Grassroots Use of Technology" conference will be held in June. Also in This Issue. OPINION: Pablo Eisenberg offers a checklist of things about the Gates Foundation that bear a closer look; and Mark W. Schwartz, Michael Dombeck, and David Blockstein warn of a looming shortage of specialists in environmental conservation. PRESS CLIPPINGS: New York examines the discord at the American Civil Liberties Union; and U.S. News & World Report tracks efforts to introduce rich young people to philanthropy. BOOKS: A handbook for raising money for public schools, a guide to help board members oversee an organization's spending, and a primer for wealthy young people who are making forays into philanthropy. PEOPLE: Appointments and promotions in the nonprofit world. AWARDS: Honors for people and organizations in philanthropy.