Ashley Judd visited a rural village in Congo to call attention to charity efforts to promote better health care in the region.

Shawn Spence, for The Chronicle

Jay Height, of the Shepherd Community Center, in Indianapolis, says his charity received $750,000 in federal aid through President Bush's effort to help religious charities.

Callie Lipkin

James C. Tyree was chairman of a campaign that raised $1-billion for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International.

From the issue dated October 30, 2008 The Philanthropy 400: America's Top Charities DONATIONS TO NONPROFIT GROUPS on The Chronicle's Philanthropy 400 list grew 4.5 percent last year, but many organizations are nervous about their fund-raising prospects in the coming months. HIGH-END RETREATS for donors and partnerships with corporate supporters are among the tactics employed by Philanthropy 400 charities to invigorate their fund raising in the economic slowdown. ANNUAL FUND RAISING at the Jewish Federation/Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago is already the envy of many charities, but David A. Sherman, the board member who chaired the 2007 campaign, found a way to kick it up a notch. ONE OF THE MOST RESPECTED FUND RAISERS in the Silicon Valley, Ervie Smith, on the board of the YMCA of Santa Clara Valley, is described as persistent, tenacious, and a "triple Type A" personality. A PASSION FOR HELPING CHILDREN is what drives Ann Wolfe, a member of the board of Nationwide Children's Hospital, and helped her land a $50-million gift. "IF YOU DON'T ASK FOR IT, you don't get it," says John C. Whitehead, a board member who has given $10-million to the International Rescue Committee and raised many millions more for the group from others. HAVING OVERCOME DIABETES by means of transplant surgery, James C. Tyree, a trustee of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International, is more devoted than ever to raising money to find a cure. RECRUITING BOARD MEMBERS who do a great job of seeking money is a key to success for many of the charities in the Philanthropy 400. But few trustees are willing to seek donations, especially as many of them now worry about their own financial security. Charities and the Economy ONLINE CONTRIBUTIONS to charity are unlikely to fall significantly short of last year's Web-based giving, despite the economic downturn, a new survey finds. CHARITIES must recognize that they can cut costs without sacrificing the quality of their work, write Alex Neuhoff and Robert Searle (My View). THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS may prove to be philanthrocapitalism's finest hour, argues Matthew Bishop (Opinion). WITH THE BUSINESS AND POLITICAL WORLDS in turmoil, Americans may begin to look to philanthropy for leadership, write Scott Bittle and Jean Johnson (Opinion). THE NONPROFIT WORLD may weather the economic storm just fine, especially if policy makers make some easy changes, writes Leslie Lenkowsky (Opinion). UPDATE ON CAMPAIGNS for endowments, capital improvements, and other needs. Politics and Philanthropy BOTH PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES would continue the Bush administration's efforts to help religious groups that provide social services, but the two differ in their views on the hiring practices of such groups. EXPANDING TAX INCENTIVES for charitable giving is among the key steps many nonprofit executives hope the next presidential administration will take, according to a new survey from the Johns Hopkins University. OUT OF PUBLIC OFFICE for a decade, Newt Gingrich is back with a new advocacy organization that works on such issues as education, energy, and immigration, and he has plenty to say to nonprofit leaders. DAVID EISNER, head of the Corporation for National and Community Service, the government agency that operates AmeriCorps and other volunteer programs, plans to leave his post shortly after Election Day. SEVERAL NEW YORK CITY CHARITIES that have received private donations from Mayor Michael Bloomberg testified at a City Council hearing in favor of a bill that would allow Mr. Bloomberg to run for a third term. THE NEXT PRESIDENT must focus on encouraging nonprofit groups to be accountable and urge foundations to give more, says Pablo Eisenberg (Opinion). About Grant Makers THE MACARTHUR FOUNDATION plans to spend $68-million in grants and loans to help Chicago neighborhoods through the foreclosure crisis. THE OMIDYAR NETWORK will increase its grant making by more than 50 percent this year and has expanded the kinds of charitable endeavors it will support. RECENT GRANTS by foundations, corporations, and other grant makers. About Gifts and Giving THE ACTRESS ASHLEY JUDD has traveled overseas and spoken to high-level officials in her role as "ambassador" for the charity Population Services International, work that has become emblematic of a new kind of celebrity activism. TELLING THE STORIES of people who have been helped by Population Services International and its YouthAIDS program is Ashley Judd's main goal as the charity's representative. DON'T HITCH YOUR WAGON to just any star, but at the same time don't aim too high: tips for charities hoping to procure the support of celebrities. IN RURAL WAUSAU, WIS., a local health charity has found some creative ways — including a drive-up window — to provide contraceptive services to low-income women. CHANCING UPON A SECLUDED GARDEN in the bustling heart of London led Tom and Kitty Stoner to start a foundation that helps charities create quiet open spaces for rest and contemplation. AN ANONYMOUS DONOR has pledged $50-million to Boston College; other big gifts to nonprofit organizations and institutions. THE FACE OF PHILANTHROPY: Crossings HealingWorks, a Maryland nonprofit group, provides massages and other stress-reducing treatments to people who care for soldiers returning from war. About Managing Nonprofit Groups NONPROFIT HOSPITALS vary widely in the way they measure and report the "community benefit" they are required to provide in return for their tax exemption, says a report from the Government Accountability Office (Tax Watch). THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE has refused to grant an organization tax-exempt status as a church partly because of the group's inadequate governance policies (Tax Watch). THE NATIONAL HERITAGE FOUNDATION, a Virginia charity, has been ordered by a Texas court to pay $6.5-million to two donors who say they were misled by the organization. NEW BOOKS: A look at how changes in global development have the potential to wipe out poverty, a guide to making boards work better, and an examination of how charities use naming rights. PRESS CLIPPINGS: Portfolio magazine examines the philanthropy of the 50 wealthy Americans, while Good magazine offers advice on building social enterprises. About Technology CHANGE.ORG, an 18-month-old Web site used to connect charities and donors, has transformed itself into a network of blogs discussing an array of social issues and nonprofit groups that work on them. MOST CHARITIES ARE STILL STRUGGLING to maintain the best technology environment for their work, according to two reports. TECHNOLOGY BITS: The Webby Awards are accepting nominations for its contest to honor the top Web sites; a new guide on producing charity videos has been released. About Philanthropy Careers PEOPLE WHO GO TO WORK FOR CHARITIES later in life or after retirement are considered appealing job candidates by the majority of nonprofit employers questioned in a recent survey. IN HER UNPAID POSITION as head of a small charity she runs from her home that helps low-income cancer patients pay their bills, Lorna Khawaja's days are busy and, with a recession looming, getting busier (A Day in the Life). HAVING WORKED AT LOW-WAGE JOBS herself at the beginning of her career, Meizhu Lui now directs a project that seeks to bridge the wealth gap between whites and minorities (New on the Job). WITH A NONPROFIT JOB that pays a third of what she was earning 15 years ago and works her twice as hard, a former advertising executive has learned that compensation comes in many forms (Regeneration). PEOPLE: Appointments and promotions in the nonprofit world. AWARDS: Honors for people and organizations in philanthropy.