Dan Pallotta says charity fund raising is often hobbled by out-of-date attitudes.

Michelle Gienow, for The Chronicle

Sherri Killins decided that the Annie E. Casey Foundation should do more of its own recruiting, rather than relying on headhunters.

From the issue dated December 11, 2008 About Gifts and Giving IN HUMANITY UNITED, Pam Omidyar, wife of the founder of eBay, has carved out a grant-making enterprise that seeks to end mass violence and modern slavery. BILL CLINTON has had to adjust his charitable activities in light of his wife's nomination to be secretary of state, and the changes make some charity leaders uneasy. TWO FORMER BUSINESSMEN plan to establish a "marketplace" that will bring together already-successful charities with donors willing to give them money to help them grow. PAUL NEWMAN'S ESTATE includes benefits for his charity. INDIANA UNIVERSITY'S LAW SCHOOL has received $35-million; other big gifts. About Fund Raising DOING GOOD should not preclude the possibility of personal gain, Dan Pallotta argues in his new book, but controversy surrounding his now-defunct fund-raising company blunts the impact of his message. HOLIDAY GIVING is likely to be a lot less spirited this year, forcing fund raisers to use their ingenuity: a roundup of ideas for soliciting gifts in hard times. A UTAH LAW requiring out-of-state fund-raising consultants to register with Utah authorities has been challenged in federal court. THE FACE OF PHILANTHROPY: Polar Bears International helps scientists conduct research on and call attention to the problems Arctic bears face because of global warming and other threats. 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 MANY CHARITIES have already seen decreases in private donations and government grants, a new survey finds. A FEDERAL COURT IN MINNESOTA has ruled that the Internal Revenue Service overstepped its authority when it attempted to audit a church outside Minneapolis. THE CONVICTION OF A MUSLIM CHARITY on charges that included supporting terrorism worries nonprofit officials who say it could hinder the work of many international groups. EXECUTIVE-SEARCH FIRMS, which charities have relied on increasingly in recent years to help locate top talent, may become a luxury that groups coping with the recession decide they can do without. DAVID EISNER, who stepped down as head of the Corporation for National and Community Service, urges the new president to think of volunteers as key to any stimulus package (Exit Interview). THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE announced that in 2009 it intends to focus attention on tax-exempt organizations' fund raising and spending (Tax Watch). MORE THAN 285,000 NONPROFIT GROUPS were big enough to file informational tax returns in 2005, according to newly released figures from the Internal Revenue Service (Tax Watch). BOOSTERISM mars too much scholarship on the nonprofit world, the founder of the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action told the group's annual meeting. TIMELY EVALUATIONS are too rare in the nonprofit world, and as a result, donors often make decisions with too little information, a new study finds. About Technology WORKSTATIONS designed to help preschoolers, some with disabilities, learn about technology have been donated by IBM to Head Start programs around the country. SOCIAL NETWORKING benefits young people, according to a new report by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. THE WIRELESS INNOVATION CHALLENGE, sponsored by the Vodafone Americas Foundation, is looking for the best wireless solutions to social problems. About Grant Makers FEW FOUNDATIONS practice what they preach when it comes to helping their grantees succeed, according to two new reports. PROJECT STREAMLINE, a joint effort of eight national organizations, seeks to simplify the paperwork and reporting that foundations demand of grant seekers. INTERNATIONAL CAUSES attracted more grants from American foundations in 2007 than ever before, and the trend is likely to continue this year, according to a new report. FOUNDATION GIVING boosts the U.S. economy, according to a study by the Philanthropic Collaborative, a new organization that seeks to educate lawmakers about philanthropy. RECENT GRANTS by foundations, corporations, and other grant makers. About Careers in the Nonprofit World OVER 10 YEARS at Greater DC Cares, Siobhan Canty worked to perfect a model of philanthropy that involves providing both money and services to nonprofit groups (Exit Interview). A FORMER FASHION EXECUTIVE with the likes of Polo Ralph Lauren, Richard D. Vorisek now runs a New York charity's business operations, including upscale thrift shops and an online store (New on the Job). JUAN ROS, a Hollywood journeyman, decided his second career would be in fund raising, and he now heads the development office of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Foundation (Entry Level). NAVIGATING PROTOCOL on checking job seekers' references, starting an endowment from scratch, and other topics are covered in our bimonthly advice column (Hotline). GARY RINDNER, a retired corporate lawyer, now volunteers his time at charities that help needy youngsters in the South Bronx and entrepreneurs in developing countries (My Journey). SIX NONPROFIT WORKERS have won $100,000 apiece in a contest to honor people older than age 60 who undertake innovative social-action efforts. Also in This Issue OPINION: Pablo Eisenberg notes the absence of nonprofit officials in the Obama transition, and Leslie Lenkowsky warns charity leaders not to take the new president's support for the nonprofit enterprise for granted. Alex Cortez, William Foster, and Katie Smith Milway urge charities to think about mergers as a way to survive the recession; Scott Allard finds that social services are often not located where social needs are greatest; and Trent Stamp argues that the key ingredient of a successful charity is a strong leader. LETTERS: on the importance of community organizing, the best way to gauge charities' performance, and the response of foundations to the economic crisis. NEW BOOKS: An examination of what causes hunger in America, and how to curb the problem, a look at the donors who built the conservative movement, a scholarly study explains why the nation's social-service safety net fails so many needy people, and a fund-raising consultant argues that nonprofit groups have much to learn from free-market capitalism. PRESS CLIPPINGS: Harvard Business Review urges charities to focus on concrete goals, rather than a broad mission statement; Fast Company picks what it considers to be the best social enterprises in the United States; and BusinessWeek ranks the most-generous Americans. PEOPLE: Appointments and promotions in the nonprofit world.