Philanthropy Today, Thursday September 1, 2016

Philanthropy Today

Thursday, September 1, 2016

Top News and Features From The Chronicle


Wounded Warrior Announces Layoffs and Program Cutspremium

The group will cut about 15 percent of its 600-employee work force and will consolidate some operations to reduce administrative costs.

Opinion: How Grant Makers Can Improve Their Aid After Disaster Strikes premium

It takes more than bottled water and sandbags to help a community recover, and a new guide shows donors what matters most.

Big Lots Gives $50 Million to Build Youth Mental-Health Facility premium

The donation significantly ratchets up the retail chain’s philanthropic relationship with Nationwide Children’s Hospital in its hometown of Columbus, Ohio.

Opinion: Pay Now or Pay Later? Can’t Philanthropy Do Both? premium

A recent critique of the Minneapolis Foundation's Pay It Forward Forever Fund wrongly suggested that current-day needs and long-term endowments are in conflict with one another, the grant maker's chairman says.

New in the Chronicle's Online Resource Center


See the latest addition to the scores of items on fundraising, leadership, careers, and other topics available in our online resource center:

6 Steps to Attracting More Diverse Donors premium

Here’s how — and why — you should build an inclusive fundraising strategy and broaden your base of support.

Nonprofit News From Elsewhere Online


Charity Navigator Gives Top Marks to Clinton Foundation

The nonprofit watchdog issued a four-star ranking for the embattled charity Thursday, eight months after removing the foundation from its "watch list," writes the Associated Press. Also, Politico reports on Bill Clinton's staff's use of federal funds allocated to ex-presidents to subsidize some operations at his foundation.

Baltimore Surveillance Debate ‘Healthy,’ Laura Arnold Says

The uproar over the Baltimore Police Department’s undisclosed use of grant-funded aerial surveillance technology has fueled a welcome public discussion about the use of such tactics and attendant privacy concerns, the billionaire donor Laura Arnold tellsThe Baltimore Sun.

Zero-Rated Veterans Charity With VA Tie Shutting Down

The National Vietnam Veterans Foundation is closing several months after drawing media scrutiny for collecting tens of millions of dollars on behalf of former service members but spending almost all of it on fundraising, CNNreports.

Fla. State Charity Drive Looks to Rebound From Giving Plunge

The Florida State Employees’ Charitable Campaign begins Thursday with officials looking to bounce back from a dismal 2015 that saw donations plummet and controversy over a for-profit management company’s take from the campaign, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.

Pro-Charters Group Offers $100,000 for John Oliver Takedown

The nonprofit Center for Education Reform is soliciting video rebuttals to a critical segment about charter schools on the comedian's satiric TV show Last Week Tonight, The Washington Post's Answer Sheet education blog writes.

Don't Miss What Everyone Else Is Reading


These were the most-read articles on our site yesterday:

Study Details Why College Alumni Don’t Give to Alma Maters premium

Among graduates who give, 26 percent said they would donate more if they could earmark their money for specific campus purposes, according to a new survey.

1 in 3 Rich Donors Held Their Philanthropy Back premium

Affluent supporters are seeking more information on results and want to see less spending on overhead, a study of thousands of wealthy donors finds.

Prominent 'Science of Philanthropy' Researcher to Split Time Between IU's Lilly School and U. of Chicago premium

John List, a behavioral economist, has produced groundbreaking studies in why people give to charities.

Grants Roundup: Bloomberg Fund Gives $32 Million to Help Urban Leaders

Other notable awards include $10.1 million from the Herb Alpert Foundation for music education and grants from the AARP Foundation and New York Life to aid Louisiana flood victims.

50-Year Librarian at N.H. College Leaves It $4 Million

The University of New Hampshire announced the unexpected bequest Tuesday from a longtime campus-library cataloguer who died last year after decades of assiduous saving and frugal living, The Union Leader of Manchester, N.H., reports.

Learn How Sales Techniques Can Help Your Fundraising


A growing number of development offices are borrowing techniques that salespeople use — and achieving great success in attracting more big gifts.

Join us on September 8 when we'll host Lena Rodriguez, head of National University's Sanford Institute of Philanthropy, and Dani Dawson, a University of California at San Diego fundraiser whose team raised more than $100 million in planned gifts last year by using sales techniques. In addition to talking tactics, we'll explore why the sales approach to fundraising is controversial in some circles.

Sign up today so you can get a 20-percent discount when you join us on September 8 at 2 p.m. Eastern.

Job Opportunities


Find your next job in The Chronicle's jobs section, where employers have posted hundreds of the best career opportunities in the nonprofit world. Here are a few:
Associate Director of Law School Advancement, Washington and Lee University School of Law 
Virginia, United States

Senior Associate Director of Major Gifts (Boston), St. Lawrence University 
New York, United States

Chief Advancement Officer, Sundance Institute 
California, United States

Director of Development, Lambda Legal 
New York, United States

Executive Director, Albuquerque Museum Foundation 
New Mexico, United States

Database Manager, Maine Coast Heritage Trust 
Maine, United States

Senior Development Officer, Barry University 
Florida, United States

Director of Development and External Relations, Hartford Seminary 
Connecticut, United States

Development Director, East Bay Community Law Center 
California, United States

Annual Fund Manager, Virginia Theological Seminary 
Virginia, United States
    

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