2008 in Philanthropy

December 31, 2008

As 2008 draws to a close, the Foundation Center has published its annual review of philanthropy news over the past year:

From the historic candidacies of Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama, to the credit crisis and implosion of the U.S. economy, to the spectacular Olympic Games staged by a rising China, it was a year to remember. And philanthropy was very much a part of it, doing what it has done best traditionally even as it sought to become more efficient, more effective, and more relevant to the networked global economy of the twenty-first century.

This special section takes a look at the economy, diversity, legislative news, global trends, noteworthy gifts, and more. The section ends with a look ahead at what’s to come in 2009.

Comments Off | diversity, economy, government, in the news, international | Permalink
Posted by MCF Webmaster

Thank You, Retiring Board Members!

December 30, 2008

Five board members are rotating off of the Minnesota Council on Foundations’ board of directors:

  • David Etzwiler, vice president of community affairs at Medtronic and executive director of the Medtronic Foundation, joined the board in 2006. He served on the government relations committee and was a co-chair of MCF’s annual conference in 2005.
  • José González, program officer at the Bush Foundation, was first elected as a member of the board in 2004. He served on the committee on inclusivity and the program & information committee.
  • Barbara Kaufmann, manager of corporate contributions and community affairs for 3M Foundation, joined the board in 2006. She served on the membership committee and the program & information committee.
  • Mark Murphy, executive director of the Cargill Foundation and manager of the Cargill Corporate Citizenship Fund, joined the board in 2003. He was a member of the governance committee and a conference planning committee.
  • Andrew Turner, trustee of the Turner Family Foundation, has also served the board for six years. He was a member of the audit committee, program & information committee, and membership committee.

Thank you all for your service!

Comments Off | boards, mcf | Permalink
Posted by Annette Lennartsson

No Crystal Ball, But Lots of Heart

December 29, 2008

When Neal St. Anthony called last week for background for his “Charity Funders Feeling Pinched” story, he was probably hoping for some dramatic news about a rosy outlook for 2009 — aren’t we all?

We at MCF don’t have a crystal ball, but we have gathered lots of information from our members about what they anticipate for the year ahead. And while their predictions aren’t necessarily rosy, our outlook has some glimmers of hope . . . and lots of heart.

At three member roundtable discussions about the economy in November, the outpouring of concern for nonprofits and the community was consistent. MCF members challenged each other to respond quickly and creatively. Could the adversity create opportunities for innovation? Will this bump in the road force us to refocus on our missions?

From our 2009 Outlook Report survey of members and other large foundations and corporate giving programs, we learned that many foundations are doing everything they can to maintain giving levels despite dramatic asset declines. Respondents reported across-the-board reductions in administrative costs, staff cuts, and streamlined processes. In addition, some noted that they’re adjusting giving guidelines to be responsive to immediate needs, and others are offering non-monetary technical assistance and in-kind support.

You can read more about our 2009 Outlook Report next week, including how future grant amounts are expected to be affected by the economy. In the meantime, let’s all continue to share compassion and remain hopeful for the new year.

– Wendy Wehr, MCF Vice President of Communications and Information Services

Comments Off | economy, mcf, nonprofits, research | Permalink
Posted by Wendy Wehr

MCF Job Openings

December 29, 2008

The Minnesota Council on Foundations is hiring for two positions:

  • Director of Professional Development and Member Services: This position works with staff and members to develop and implement high-quality learning opportunities for grantmakers as well as grantseekers. The director is also responsible for overseeing networking activities and development of resources for grantmakers.
  • Communications Associate: This position will play a key role in writing MCF’s popular print and electronic communications, including the Giving Forum newspaper, the website, e-newsletters and the blog. The communications associate will also promote and report on member programs and participate in media relations activities.

These positions are now closed.

Comments Off | mcf | Permalink
Posted by MCF Webmaster

In the Media

December 27, 2008

Roundup of news articles about philanthropy and nonprofits in the local and national media:

Local:

Economy:

National:

  • Congress Targets Philanthropy
    Wall Street Journal: Like divining rods, Members of Congress are always alert to fresh sources of money, which once discovered they will spend. California Democratic Congressman Xavier Becerra thinks he’s discovered a new source of political treasure: the money inside private and community foundations.
  • Who Gives the Most?
    Forbes: Americans give more to charity, per capita and as a percentage of gross domestic product, than the citizens of other nations. But why?
  • Charity Rankings Giveth Less than Meets the Eye
    Wall Street Journal: It may make you feel better to know that your charitable donations are going to organizations that have been highly rated by any number of online charity rankings. But these sites fail to quantify the most-important and most elusive charity measurement: success in achieving its mission.

Comments Off | disasters, economy, in the news, individual giving | Permalink
Posted by MCF Webmaster

Santa in Spirit

December 24, 2008

CBS News last Friday profiled a Kansas City businessman who each year gives complete strangers money — high school students, restaurant workers, even people passing by in a car.

In years past, he’s handed out $100 bills. Reporter Steve Hartman says that “because of the economy, he says he just can’t give out what he used to … he’s got to give more.” Despite a 44% decrease in his own portfolio, he’s giving out about $100,000 in all. His reasoning:

“In our country, we have a lot of people who make $8 to $10 an hour, and they live in a $12- and $14-an-hour world. And so this year, we are trying to concentrate on the working poor.”

This Secret Santa is also recruiting others like him across the country.

More Santa stories:

Join the conversation: What “random acts of giving” have you provided or observed?

Comments Off | in the news, individual giving | Permalink
Posted by Crystal Colby

Around the Philanthropy Web

December 23, 2008

What other local and national bloggers are saying about philanthropy and nonprofits:

  • Make the World a Better Place Without Spending a Cent
    Getting Attention: The Give List, a Web 2.0 “brainstorm,” details 71 free ways to support communities and causes.
  • The Stockdale Paradox
    Balancing the Mission Checkbook: Recently, I’ve been paraphrasing one of my favorite leadership quotes because it fits the moment perfectly – the Stockdale Paradox: You must maintain unwavering faith that you can and will prevail in the end, regardless of the difficulties, and at the same time have the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.
  • There Ain’t No Such Thing as a Free Software Package
    Idealware: “We can’t afford to pay anything – what can we get that’s free?” No question riles me up more. This is a really dangerous mindset. Would you think this way for other types of investments? Things worth having are worth paying for.
  • Blogging for Job Offers
    Give and Take: A nonprofit job seeker is taking the creative approach of donating volunteer time to all organizations that grant him an interview. He’s also blogging about the experience.
  • John & Kate Plus St. Jude
    Charity Navigator Blog: Product placement seems to be the way of the future for advertising with all sorts of consumer goods making appearances in our favorite TV shows and movies. Now it seems that charities are getting in on the act.

1 Comment | economy, philanthropy blogs | Permalink
Posted by MCF Webmaster

Down Times for Nonprofits — But YOU Can Help

December 22, 2008

The Star Tribune has a series of articles about the recession’s effect on nonprofits:

From one of the articles:

The recession of 2008 has hit nonprofits harder and faster than previous recessions. And because more than half of nonprofits get most of their individual donations in the fourth quarter, they are already seeing donations plummet.

So what are nonprofits to do in the face of smaller donations and potential government cuts? Here are some suggestions:

  • Nonprofits Assistance Fund executive director Kate Barr says one response is to find creative ways to raise money online.
  • A Star Tribune blogger says that nonprofits need to learn how to tell their stories, if they want to receive money from him.
  • The Chronicle of Philanthropy is tracking local newspapers that help readers give. For example, the Washington Post has an interactive map that shows charities in the D.C. area. Is anyone in Minnesota doing this?
  • Nonprofit Communications blogger Kivi Leroux Miller says that nonprofits still have time for their even-more-important holiday fundraising e-mail appeal. Find an archived radio broadcast on this topic and many more resources about how to take advantage of end-of-year giving.

How can individuals help?

Join the conversation: How else can we all help nonprofits through the recession?

1 Comment | economy, fundraising, holiday, in the news, nonprofits, technology, volunteers | Permalink
Posted by Crystal Colby

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