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.

In the Media

December 5, 2008

Roundup of philanthropy and nonprofit articles.


In the Media

October 10, 2008

From Other Philanthropy Blogs

October 1, 2008
  • IRS Form 990 — Ready?
    Charities Review Council: There are steps you must take this year in order to be ready to use the form next year. Do not wait until next year to have your auditor tell what you should have done this year.
  • Debating Donations for Disasters
    The Chronicle of Philanthropy details a debate over the effectiveness of disaster-related giving. One opinion: “I’d rather up my donations to projects that aim to strengthen everyday health infrastructure for those in chronic need.”
  • It’s 10 am, Do You Know Where Your Cash Is?
    Balancing the Mission Checkbook: How concerned should you be? In general, you shouldn’t panic, but you also can’t make assumptions that all is well just because you haven’t had a problem before. It depends on how your short-term cash accounts are actually invested or deposited.
  • What Wealthy Donors Want
    Donor Power Blog: Ever wonder what it’s like to be one of your donors? There’s an interesting study out from the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for High Impact Philanthropy that doesn’t quite get you into your donors’ heads, but it does give you a look at how some high-end donors think: “I’m Not Rockefeller”: 33 High Net Worth Philanthropists Discuss Their Approach to Giving (PDF).
  • Best Philanthropy-Related Books of 2008
    PhilanTopic: As we head into the homestretch of 2008, we’re trying to identify the best philanthropy-related titles of the year (general trade or academic press only). What have we missed?

Many Lessons Learned about Disaster Response this Year

September 18, 2008
Hurricane Ike.
Credit: NASA/NOAA GOES Project

The Minnesota Council on Foundations held a discussion on disaster response on Tuesday at the Red Cross - Twin Cities Chapter, to discuss how funders have stepped up to meet the challenges they’ve faced this past year brought on by the flooding in southeastern Minnesota, the I-35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis, as well as Hurricanes Katrina, Gustav and Ike.

The most common themes to come out of the discussion were communication and collaboration — both were key factors in providing assistance. Communication was important both with donors and collaborators. Funders need to be sure their statement of intent — what they are going to do with the money they collect — is crystal clear so that donors will not feel misled later. The importance of early and constant streams of communication with other funders and the community programs could not be stressed enough. This saves time and money especially to help prevent duplication of efforts.

After the crisis has passed, it is important to take a moment to write down the lessons learned and to share them with others. All of the presenters thought it was important to remain in contact with one’s network so that it is easy to mobilize resources should it become necessary again.

Presenters included Charlie Cook, LSW, of Emergency Behavioral Health Professionals and Louisiana Spirit; Hazen Graves, Attorney, Faegre & Benson; Karen Kelley-Ariwoola, Minnesota Helps-Bridge Disaster Fund and The Minneapolis Foundation; Julia Ross, Disaster Outreach Coordinator, Hennepin County; Karen Erlenbusch, United Way of Olmsted County.

Many resources on disaster grantmaking are listed on our website at www.mcf.org/disasters.

A couple recent articles from the Chronicle of Philanthropy about disaster recovery:

- Lisa Johnson, MCF’s manager of professional development and e-learning


New Orleans, Three Years After Katrina

August 29, 2008

Friday marks the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina making landfall. The New Orleans Times-Picayune says that there is “indisputable evidence of recovery” even while the Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation warns that “‘Katrina fatigue’ in Congress and elsewhere … could affect future efforts.”

The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation just released a second report on the state of the recovery, New Orleans Three Years After the Storm (PDF). The Foundation Center has a new page, Focus on Gulf Coast Hurricane Giving, with charts and maps to explore more than 4,000 of the grants awarded by U.S. funders.

A roundup of other new articles about Katrina recovery:

MCF will host a program, Funders’ Response to Disaster: Lessons Learned, on Sept. 16. Local grantmakers will find out what has been learned from past corporate and private support in response to disaster relief that will help make it most effective in the future.


Bridge Collapse, One Year Later

August 1, 2008
Photo by Noah Kunin; hosted on Flickr user Aaron Landry’s photostream.

One year ago, after the 35W bridge over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis fell, we all saw an enormous outpouring of support. The Minnesota Helps Fund received more than $1.2 million in donations from funders and individuals, and grantmakers contributed to that fund as well as other local relief agencies. Later that month, funders again responded after southern Minnesota was hit by floods.

When disaster strikes, philanthropy has a valuable role in both emergency and long-range relief efforts. But the philanthropic sector is, of course, not alone in responding — it requires the entire fabric of community and government systems.

MCF will hold a Funders’ Response To Disaster: Lessons Learned program for grantmakers on Sept. 16. Karen Kelley-Ariwoola of The Minneapolis Foundation and the Minnesota Helps Fund will be a panelist describing how funders are supporting disaster preparedness in innovative ways. She will be joined by Karen Erlenbusch of the United Way of Olmsted County, which is continuing to assist flood recovery, in discussing how philanthropy can be a stronger partner in ensuring that the needs of all are met when disasters occur.


Update on Disaster Relief Legislation

July 29, 2008


Photo by U.S. Geological Survey

Earlier this month, ten senators introduced legislation that would have created charitable incentives for giving to support relief efforts of the recent disasters that have hit the Midwest (as an amendment to an unrelated bill designed to ease the housing crisis). The national Council on Foundations reported that the Senate passed the American Housing Rescue and Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2008 (H.R.3221) without that amendment.

The Chronicle of Philanthropy reports that a new bill, S. 3322, has been introduced by 11 senators, including Minnesota senators Norm Coleman and Amy Klobuchar:

The Midwestern Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2008 would allow individuals and corporations to get unlimited charitable deductions for donations to relief efforts in the affected areas through the end of 2008.