Engaging the Next Generation of Donors

Seven weeks after the devastating earthquake in Haiti, donors have contributed more than $895-million to support relief efforts. And now, new research on text-to-gift conducted by Convio, Edge Research and Sea Change Strategies on US charitable donors has been released. The data, gathered a week following the earthquake, indicates that mobile philanthropy, while not universally accepted is gaining traction with younger generations, and that the efforts around Haiti could be the tipping point for greater adoption. The mobile philanthropy results are part of a larger study that will be released in the coming weeks on the contrasting charitable habits of Gen Y, Gen X, Baby Boomers and Matures to provide the sector with insights on cultivating the next generation of American donors. “The data presented... Continue Reading

Foundation Helps to Ease Loss of Grants

from Boston.com (The Boston Globe): More than the money Area nonprofits that depended on donations from Boston’s Carl & Ruth Shapiro Family Foundation have either made cuts or found alternative funding sources – many with the foundation’s help – since the philanthropy, a victim of the Ponzi scheme run by former financier Bernard Madoff, said last year it would make no new grants. The foundation, which lost $145 million in the collapse of Madoff’s scheme, has issued a series of bulletins offering to help former grant recipients find new funders, link with other groups to share resources, or find volunteers and interns. … It may take some time before the foundation returns to its role as one of the area’s most generous philanthropies. The Shapiro family, trustees of the foundation... Continue Reading

The Changing Face of Volunteers

from The New York Times: Older Workers Bring New Purpose to Volunteer Work Spurred by the tight job market or often career-change aspirations, older workers with specific goals for donating their time are remaking the face of volunteerism. Call it giving back with an agenda. Executives at nonprofit organizations around the country testify to the new worker demands, many of them from baby boomers used to pushing for what they want. The execs are hardly complaining – volunteerism is on the rise and it’s the older population that’s behind it. … But nonprofits say it’s boomers, now ranging from age 45 to 64, who are driving the trend of looking for meaningful volunteer opportunities as they near retirement. That’s a big change from earlier generations, whose volunteers,... Continue Reading

Courts Begin to Define Madoff Losses

from The New York Times: Madoff Judge Endorses Trustee’s Rule on Losses A federal bankruptcy judge in Manhattan has approved the fiercely disputed method used by the court-appointed trustee to calculate victim losses in Bernard L. Madoff’s enormous Ponzi scheme. In a decision filed on Monday, Federal Bankruptcy Judge Burton R. Lifland ruled that losses should be defined as the difference between the cash paid into a Madoff account and the amount withdrawn before the fraud collapsed in mid-December 2008. Judge Lifland rejected emotional arguments by hundreds of defrauded investors seeking to have their claims based on the balances shown on their final account statements, sent out just weeks before Mr. Madoff was arrested. [Translate] Bookmark:  Read More →

Projection Shows Americans Will Give Less in ‘10

from The Chronicle of Philanthropy: How Much Will Americans Give in 2010? The economy’s sluggish growth suggests that American households will give 3.9 percent less to charity in 2010, according to a new projection by two researchers at Boston College’s Center on Wealth and Philanthropy. But if the economy heats up, donations could return to pre-recession levels in 2010. [Translate] Bookmark:  Read More →

Foundation Spared in Clawback Suit

from Bloomberg.com: Madoff Trustee Reports $220 Million Accord With Levy Family The liquidator for Bernard Madoff’s defunct business said the family of deceased New York real estate magnate Norman F. Levy agreed to pay $220 million to settle claims over its profit from the fraud. … The Levys and their entities, including a charitable foundation, withdrew a total of $305 million more from Madoff’s firm than they deposited during the six years before Madoff’s December 2008 arrest, Picard said. … According to the court filing, Picard isn’t seeking the return of $84 million in withdrawals from Madoff’s firm by the Betty & Norman F. Levy Foundation, because the money was donated to charity. The foundation is winding down, Picard said. “Given the inability to pay any judgment against... Continue Reading

Volunteering Is Up in the U.S.

from U.S.A. Today: Recession may be behind rising ranks of volunteers More Americans, especially women, are giving their time and energy to good causes, a new government report says. From September 2008 to September 2009, 63.4 million Americans, 26.8% of the population, volunteered with organizations, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s 1.6 million more than the year before. Most of the growth can be attributed to more female volunteers, says Stephanie Boraas, a BLS economist. About 1.2 million more women volunteered in 2009 than in 2008. “Women have always been more likely to volunteer than men,” says Leslie Lenkowsky, professor of public affairs and philanthropic studies at Indiana University. [Translate] Bookmark:  Read More →

Friendship Circle Wins $100k in Chase Giving Contest

Michigan’s Friendship Circle is one of five runner-ups in the controversial Chase Community Giving Contest and will receive a $100,000 prize. Friendship Circle provides assistance and support to the families of children with special needs. The majority of their work with takes place at the Ferber Kaufman LifeTown building in West Bloomfield, Michigan, a 23,000 square-foot state-of-the-art facility, which serves as a therapy and activity center, social meeting place, and hub for a network of volunteers, professional staff, and supporters. The Friendship Circle consists of five parts – volunteers, children, parents, staff, and supporters – all joining together to form a seamless community of friendship. Just as a circle has neither end nor beginning, their community offers promise, hope... Continue Reading

Donations to Haiti Tax Deductible in 2009

The House of Representatives today unanimously passed H.R. 4462, legislation that would allow individuals who make charitable contributions to victims of the earthquake in Haiti to claim an itemized charitable deduction on their 2009 tax return instead of having to wait until next year to claim these deductions on their 2010 tax return. The legislation also includes a provision allowing those who text messaged a donation the ability to use a phone bill as proof of donation. In January of 2005, Congress enacted this type of relief for individuals that made charitable contributions to victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami that occurred in late December of 2004. That bill (H.R. 241 in the 109th Congress) passed the House of Representatives without objection and subsequently passed the Senate by unanimous... Continue Reading

Around the Philanthrophic World

from The Chronicle of Philanthropy: A Flurry of Last-Minute Giving Lifted Charities’ Holiday Appeals Envelopes are still being unsealed and checks processed, but early indications suggest that December brought mixed results for charity fund raising. … A comparison of two polls conducted by The Chronicle of Philanthropy also suggests that donors may be waiting longer to give. A third of the nearly 400 nonprofit groups that responded to a poll in mid-December said donations since November were higher than they had been at the same time in 2008. Of 181 charities polled in early January, 48 percent said giving rose this holiday season. Twenty-five of groups said giving had declined by at least 10 percent this holiday, while roughly 30 percent said it had increased by at least 10 percent. from... Continue Reading

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