Well, now we know. Yesterday, the IRS announced that 275,000 US nonprofits have lost their tax exempt status. These nonprofits did not file the legally required paperwork for three consecutive years, and are now considered defunct in the IRS's eyes.
Certainly there has been enough notice, with repeated announcements from the IRS, state nonprofit associations and the nonprofit press and blogosphere, including here. But up until yesterday, we really didn't know how many nonprofits were non-operational, and it was surprising, at least to me, that it was this many. 275,000 represents over 14% of registered nonprofits, a huge number.
Agencies can apply for reinstatement, but few will, I suspect.
Here's the full article from the Chronicle of Philanthropy.
Showing posts with label news stories. Show all posts
Showing posts with label news stories. Show all posts
Thursday, June 09, 2011
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Great reporting on a cautionary tale...
OK, this is a story every nonprofit board member should read. All of it.
The story, from the Austin American-Statesman, is about the collapse of Austin's Family Connections. It is unusually well written and thorough. It analyzes the causes of the collapse of this successful, acclaimed service organization.
And, unlike much reporting on nonprofits that I have seen, it gets to the many (not just one) root causes.
Although there were signs easier to see in the rear view mirror, the ultimate bottom line (no pun intended, since this is a sad tale) is that there appears to have been a basic breakdown in board oversight. No audit, no audit committee, and the board allowed the ED to control all the financial reporting herself. All easy to see warning signs from the outside, but outsiders never got the chance to get in to take a look.
Again, well worth your time to read the entire article. And, a shout out to Andrea Ball for a great job with her story. I suspect it will help many other nonprofits avoid similar fates.
The story, from the Austin American-Statesman, is about the collapse of Austin's Family Connections. It is unusually well written and thorough. It analyzes the causes of the collapse of this successful, acclaimed service organization.
And, unlike much reporting on nonprofits that I have seen, it gets to the many (not just one) root causes.
Although there were signs easier to see in the rear view mirror, the ultimate bottom line (no pun intended, since this is a sad tale) is that there appears to have been a basic breakdown in board oversight. No audit, no audit committee, and the board allowed the ED to control all the financial reporting herself. All easy to see warning signs from the outside, but outsiders never got the chance to get in to take a look.
Again, well worth your time to read the entire article. And, a shout out to Andrea Ball for a great job with her story. I suspect it will help many other nonprofits avoid similar fates.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Money for nothin.....
It's baaaccccckkkk, the regular hoopla over nonprofit CEO's being paid too much.
I get pretty sick of this, both when the criticism is justified and when it's not. When it is justified, I get angry at the CEO (and, of course the board of directors who are accessories before the fact) for bringing disgrace on the hundreds of thousands of hard working and very underpaid nonprofit management staff.
When the critiques are off base, I get angrier, because the media should do its work and know better.
The interesting and infuriating thing about this is how often the spotlight goes on smaller local nonprofits and so rarely on foundations and large nonprofits such as hospital groups or universities. I know the salaries are in the Chronicle of Philanthropy, but it seems the same prejudice about salaries that exists about endowments. For big nonprofits--no problem. For small ones, horrors!
But, back to the news---the CEO of Boys and Girls Clubs of America apparently scored over $1million in total compensation in 2008, over twice the average for CEO compensation at nonprofits of similar size. If true, that's worth some investigation and calling out, particularly since the Boys and Girls Clubs get 40% of their income from federal funds.
When people forget it's about the mission and not the staff, about the mission and not the board....bad things happen.
I get pretty sick of this, both when the criticism is justified and when it's not. When it is justified, I get angry at the CEO (and, of course the board of directors who are accessories before the fact) for bringing disgrace on the hundreds of thousands of hard working and very underpaid nonprofit management staff.
When the critiques are off base, I get angrier, because the media should do its work and know better.
The interesting and infuriating thing about this is how often the spotlight goes on smaller local nonprofits and so rarely on foundations and large nonprofits such as hospital groups or universities. I know the salaries are in the Chronicle of Philanthropy, but it seems the same prejudice about salaries that exists about endowments. For big nonprofits--no problem. For small ones, horrors!
But, back to the news---the CEO of Boys and Girls Clubs of America apparently scored over $1million in total compensation in 2008, over twice the average for CEO compensation at nonprofits of similar size. If true, that's worth some investigation and calling out, particularly since the Boys and Girls Clubs get 40% of their income from federal funds.
When people forget it's about the mission and not the staff, about the mission and not the board....bad things happen.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Venting a bit....
A story in today's New York Times got me going this morning. It reports that Goldman Sachs, the investment bank, is considering increasing the requirements for charitable contributions from it's top paid employees--you know, the ones who helped screw up the economy and are now getting million and multi-million dollar bonuses a year later.
The article noted that Goldman has long had a requirement that top earners give 4% of their income to charity--and then check their tax returns to assure that there is compliance. Thus, there is no real charity at Goldman, just an enforced policy, like a dress code or the expectation of cheery attendance at a hated boss's birthday celebration.
The key part of the article was whether this policy--of wringing donations out of otherwise unwilling employees from their obscene bonuses--would reduce public anger over the bonuses themselves.
Yet again, these people are clueless about how real people think and act. I must have heard two dozen interviews over the last year from Wall Street types who absolutely do not understand why the country is mad at them for taking crazy risks (on all our behalf) to make money (for themselves). While there were many, many people who contributed to the economic mess, the Wall Street bankers stand out above the rest for their endless and self-serving rationales of why they were not the ones that brought the nation (and much of the world) to its economic knees, then needed tax dollars to bail them out, and now can go back to business as usual (with no oversight, PLEASE--we know what we're doing).
All of which is a rant to get to this question. Is forced charity really charity? Don't get me wrong, I'm delighted that some nonprofits will get what, on my quick accounting, is a ton of money (Goldman has set aside $16.7 billion for compensation this year--calculate 5% of that and you see what I mean), but still, is it charity? Goldman has reported that the firm also put aside $200 million for it's Foundation. I wonder how much of that $ will be given to charity, and how much will be kept in the foundation, invested by Goldman--and who at Goldman will earn investment fees. Pardon my cynicism.
There's a related issue here that has been bugging me for a long time--the courts sentencing people to community service. This sets up a conversation I had with a high school student a few months back where he told me he was busy after school: "doing my community service alongside the felons and DUI guys". His school requires volunteering, but limits the places students can volunteer, the time, and the type of volunteering. The kids get it--this isn't charity, it's forced labor.
A few years back, I was in London giving a talk at a conference and the main topic of discussion at the breaks was the new Charity Act, which paid young people to volunteer as a solution for years of reduced volunteering, particularly by people under 30. All of the attendees from the UK thought this was a great idea. The three or four Americans there smugly noted that we don't pay our volunteers--they actually show up on their own.
Well, sort of.
The article noted that Goldman has long had a requirement that top earners give 4% of their income to charity--and then check their tax returns to assure that there is compliance. Thus, there is no real charity at Goldman, just an enforced policy, like a dress code or the expectation of cheery attendance at a hated boss's birthday celebration.
The key part of the article was whether this policy--of wringing donations out of otherwise unwilling employees from their obscene bonuses--would reduce public anger over the bonuses themselves.
Yet again, these people are clueless about how real people think and act. I must have heard two dozen interviews over the last year from Wall Street types who absolutely do not understand why the country is mad at them for taking crazy risks (on all our behalf) to make money (for themselves). While there were many, many people who contributed to the economic mess, the Wall Street bankers stand out above the rest for their endless and self-serving rationales of why they were not the ones that brought the nation (and much of the world) to its economic knees, then needed tax dollars to bail them out, and now can go back to business as usual (with no oversight, PLEASE--we know what we're doing).
All of which is a rant to get to this question. Is forced charity really charity? Don't get me wrong, I'm delighted that some nonprofits will get what, on my quick accounting, is a ton of money (Goldman has set aside $16.7 billion for compensation this year--calculate 5% of that and you see what I mean), but still, is it charity? Goldman has reported that the firm also put aside $200 million for it's Foundation. I wonder how much of that $ will be given to charity, and how much will be kept in the foundation, invested by Goldman--and who at Goldman will earn investment fees. Pardon my cynicism.
There's a related issue here that has been bugging me for a long time--the courts sentencing people to community service. This sets up a conversation I had with a high school student a few months back where he told me he was busy after school: "doing my community service alongside the felons and DUI guys". His school requires volunteering, but limits the places students can volunteer, the time, and the type of volunteering. The kids get it--this isn't charity, it's forced labor.
A few years back, I was in London giving a talk at a conference and the main topic of discussion at the breaks was the new Charity Act, which paid young people to volunteer as a solution for years of reduced volunteering, particularly by people under 30. All of the attendees from the UK thought this was a great idea. The three or four Americans there smugly noted that we don't pay our volunteers--they actually show up on their own.
Well, sort of.
Monday, January 04, 2010
Some wishes and some apologies
Well, Happy 2010 to all.
Apologies for the loooooooonnnnngggggg break in posting, but stuff has been going on here, not the least of which was a bout of breast cancer for my wife, Chris. Thankfully, she's had successful surgery and her prognosis is very, very good. Thanks to all who sent (or thought) good wishes.
One of my 2010 goals is to post much much more, including on some cool stuff I'm involved with regarding nonprofit innovation, the 3rd edition of Mission-Based Management, which came out while I was gone from this spot, and the 3rd edition of Mission-Based Marketing, which is half revised as I write this.
So, you'll see more of me here from now on, and I hope you tune in regularly. I've always got lots to say, and I'm six months behind!
The interesting article from today is about one of my favorite nonprofits, Teach for America, from the New York Times. I'm not quite sure what to make of the headline, except to say it seems misleading. Need to read the entire piece of research.
Books: I just finished SuperFreakonomics and loved it as much as the original. Strongly recommend it.
Back soon....
Apologies for the loooooooonnnnngggggg break in posting, but stuff has been going on here, not the least of which was a bout of breast cancer for my wife, Chris. Thankfully, she's had successful surgery and her prognosis is very, very good. Thanks to all who sent (or thought) good wishes.
One of my 2010 goals is to post much much more, including on some cool stuff I'm involved with regarding nonprofit innovation, the 3rd edition of Mission-Based Management, which came out while I was gone from this spot, and the 3rd edition of Mission-Based Marketing, which is half revised as I write this.
So, you'll see more of me here from now on, and I hope you tune in regularly. I've always got lots to say, and I'm six months behind!
The interesting article from today is about one of my favorite nonprofits, Teach for America, from the New York Times. I'm not quite sure what to make of the headline, except to say it seems misleading. Need to read the entire piece of research.
Books: I just finished SuperFreakonomics and loved it as much as the original. Strongly recommend it.
Back soon....
Thursday, August 30, 2007
25 weeks of USA charities
Beginning tomorrow, USA TODAY will highlight 25 charities, one a week, for 25 weeks as part of the newspaper's 25th Anniversary celebration. The first national nonprofit to be covered will be Goodwill Industries (full disclosure: I'm on the Goodwill Industries International board).
I'm really pleased that USA TODAY is making this effort to discuss generosity and good works. So often the press highlights the bad news, since that seems to be more interesting to our voyaristic selves. With this series, readers will be both reminded of good things that are going on in their communities and, I hope, urged to volunteer and get involved.
A big shout-out to USA TODAY.
I'm really pleased that USA TODAY is making this effort to discuss generosity and good works. So often the press highlights the bad news, since that seems to be more interesting to our voyaristic selves. With this series, readers will be both reminded of good things that are going on in their communities and, I hope, urged to volunteer and get involved.
A big shout-out to USA TODAY.
Friday, May 25, 2007
Let 'em in, and prosper....
The news today that Facebook has thrown its "doors" open to developers reminded me that I've been wanting to post on the subject of social networking, getting outside input into your operations, adding value online etc.
First, social networking. Last week, I did two speeches on generation change in Chicago and Fort Wayne. A number of younger folks came up to me and talked about the barriers to being on boards of directors. I asked them--what would you think about a social network space just for your board? In the group, everyone under 35 said "Yes!", everyone over said "huh?"
Social network sites have great potential for users of your services, for educating people (think parents groups for kids with autism) or a group of staff that work specifically in one area of your organization. While MySpace and Facebook are the big dogs in this area, options like YahooGroups and Ning (my personal favorite) are also out there. They are free, easy (particularly Ning) and are a great option to reach out into your community.
Adding value: Regular readers know my oldest son, Ben, left Microsoft last year to do his own software startup with his longtime best friend. One of the things that they needed, after deciding on a name, business format, etc. was a logo. Both are good artists, but did they do it themselves? No, they wanted lots of ideas. So they parceled the work out to DesignOutpost, one of a number of sites on the web where you can contact graphic designers and collaborate with them on the art you need. Ben got dozens of designs, commented on them, and then the designers came back with changes. Only the "winner" gets paid, but there were no lack of participants in the work. All the conversations are open for everyone to see, all very fast, and resulted in a great product. Think about this kind of collaborative work that the web enables. And, of course, check out DesignOutpost if you need some good graphic design done well, fast and cheap.
Open up to more minds, more ideas, and more collaboration. It's good for everyone.
First, social networking. Last week, I did two speeches on generation change in Chicago and Fort Wayne. A number of younger folks came up to me and talked about the barriers to being on boards of directors. I asked them--what would you think about a social network space just for your board? In the group, everyone under 35 said "Yes!", everyone over said "huh?"
Social network sites have great potential for users of your services, for educating people (think parents groups for kids with autism) or a group of staff that work specifically in one area of your organization. While MySpace and Facebook are the big dogs in this area, options like YahooGroups and Ning (my personal favorite) are also out there. They are free, easy (particularly Ning) and are a great option to reach out into your community.
Adding value: Regular readers know my oldest son, Ben, left Microsoft last year to do his own software startup with his longtime best friend. One of the things that they needed, after deciding on a name, business format, etc. was a logo. Both are good artists, but did they do it themselves? No, they wanted lots of ideas. So they parceled the work out to DesignOutpost, one of a number of sites on the web where you can contact graphic designers and collaborate with them on the art you need. Ben got dozens of designs, commented on them, and then the designers came back with changes. Only the "winner" gets paid, but there were no lack of participants in the work. All the conversations are open for everyone to see, all very fast, and resulted in a great product. Think about this kind of collaborative work that the web enables. And, of course, check out DesignOutpost if you need some good graphic design done well, fast and cheap.
Open up to more minds, more ideas, and more collaboration. It's good for everyone.
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Back and busy...
After a terrific week in southern Virginia, I'm back, and into the fray for the remainder of April and May. With drives of 790 miles each way, I had time to think about our sector quite a bit.
A couple of news notes:
-Arizona State has gotten a grant to study the different nonprofit educational resources in the US. This is great. Hopefully, we'll finally have a good listing of what is where and for whom.
-I was looking at the options for new banks in Virginia this week, and every one of them has a special checking account option (with no fees) for nonprofits. It's been so long since I've moved accounts that this may not be news to anyone reading this, but I thought it was a good thing--and a long way from the days 20 years ago, when banks really wanted nothing to do with charities..
-I'm pleased (and more than a bit humbled) that I've been given the chance to serve on the board of Goodwill International. I look forward to working with the great people that work there.
This week brings a no-hotel overnight trip to Seattle, a ton of work on a Generations Assessment, and a family trip to Boston.
Gotta go....
A couple of news notes:
-Arizona State has gotten a grant to study the different nonprofit educational resources in the US. This is great. Hopefully, we'll finally have a good listing of what is where and for whom.
-I was looking at the options for new banks in Virginia this week, and every one of them has a special checking account option (with no fees) for nonprofits. It's been so long since I've moved accounts that this may not be news to anyone reading this, but I thought it was a good thing--and a long way from the days 20 years ago, when banks really wanted nothing to do with charities..
-I'm pleased (and more than a bit humbled) that I've been given the chance to serve on the board of Goodwill International. I look forward to working with the great people that work there.
This week brings a no-hotel overnight trip to Seattle, a ton of work on a Generations Assessment, and a family trip to Boston.
Gotta go....
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Generational issues in the news....
A very, very good set of stories in the current issue of the Chronicle of Philanthropy about using older workers (paid workers, not volunteers) and how to adjust to them.
I've been meeting these people for years. They are boomers who are in their 50's and trying to get back to their more radical/philanthropic roots...they have tons of skills and want to help. I deal with this very issue in Generations, and it's great to see others realizing the potential these people have. The Chronicle will be running a series on this issue, called "Regeneration". I look forward to it.
Oh, and while you are at the Chronicle, check out two other disturbing updates:
First, an article on boomer volunteers not sticking with it and, second, an article on the dissatisfaction of work conditions among younger nonprofit workers.
We need to pay attention to this stuff. It's really important
I've been meeting these people for years. They are boomers who are in their 50's and trying to get back to their more radical/philanthropic roots...they have tons of skills and want to help. I deal with this very issue in Generations, and it's great to see others realizing the potential these people have. The Chronicle will be running a series on this issue, called "Regeneration". I look forward to it.
Oh, and while you are at the Chronicle, check out two other disturbing updates:
First, an article on boomer volunteers not sticking with it and, second, an article on the dissatisfaction of work conditions among younger nonprofit workers.
We need to pay attention to this stuff. It's really important
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
More nonprofit jobs...
Here's a really interesting article from the John's Hopkins Gazette entitled "Employment in US Nonprofits Outpaces overall job Growth." Worth a read....I think it speaks to the need that nonprofits have overall, and note that the average nonprofit wage is below the average national wage---no surprise there.
Monday, December 18, 2006
You better watch out....
Actually, the title is just my attempt at lame seasonal humor.
The reason to watch--not really watch out--- is that there is actually a bit of good media coverage of nonprofits during our season of asking...the holidays.
Newsweek (December 10, 2006) columnist Jane Bryant Quinn has a very solid column on ways for donors to check you out...and why they should. But, unlike so much media, she talks about the shortcomings of the online watchdogs. A good piece.
See it here: "Giving Freely--and Wisely"
And, if you want to feel richer (or more guilty) about your nonprofit salary, go to the Global Rich List. You type in your salary and find out how you stand up against the rest of the world. Ugh.
Reminded me of a factoid I saw three years ago that, at that time 1/2 the population of the world had yet to make its first phone call....There is SUCH a Rich/Poor split on the planet.
So give something somewhere....
The reason to watch--not really watch out--- is that there is actually a bit of good media coverage of nonprofits during our season of asking...the holidays.
Newsweek (December 10, 2006) columnist Jane Bryant Quinn has a very solid column on ways for donors to check you out...and why they should. But, unlike so much media, she talks about the shortcomings of the online watchdogs. A good piece.
See it here: "Giving Freely--and Wisely"
And, if you want to feel richer (or more guilty) about your nonprofit salary, go to the Global Rich List. You type in your salary and find out how you stand up against the rest of the world. Ugh.
Reminded me of a factoid I saw three years ago that, at that time 1/2 the population of the world had yet to make its first phone call....There is SUCH a Rich/Poor split on the planet.
So give something somewhere....
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
A busy season, and miscellany
Since my last post, my daughter graduated from high school, her oldest brother was in town for 32 hours from Seattle, her other brother left for his summer internship in Huntsville AL, we had a graduation party at our house and went to 5 others.
Whew. Feels like board meeting, annual meeting and audit time all rolled into one, but with a lot more love and emotion. And better food, too.
So, after 19 calendar years, and 39 kid years, our three are done with a pretty good public school system. No more parent-teacher meetings, PTO events, Fund raisers on Saturday morning. Weird.
I'm on the road to San Francisco today to do some nonprofit business development training tomorrow and Thursday. Then Saturday, I head for London for my annual lectures to UK nonprofits. Always fascinating to see the similarities and differences. We come home in time to turn around and go to Boston the following week for Caitlin's orientation at BU. This will be good month for United Airlines.
Interesting article on nonprofit mergers in the Christian Science Monitor. There was a frenzy of this in the early-mid 1990's and the tactic seems to be re-gaining popularity.
Whew. Feels like board meeting, annual meeting and audit time all rolled into one, but with a lot more love and emotion. And better food, too.
So, after 19 calendar years, and 39 kid years, our three are done with a pretty good public school system. No more parent-teacher meetings, PTO events, Fund raisers on Saturday morning. Weird.
I'm on the road to San Francisco today to do some nonprofit business development training tomorrow and Thursday. Then Saturday, I head for London for my annual lectures to UK nonprofits. Always fascinating to see the similarities and differences. We come home in time to turn around and go to Boston the following week for Caitlin's orientation at BU. This will be good month for United Airlines.
Interesting article on nonprofit mergers in the Christian Science Monitor. There was a frenzy of this in the early-mid 1990's and the tactic seems to be re-gaining popularity.
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Nonprofit Blog Carnival
Kivi Leroux Miller has started a Nonprofit Blog Carnival for the next few weeks, one that I'll be participating in. The idea is to collect the best advice from the nonprofit blogs on the web. Great idea and it should be fun, and beneficial to the sector.
Go to http://www.writing911.com/carnival to check out the carnival, and how to get an RSS feed from the carnival so that you and your organization can benefit.
Friday, May 19, 2006
Relative ethics...
So I wake up to this headline in our local paper (The State-Journal Register)
"Audit Slams Conservation Foundation." Nice way to start your day.
Turns out that the Illinois Conservation Foundation had been audited and found having made 13 accounting mistakes, some as large as $450,000 and also operating without a budget in FY 2005.
For background the Foundation is the grantmaking arm of the Illinois department of Natural Resources and is a 501(c)(3).
Some purchases that the (now former) ED had made included cigars, hunting clothing, golf fees, and membership in a hunting organization...none of which followed the foundation's own purchasing policy. When questioned, the former ED said,
"There's noting in the audit that bothered me. The main crux of the audit was that we weren't acting like a state agency, when we are a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization."
Soooooo, while government can't be corrupt (hahaha), nonprofits can?
At least the board fired this guy.
Then I had more fun. I went to the Foundation's website, looking for its budget, or even the audit, figuring that the real story might be different than that reported in the paper. Ah! A link to "audit"! Click. "404 Error, file removed, or no longer available".
Cool. And our Governor is all about transparency, apparently only when the news is good.
So, I took the longer route, going to the Auditor General's site and found the audit easily, and read it. Ugh.
Here it is if you are interested in seeing what an organization out of control looks like.
Wonder if the board will suffer any repercussions?
"Audit Slams Conservation Foundation." Nice way to start your day.
Turns out that the Illinois Conservation Foundation had been audited and found having made 13 accounting mistakes, some as large as $450,000 and also operating without a budget in FY 2005.
For background the Foundation is the grantmaking arm of the Illinois department of Natural Resources and is a 501(c)(3).
Some purchases that the (now former) ED had made included cigars, hunting clothing, golf fees, and membership in a hunting organization...none of which followed the foundation's own purchasing policy. When questioned, the former ED said,
"There's noting in the audit that bothered me. The main crux of the audit was that we weren't acting like a state agency, when we are a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization."
Soooooo, while government can't be corrupt (hahaha), nonprofits can?
At least the board fired this guy.
Then I had more fun. I went to the Foundation's website, looking for its budget, or even the audit, figuring that the real story might be different than that reported in the paper. Ah! A link to "audit"! Click. "404 Error, file removed, or no longer available".
Cool. And our Governor is all about transparency, apparently only when the news is good.
So, I took the longer route, going to the Auditor General's site and found the audit easily, and read it. Ugh.
Here it is if you are interested in seeing what an organization out of control looks like.
Wonder if the board will suffer any repercussions?
Monday, May 15, 2006
More good press...
Interesting op-ed piece today in the Harvard Crimson. While not exactly in-depth journalism, the author's point is valid. Hope it will help with the next generation of volunteers, nonprofit staff, and donors.
Take a look...
http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=513478
Take a look...
http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=513478
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Disdain
The May 4 issue of the Chronicle of Philanthropy brings a disturbing report of increasing distrust of nonprofits. Harris Poll Interactive's most recent DonorPulse survey (done quarterly) found, among other things that:
27% of Americans do not believe that charities were "honest and ethical in their use of donated funds"
32% feel that the nonprofit world has "Pretty seriously gotten off in the wrond direction."
yet,
9 in 10 of those surveyed had made a charitable donation in the past year, up from 8 in 10 in the prior quarter.
In looking at this survey, I see a reflection of our disdain for Congress. Seriously. When you look at polls of voter satisfaction with congress, they rate just above slugs. But 90% of congress (when they run for re-election) is re-elected every term. Why? Because while we may dis the institution, we want our elected representatives back in, because they bring home the pork, and we know that the longer they are in congress the more pork we get.
Same thing here: Americans are concerned with nonprofits in GENERAL, but will continue to give to THEIR nonprofit (their church, their arts organization, their school).
That aside, these kinds of results do mean that the public a: will support legislation that "cracks down" on nonprofits, and b: that donations from individuals to NEW nonprofits may be much more difficult to achieve.
27% of Americans do not believe that charities were "honest and ethical in their use of donated funds"
32% feel that the nonprofit world has "Pretty seriously gotten off in the wrond direction."
yet,
9 in 10 of those surveyed had made a charitable donation in the past year, up from 8 in 10 in the prior quarter.
In looking at this survey, I see a reflection of our disdain for Congress. Seriously. When you look at polls of voter satisfaction with congress, they rate just above slugs. But 90% of congress (when they run for re-election) is re-elected every term. Why? Because while we may dis the institution, we want our elected representatives back in, because they bring home the pork, and we know that the longer they are in congress the more pork we get.
Same thing here: Americans are concerned with nonprofits in GENERAL, but will continue to give to THEIR nonprofit (their church, their arts organization, their school).
That aside, these kinds of results do mean that the public a: will support legislation that "cracks down" on nonprofits, and b: that donations from individuals to NEW nonprofits may be much more difficult to achieve.
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Back for real
OK, so the book took longer than I thought, planned, or wanted. But I think it's pretty good and I am excited to see how it turns out after some good editing.
Anyway, thanks to all of you for your notes and comments. And your patience. But I'm back at it and will post regularly from now on.
First thing to bring to your attention is the terrific new Communique #5 from ListeningPost on the difficulty that nonprofits have accessing capital. A must read for funders, board treasurers and CEO's. It's in .pdf form at http://www.jhu.edu/listeningpost/news/pdf/comm05.pdf
Also, my May newsletter is out--this month on Boards who Cross the Policy vs. Management Line.
If you missed a few while I was gone, here are links to the last three issues --and the subjects of the issues.
April-Staff Satisfaction
March-Ethics and Management
February-Accountability
See you more regularly!
Anyway, thanks to all of you for your notes and comments. And your patience. But I'm back at it and will post regularly from now on.
First thing to bring to your attention is the terrific new Communique #5 from ListeningPost on the difficulty that nonprofits have accessing capital. A must read for funders, board treasurers and CEO's. It's in .pdf form at http://www.jhu.edu/listeningpost/news/pdf/comm05.pdf
Also, my May newsletter is out--this month on Boards who Cross the Policy vs. Management Line.
If you missed a few while I was gone, here are links to the last three issues --and the subjects of the issues.
April-Staff Satisfaction
March-Ethics and Management
February-Accountability
See you more regularly!
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Long time gone--again
Well, we are deep into the holiday season and i've been gone ever since thanksgiving--no excuse, but posting has gone down my priority list.
Time to play catchup.
1. Wall Street Journal last Monday had a long article about making good charitable choices for holiday donations. Nothing radical, but two full pages on WSJ space highlights the importance of, and the oversight on the issue. One of the criteria was, not surprisingly, transparency, and another was "Cost of fundraising" These articles are important for nonprofits to attend to, as they set the standard for many people who are trying to be more selective with their donations. So, if you are a nonprofit manager, pay attention. Here is one shortened (read: dumbed down) version of the article, but the full article is not available unless you are a WSJ subscriber....
2. I have long contended that Good To Great, by Jim Collins is the most important nonprofit management book out there--even though it is written solely about for-profits. Rumors have abounded that Collins was trying to take his deep research methods and apply them to find some magic in and for nonprofits. The rumors are true---but it was MUCH harder than he thought it would be.
The result of his efforts is a monograph available on Amazon called Good to Great and the Social Sector. I have it ordered, but have not received it...when I get it and read it through, I'll post a review.
3. Saw Boston University with Caitlin last week. She loved it, and is really excited about the Hospitality Management program there. Applications still going out....
More soon.
Time to play catchup.
1. Wall Street Journal last Monday had a long article about making good charitable choices for holiday donations. Nothing radical, but two full pages on WSJ space highlights the importance of, and the oversight on the issue. One of the criteria was, not surprisingly, transparency, and another was "Cost of fundraising" These articles are important for nonprofits to attend to, as they set the standard for many people who are trying to be more selective with their donations. So, if you are a nonprofit manager, pay attention. Here is one shortened (read: dumbed down) version of the article, but the full article is not available unless you are a WSJ subscriber....
2. I have long contended that Good To Great, by Jim Collins is the most important nonprofit management book out there--even though it is written solely about for-profits. Rumors have abounded that Collins was trying to take his deep research methods and apply them to find some magic in and for nonprofits. The rumors are true---but it was MUCH harder than he thought it would be.
The result of his efforts is a monograph available on Amazon called Good to Great and the Social Sector. I have it ordered, but have not received it...when I get it and read it through, I'll post a review.
3. Saw Boston University with Caitlin last week. She loved it, and is really excited about the Hospitality Management program there. Applications still going out....
More soon.
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