Super Rich Fleeing Stocks and Bonds for Cash

Investors worldwide have been scrambling to find a safe place for their savings this year in the face of a global economic slowdown, a credit crisis that has spooked markets, and an energy price spike spurring concerns about inflation.

Many of the world's wealthiest people have moved their money out of stocks and bonds and into cash, the head of HSBC's Swiss private banking unit said.

Full-text article is available via Reuters/CNBC.

Free Report: Twitter Jump Start - The Twitter Guide for Small Non-Profits

This Twitter Guide includes details on:

* Choosing a user-name and photo that will engage other Twitter users
* How to create a Twitter Profile that will make folks want to learn more about your non-profit
* How to find Twitter users that already support your cause
* How to find new donors who are already sold on your non-profit
* How to turn those supporters into raving fans
* How to automatically post any news regarding your non-profit
* How to make sure that folks visit your website and stay interested
* 10 Twitter tips to increase online donations (plus 1 bonus)
* Survey results on Twitter use from hundreds of non-profits

The report is available via CorporateDollar.org, 11.2008.

Presidents of Colleges Give Back Some Pay

After The Chronicle of Higher Education published its survey of university presidents’ pay, several presidents said that they would give back part of their pay or forgo their raises.

Full-text article by Tamar Lewin is available via the New York Times, 11.22.08.

Subaru Leverages Buyers' Philanthropy In Promo

Subaru's new "Share the Love" campaign, running through Jan. 2, lets new-vehicle customers select one of five charities to receive a $250 donation from Subaru of America, following the purchase or lease of a new Subaru vehicle. The five charities that are participating in the program are: Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Habitat for Humanity International, Meals On Wheels Association of America, the National Wildlife Federation and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).

Full-text article by Karl Greenberg is available via MarketingDaily, 11.25.08.

Private-College Presidents Discuss the Economy

The leaders of four institutions describe in a video interview how they are coping with the challenges posed by the nation's economic troubles.

The video is available via the Chronicle of Higher Education, 11.25.08. [Subscription required.]

Big Players Scale Back Charitable Donations

As the recession deepens, the future of charities that depend on corporate donations are uncertain. Donors signaling tighter times include casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, and former AIG CEO Hank Greenberg.

Full-text article by Mike Spector and Shelly Banjo is available via the Wall Street Journal, 11.25.08.

10 Nonprofit Policy Proposals To Strengthen U.S. Communities

The Aspen Institute's Nonprofit Sector and Philanthropy Program strives to improve the operation of the nonprofit sector and philanthropy through research, leadership education, and communication initiatives focused on critical nonprofit issues. One of the program's recent publications, Mobilizing Change: 10 Nonprofit Policy Proposals To Strengthen U.S. Communities, is a compilation of proposals of leading thinkers in the field who are working to address social problems and improve the lives of those in need through nonprofit/government policies. The report summarizes each proposal and explains how it would work, who would be affected, and the action required to make it happen. The report is available for free download through the Aspen Institute's website.

Facebook's Land Grab in the Face of a Downturn

The social-networking site is moving aggressively to sign up more users around the world while much of Silicon Valley hunkers down.

Full-text article by Spencer E. Ante is available via BusinessWeek, 11.20.08.

Colleges On Alert to Slow Spending

For Indiana University, hitting the financial turmoil of the past two months has been like a tanker truck hitting a patch of ice.

“If you slam on the brakes, you’re going to jackknife. But you can’t keep going at the same speed you were, obviously. So we’re really trying to feather the brakes,” said IU’s chief financial officer, Neil Theobald, during a break from a Nov. 19 meeting of IU’s trustees.

Full-text article by J.K. Wall is available via Indianapolis Business Journal, 11.22.08.

Donors Who Stop Giving to a Charity Feel Disconnected, Survey Finds

Wealthy Americans who stop giving to a nonprofit group tend to do so because they no longer feel connected to the organization or believe they are being asked for money too often, according to a survey to be released this week by Bank of America and the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University.

Initial findings from the 2008 Bank of America Study of High-Net Worth Philanthropy are available at http://www.philanthropy.iupui.edu. Complete findings will be available in early 2009.

Full-text article by Caroline Preston is available via the Chronicle of Philanthropy, 11.27.08. [Subscription required.]

Bequests, Celebrities, Foundations, and the Economy: a Conference Notebook From National Research Meeting

Researchers offered findings on foundations, corporate giving, and trends in bequests at national meeting for the Association for Research in Nonprofit Organization and Voluntary Action in Philadelphia.

Full-text article by Debra Blum is available via the Chronicle of Philanthropy, 11.23.08. [Subscription required.]

New Way To Rate Charities Sought

An alliance of prominent philanthropists and entrepreneurs is developing a rating system that they hope will radically alter the way donors evaluate whether a charity is worth their money.

The Social Investing Rating Tool would assess not only how nonprofit groups spend their money but also whether their work is making a difference. The goal is to encourage donors to think more like investors -- to consider their charitable donations social investments, complete with risks and responsibilities.

Full-text article by Megan Greenwell is available via the Washington Post, 11.24.08.

The Path to a $300-Million Donation

A donor explains what motivated him to pledge a nine-digit gift to the University of Chicago business school.

Full-text article by Kathryn Masterson is available via the Chronicle of Higher Education, 11.24.08. [Subscription required.]

Austin Couple Donates $16 million to UT Business School

Will and Beverly O'Hara have pledged $16 million to the University of Texas McCombs School of Business, the largest individual gift to the school since Red McCombs donated his name and $50 million eight years ago.

Full-text article by Dan Zehr is available via the American-Statesman, 11.15.08.

Teenagers Benefit From Online Socializing, Says MacArthur Study

Teenagers who spend hours online socializing are sharpening their ability to handle 21st-century communications, according to a new study by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, in Chicago, reports the New York Times. “It may look as though kids are wasting a lot of time hanging out with new media, whether it’s on MySpace or sending instant messages,” said Mizuko Ito, who led the study of 800 young Web users for MacArthur. “But their participation is giving them the technological skills and literacy they need to succeed in the contemporary world. They’re learning how to get along with others, how to manage a public identity, how to create a home page.”

Full-text article by Tamar Lewin is available via the New York Times, 11.19.08.

Milwaukee Cultural Institutions Feel Economic Impact

Cultural institutions in Milwaukee are feeling the affects of the economy. The economic climate and the nature of nonprofits and philanthropic giving are part of the driving force behind staff and budget reductions.

Full-text article by Georgia Pabst is available via the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 11.21.08.

2008 State New Economy Index Released

Five states — Massachusetts, Washington, Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey—are leading the United States’ transformation into a global, entrepreneurial and knowledge- and innovation-based New Economy, according to The 2008 State New Economy Index, released today by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF). The report is being released during Global Entrepreneurship Week, an initiative to inspire young people around the world to embrace imagination, innovation and creativity.

Full-text press release and report is available via the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, 11.20.08.

Executives Shift to Survival Mode

Business executives are shuffling their priorities, as concerns about confidence and risk-management supplant work-force issues.

The Conference Board last month again surveyed the chief executives, chairmen and company presidents who were asked in July and August to list their top concerns. The differing results reflect the impact of the credit crunch, which deepened in September, and the slowing global economy.

Full-text article by Cari Tuna is available via the Wall Street Journal, 11.20.08.

Cambridge University Receives $123-Million

Lord Sainsbury of Turville, a British businessman and former Labor minister, has given $123-million to Cambridge University for a laboratory to study plant development.

Full-text article by David Turner is available via the Financial Times, 11.19.08.

Americans Rate Charity Gifts a Priority This Holiday Season

Amid widespread concerns about the economy, Americans are planning to cut their holiday spending but not their charitable giving, according to a new study. In fact, some Americans may actually increase their year-end giving, as they make donations on behalf of friends and family members in lieu of purchasing presents.

Full-text post available via the Chronicle's Prospecting blog, 11.18.08.

The New Face of Entrepreneurship

A new report by Babson and Baruch colleges finds that the face of the nation's new entrepreneurs is changing dramatically. The report also finds that the performance of the nation's innovators is a good barometer of the state of the nation's economy.

Full-text article by Sharon McLoone is available via the Washington Post, 11.18.08.

Nonprofit Economic Vitality Center

The National Council of Nonprofits developed this ever-evolving resource to help nonprofits and our allies better understand the situation and have ready access to strategies to help you navigate the economy so nonprofits can serve their communities more efficiently.

Access to this resource is available via the National Council of Nonprofits website.

What's In Your Philanthropy?

In the current market downturn, individuals seeking to squeeze the most impact from their shrinking philanthropic assets have an important new alternative to explore in Calvert Giving Fund's "Global Impact Ventures" platform, offered by Calvert Social Investment Foundation (Calvert Foundation). This means that if a donor advisor distributes the typical 5 percent or more of DAF assets in a given year, the other 95 percent of the assets can be invested in a way that achieves high social impact.

Full-text press release is available via MarketWatch, 11.18.08.

2007 AHP Report on Giving

The growth of philanthropic giving for health care in the United States fell by more than half in 2007 from 2006, while the Canadian rate of growth in donations to health care nearly tripled, according to the FY2007 AHP Report on Giving.

More information is available via the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy's website.

Corporate Boards Provide Big Benefits to Presidents but Also Carry Big Risks

Memberships on corporate boards offer college presidents prestige, cash fees, stock bonuses, and access to donors. But these days such service can also bring major time demands, unwanted liabilities, and even legal exposure.

Full-text article by Paul Fain is available via the Chronicle of Higher Education, 11.17.09. [Subscription required.]

Online Video Program Features Charitable Organizations

The YouTube Nonprofit Program provides charitable organizations with the opportunity to tell their stories and connect with current and potential supporters, volunteers, and donors. Through the program, nonprofit organizations can be part of a designated "Nonprofit" channel on YouTube that will deliver their messages to the world's largest online video community. Organizations applying for the Nonprofit Program must be based in the U.S. or the United Kingdom and not be religious or political in nature. Visit the website listed above for program details.

Colleges May Yet Feel Bite From Recession, Moody's Analysts Warn

American colleges have so far avoided some of the worst effects of the nation’s economic downturn.

Full-text article by Paul Basken is available via the Chronicle of Higher Education, 11.14.08. [Subscription required.]

Several presidents of Private Colleges Earn $1 million Plus

A dozen presidents of private colleges earned more than $1 million in compensation during the 2006-07 year, including Northwestern University chief Henry Bienen, who was the second-highest paid college executive in the nation.

The annual survey of presidential pay released Monday by The Chronicle of Higher Education found that 89 private college presidents took home more than $500,000 in annual compensation, more than double those who did five years earlier.

Full-text article by Tara Malone is available via the Chicago Tribune, 11.17.08.

Big Donations Bring Complexities

After receiving a major donation — as in the University of Chicago business school’s recent $300-million gift from the financier David Booth — institutions face challenges and opportunities.

Full-text article by Mary Ellen Podmolik and Greg Burns is available via the Chicago Tribune, 11.9.08.

The Nonprofit’s Guide to Surviving a Downturn

Reynold Levy, the president of Lincoln Center, could not have predicted the economic climate into which his new book would land. But “Yours for the Asking: An Indispensable Guide to Fund-Raising and Management” (John Wiley & Sons) now seems eerily prescient — particularly with chapters like “Fund-Raising in Stormy Weather” and “Overcoming Economic Bad News and Psychological Resistance.”

Full-text article by Robin Pogrebin is available via the New York Times, 11.10.08.

Philanthropy – China Starts to Give

An increasingly wealthy and confident China is becoming more ready to donate money to charity, says Paul French, China editor.

Full-text article is available via Ethical Corporation, 11.12.08.

Tough Times Strain Colleges Rich and Poor

Universities are freezing hiring and postponing construction projects as endowments shrink and states cut their financing.

Full-text article by Tamar Lewin is available via the New York Times, 11.8.08.

Building a Better World While Touring It

Philanthropic travel — which introduces tourists to local outfits working to better their communities — is on the rise. Companies like GoPhilanthropic are forming, and entrepreneurs like Stephen M. Case, a co-founder of AOL, are creating eco-friendly luxury resorts that give back to the community (www.revolution.com). The United Nations Foundation recently formed the Partnership for Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria (www.sustainabletourismcriteria.org), which issued guidelines for tourism companies.

Full-text article by Hilary Howard is available via the New York Times, 11.10.08.

Dubai Charity Gives Millions to U.S. Group

A year-old Dubai philanthropy is investing in a California-based education nonprofit organization, extending the growing reach of new well-funded Arab charities.

Full-text article by Robert A. Guth is available via the Wall Street Journal, 11.11.08.

Land-Grant Colleges' Association Picks a New Name

One of higher education’s most maligned acronyms will be changed next year. The National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges, known as Nasulgc, announced that it would become the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities, or APLU, in April 2009.

The new name comes with a new motto: “Advancing Research, Learning, and Engagement.”

Full-text article by Paul Fain is available via the Chronicle of Higher Education, 11.10.08.

Updates on Billion-Dollar Campaigns at 33 Universities

The 33 American universities that are seeking to raise at least $1-billion collected a total of $545.3-million in gifts and pledges during the last month for which they had data available.

Full-text article by Marisa Lopez-Rivera is available via the Chronicle of Higher Education, 11.11.08. [Subscription required.]

Fasten Your Seatbelts: It's Going to Be a Bumpy Giving Season

For the past several weeks, news organizations throughout the country have found that charitable donations are down at the same time that demand for nonprofits' services is rising. The results of GuideStar's seventh annual nonprofit economic survey indicate that these news stories are right on money.

Full-text article complete with survey data is available via GuideStar, 2008.

Hospitals Brace for Bad News

Based on their experiences after the 1987 stock market plunge, hospital fund-raisers expect a decline in donations in the near future.

Full-text article by Reed Abelson is available via the New York Times, 11.10.08.

NYU Medical Center Gets 2 Gifts Totaling $260-Million

The economic slowdown isn't stalling plans to improve New York University's medical center, which will undergo a facelift and a major expansion thanks to two megagifts totaling $260-million that were announced last week.

Full-text article by Kathryn Masterson is available via the Chronicle of Higher Education, 11.13.08. [Subscription required.]

Vast Obama Network Becomes a Political Football

It is the biggest and broadest American political force ever created -- a vast, electronically linked network of activists, neighborhood organizers and volunteers who raised record amounts of money and propelled Barack Obama to the White House.

Full-text article by Peter Wallsten and Tom Hamburger is available via the Los Angeles Times, 11.14.08.

Children's Hospital Launches Philanthropy Website

Children’s Hospital Boston has launched Generation Cures, which it describes as a Web-based philanthropic community designed for tweens and their parents to raise financial support for pediatric medical research.

Full-text article by Chris Reidy is available via the Boston Globe, 10.30.08.

Fundraising in Hard Times

Janet Hedrick, senior associate at Bentz Whaley Flessner, discusses her approach to fundraising in challenging economic times.

Full-text blog post is available via the Butterfly Effect, 10.30.08.

Donations Rise, Markets Fall

Stock prices plummeted, and 159,000 jobs were lost, the worst such decline in five years. But at Yale, it was a record month for fundraising. Figures obtained by the News show that the University raked in over $28.25 million in donations last month, more than double the $14 million raised in September last year.

Full-text article by Paul Needham is available via the Yale Daily News, 10.29.08.

Cornell Suspends Hiring as Financial Crisis Extends to Schools

Cornell University, one of eight Ivy League institutions, will suspend hiring of non-faculty staff from outside the university through March 31, Cornell President David Skorton said. Construction won't begin for any new projects on Cornell's Ithaca, New York, and New York City campuses for at least 90 days.

Full-text article by Julie Ziegler and Alex Nussbaum is available via Bloomberg.com, 10.31.08.

NYU Sets Record With $3.1-Billion Campaign

After raising $3.075-billion, New York University has claimed the top spot on the list of biggest completed fund-raising campaigns.

Full-text article by Kathryn Masterson is available via the Chronicle of Higher Education, 10.31.08. [Subscription required.]

Fear of Deflation Lurks as Global Demand Drops

Consumer cutbacks could lead to falling prices, suffocating investment and worsening joblessness for months.

Full-text article by Peter S. Goodman is available via the New York Times, 10.31.08.