3 March 2010, 6:00 pm
Shortchanging Rural Community Development

The more things change, the more they stay the same in philanthropy, it seems. A few years ago, foundations were hot to trot in response to Montana Senator Max Baucus’s call for the foundation community to double its measly grantmaking to rural America in a five year period. So what happened when the incoming chair of the Senate Finance Committee conveyed his concerns about the philanthropic pittance reaching rural states and communities?

23 February 2010, 6:00 pm
ACORN Down, But Are They Out?

The newswires are awash with reports that ACORN has gone under and dissolved, but ACORN itself says something somewhat different. ACORN has suffered some significant financial challenges in the wake of the pimp-and-prostitute video sting, the organization’s image and reputation took body blows that were not helped by unrelenting negative coverage on Fox News, and ACORN’s hard-to-find announcement of a positive and forthright plan for implementing independent recommendations left some observers hanging. It seems ACORN is down, but not officially out.

12 February 2010, 1:28 pm
Are you a Social Innovator?

While not a scientific test, our crack staff, along with special contributor Phil Anthrop, has identified fifteen variables to predict your success in being accepted as a “social innovator” for purposes of bringing in the really big bucks.

TAKE THE QUIZ 

3 February 2010, 6:00 pm
Accelerated Deductions for Haiti Giving

Call this the charitable deduction acceleration legislation. In late January President Obama signed into law legislation designed to encourage more giving to the relief effort in Haiti. This isn't unprecedented. After the Southeast Asian tsunami in 2004 similar legislation was passed. Increasing charitable aid to Haiti is a noble goal, but is an accelerated charitable deduction for donations to earthquake relief efforts good public policy?

1 February 2010, 3:00 am
The Small Business Tax Credit and Nonprofits

President Obama unveiled a $3.8 trillion budget today including $100 billion earmarked for job creation as the nation struggles with the worst recession in decades. Among the president's planned programs is the small business tax credit proposed in his State of the Union address last Wednesday. So what's in the proposal for nonprofits?

28 January 2010, 3:00 am
Text and Subtext: The State of the Union

Presidential State of the Union addresses, even when delivered by a speaker as skilled as Barack Obama, tend to be compilations of big statements with relatively few specifics. The specifics of a President's policy initiatives are in his (or her) proposed federal budget, not in a speech, even one as highly touted as the State of the Union. Without overreading one 7,335-word speech, we take note of the following key points.

21 December 2009, 3:00 am
Stories from the Stimulus—Part 1

The White House released a report on the first anniversary of the stimulus package today. According to the report President Obama’s $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) “halted an economic freefall.” As part of NPQ’s Nonprofits in the Age of Obama series, we interviewed two very different nonprofits about what receiving stimulus money has meant for them. As the President takes to the streets to explain the program, NPQ will continue to talk with nonprofits about their experiences in receiving ARRA dollars. What has your experience been with the Stimulus? Share it with us here.

18 December 2009, 2:25 pm
The State We're In: How Bad is it Out There?

The daily news reports of state government budget impasses, deficits, and cuts hit nonprofits right where it hurts: that is, in their ability to deliver on the programs and services relied on by their constituents and communities across the nation.

20 September 2005, 7:00 pm
Making Our Communications Strategic

20 September 2005, 7:00 pm
Your Promise is Your Brand: How to Work It