In The Media
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Rural Nonprofits Struggle with Sagging Economy
Minnesota Public Radio: High demand for services and shrinking budgets are putting some nonprofit organizations in crisis.
Initiative Addresses the Aging Population
Brainerd Dispatch: An initiative called Brainerd for a Lifetime is part of a pilot project with the Central Minnesota Council on Aging. A grant was provided to the aging council from the Otto Bremer Foundation.
Three Banks Join Foundation's Business Loan Program
Hutchinson Leader: The Southwest Initiative Foundation program helps small business owners and entrepreneurs access expansion or start-up financing.
Riverland Generations Project Receives Grant
Rochester Post-Bulletin: The Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation incentive grant will help bridge work force needs and the growing "boomer" population.
Personal and Cultural Narratives Drive McKnight Fellows
MinnPost: Each of the artists in the MCAD/McKnight Fellowships for Visual Artists exhibit shows us something new about narrative, portraits, landscapes, or the interplay and exchange of cultural objects and traditions.
Economy Slows, Wealthy Giving Grows
Forbes: America's wealthiest are upping their contributions to charity, even with the country on the brink of recession.
Invest in the Best to Make an Impact
Financial Times: In reframing our understanding of the non-profit sector, we must recognise that we cannot afford not to hire the best people. We need to expect non-profits to hire the best people, and support our donations being spent on competitive salaries. Imagine what could be achieved if we transformed our dysfunctional understanding of charity.
Buffett Is Amazed His Lunch Drew A $2.1 Million Bid
Associated Press: A Chinese investment fund manager's bid for the chance to have lunch with billionaire Warren Buffett was the largest ever in a charity auction on eBay and surprised even Buffett.
Funds To Provide Help To Flood Victims
St. Cloud Times: Donations to the Central Minnesota Community Foundation and United Way of Central Minnesota's Central Minnesota Helps Fund will go toward relief efforts and ongoing recovery initiatives for communities impacted by the floods in northern and central Iowa. The fund has been used in the past to provide assistance to people impacted by disasters.
> Other Minnesota grantmaker responses to U.S. and international disasters in 2008
As reported to the Minnesota Council on Foundations
Donations for Midwest Floods Reach $16.3 Million
Chronicle of Philanthropy: The bulk of that figure comes from the American Red Cross, in Washington, which has raised $13 million — about a third of what the group estimates it will need for its efforts in the Midwest.
Obituary for Eugene Sit
Minneapolis Star Tribune: The immigrant from China became one of Minnesota's best-known money managers and philanthropists.
Vision Quest
East Central Minnesota Post Review: North Branch has been selected by the Initiative Foundation (out of Little Falls) to participate in their new Healthy Communities Partnership program. As part of that process, the city hosted the visioning event as a first step in setting community priorities for the future.
Entrepreneur campers try to hatch useful ideas
Mankato Free Press: The highlight of the three-day entrepreneurs camp that kicked off Wednesday is the chance to develop and sell a product during tonight's Mankato MoonDogs game. The program is made possible through a grant from the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation.
Early childhood education will fuel regional success
SMIF president Tim Penny in the Red Wing Republican Eagle: "We believe that the strength of our region's future workforce requires children who enter our school system ready to learn."
Community center on 10-year plan
Annandale Advocate: Since forming five years ago at an Annandale Area Community Team visioning session, the group has raised close to $6,000 thanks to a couple $1,500 grants from the Initiative Foundation of Little Falls, and a flower sales fundraiser, which takes place every spring.
Most Corporations Not Maximizing Their Philanthropy
Foundation Center: This report from the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy says that only 11 percent of companies are truly efficient in their philanthropy.
Chinese Immigrants Increase Philanthropy in their New Homeland
Los Angeles Times: The rising force of ethnic Chinese giving back to their adopted homeland is a new gold rush of philanthropy that is bringing hundreds of millions of dollars to U.S. universities, think tanks and other nonprofit groups.
Want to name a sea slug? A nonprofit might let you.
Christian Science Monitor: To raise cash, some science and environmental groups will let donors name species for a fee.
Jolie-Pitt Foundation donates $1 mil to Iraqi kids
Associated Press: The donation will go to four organizations working on behalf of children who have lost parents, homes and schools in Iraq. Children in the U.S. who have lost parents in the conflict will also benefit.
Cargill's Retired CEO, Wife Now Cultivate Philanthropy
Minneapolis Star Tribune*
Warren and Mary Lynn Staley are working to improve the lives of impoverished people, using skills that built successful careers.
Hunger Is Hitting Home For Those Who've Rarely Known It
Minneapolis Star Tribune*
Food shelves are bracing for increased demand, especially from struggling families who didn't need help before. "This is a hard time for many people who don't have the resources to weather tough economic times," said Marcia Fink, director of basic needs at the Greater Twin Cities United Way, which leads the coalition to reduce hunger.
Slayton Woman Opens In-Home Daycare
Worthington Daily Globe
Earlier this spring, Buesing took steps to establish a licensed daycare in her home. With the help of a Southwest Initiative Foundation low-interest loan, she had some sheet rocking work done on the garage and invested in a laptop computer, printer and computer program to aid in planning meals and activities for the daycare.
Nonprofits Hear A Gloomy Outlook about Future Funding
MinnPost
If nonprofits think the current economy is troublesome, the message from Frank Forsberg of the Greater Twin Cities United Way is hold on tight, it's going to get worse.
USDA Rural Development to Deliver $234,643 in Funds for 15 Communities
Brainerd Dispatch*
USDA Rural Development leaders joined invited staff afternoon from the offices of Sen. Norm Coleman, Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Rep. Jim Oberstar, of Minnesota, to deliver $234,643 in funding for Initiative Foundation anti-poverty programs. The foundation announced the availability of up to $10,000 in follow-up grants for 15 rural communities.
Melinda Gates Defines a Charity's Mission
Wall Street Journal
At an appearance at the D: All Things Digital conference last week in California, Ms. Gates explained how she and her husband define their charitable foundation's mission. The basic tenet is that "all lives are equal" whether in Boston, Botswana or Bangladesh, she said, eliciting applause from the audience.
Spotlight on new Otto Bremer Foundation Executive Director Randi Ilyse Roth
Minneapolis Star Tribune*
Leadership Key in Changing Communities for the Better
Morris Sun Tribune
Recap of Bush Foundation president Peter Hutchinson's speech at the Symposium on Small Towns
Where Many Cultures Come Together To Say 'Aah'
Minneapolis Star Tribune*
Profile of The Saint Paul Foundation grantee Vacharee Peterson's dental practice
Hourcar To Double Twin Cities Service Sites
Twin Cities Finance and Commerce
Announcement of an expansion funded by The McKnight Foundation
Central Celebrates Rise in Native American Graduates
Rapid City Journal
Programs introduced by the Bush Foundation are credited as factors
Getting Past Stigmas to Help Somali Women
Minneapolis Star Tribune*
Spotlighting a session at Northwest Area Foundation's Grassroots & Groundwork conference
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Gives $1 Million to Minnesota Nonprofit
Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal
U.S. Charities Raise More Than $70 Million For Asian Disasters
Chronicle of Philanthropy
Foundation Investments Grew by Nearly 10% Last Year
Chronicle of Philanthropy
Slowdown Fails to Dent U.S. Corporate Charity
Financial Times
Religious Habits of Young Americans Spell Trouble for Fund Raising
Chronicle of Philanthropy
Bill Clinton's Charitable Mission
Forbes
Blackbaud Rescues Rival Kintera
Philanthropy Journal
A $10 Mosquito Net Is Making Charity Cool
New York Times
A Business Approach to Philanthropy
Sioux Falls Argus Leader
ABC, CBS and NBC Anchors to Stage Live Cancer Benefit
New York Times
Grant Underscores School Funding Flaws
Minneapolis Star Tribune editorial*
The William and Nadine McGuire family foundation grant illustrates a deeper, continuing problem with public education in Minnesota. Because state and local funding has not kept pace with rising school expenses, districts increasingly look to nonprofits or other sources to cover what should be basics — things like retaining art and music programs.
Writer Bill Holm's Ship Comes In
Minneapolis Star Tribune*
Holm was named the 2008 McKnight Foundation Distinguished Artist. The poet and essayist, who splits his time between Minnesota and Iceland, is known as "an American original."
SMIF Continues To Partner With Area Businesses, Programs In Effort To Sustain Rural Way Of Life
Caledonia Argus
The specific market which is drawing a lot of the organizations attention and dollars is in the bio-fuel, bio-medical, bio-ag and other bio industries.
The Latest Office Perk: Getting Paid to Volunteer
Wall Street Journal
Corporate volunteerism often used to mean cleaning up public parks or building homes for the needy. Today, a growing number of companies are lending out skilled employees to nonprofits and struggling small businesses around the world to provide accounting, marketing and other professional services. Under these programs, assignments tend to tap into participants' skills and career goals.
9/11 Charity Held Up as Model Of How Best to Help Bereaved
Washington Post*
The Survivors' Fund raised $25 million from more than 12,000 area residents and businesses after the 2001 terrorists attacks and spent it over the subsequent years helping the grieving, the distressed and the traumatized in a way that is being hailed as a model of charitable giving.
IRS to Offer Second Chance to Charities That Miss Disclosure Deadline
Chronicle of Philanthropy
The program is a response to a tough new rule contained in the Pension Protection Act of 2006 that calls for any organization that fails to file its required tax returns for three consecutive years to automatically lose its tax-exempt status. Since the rule went into effect starting with the 2007 tax year, 2010 will be the first year that charities could have their status revoked.
Charitable Engagement Comes Full Circle
Twin Cities Business, April 2008
An annual focus on corporate and individual philanthropy.
> The Strategy of Giving
> Communities of Color
> Small Companies, Big Results
> The Role of Financial Advisors
> Q&A with Jennifer McDonald of the One Percent Club
> Giving Circles
Nonprofits Seeking $1.5 Billion
Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal
Minnesota nonprofits are seeking to raise $1.5 billion in capital and endowment campaigns in the coming years, according to a report the Minnesota Council on Foundations plans to release today.
Blandin Building The Community
Fergus Falls Daily Journal
Rural communities survive — and thrive — when leaders take responsibility and deal with change effectively. Training community leaders, supporting them and providing ongoing opportunities for growth is what the Blandin Community Leadership Program is all about.
Foundation Leadership On Diversity Is Missing
San Francisco Chronicle opinion
Thanks to Assemblyman Joe Coto's "sunshine" bill, The Foundation Diversity and Transparency Act, the public has heard more about diversity and accountability on philanthropic foundation boards in two months than it has in two decades. What foundations may fear the most is not the Coto transparency bill, but where it may eventually lead.
Expanded Definition Of Fundraisers Is Puzzling Nonprofits
MinnPost
State rules say nonprofits don't have to pay sales taxes on fundraising events such as art sales or silent auctions as long as they don't exceed 24 days a year. The Department of Revenue is having internal discussions about whether or not classes held by nonprofits should count as fundraising events.
What Makes People Give?
New York Times Magazine*
For a long time, philanthropy was mostly ignored by social scientists. It's not an especially large part of the economy, and most charities operate on a shoestring, without the resources to finance research projects. But this is starting to change.
Crunch Predicted in Nonprofit Sector
Washington Post*
The nonprofit sector is facing what experts call an unprecedented crisis in leadership, with organizations across the country struggling to recruit and retain talented staff.
Foundations Increased Giving by 14.6% in 2006, New Study Finds
Chronicle of Philanthropy
The nation's largest foundations increased their giving to $19.1 billion in 2006, rising 16.4 percent over the previous year, according to a report released by the Foundation Center.
Foundations and Charities Struggle to Deal With Housing-Foreclosure Crisis
Chronicle of Philanthropy
Despite the scale of the problem, which can shatter families' lives, drag down neighborhoods, and increase the pressure on social services, foundations and other nonprofit groups are only beginning to explore the roles they can play in dealing with the challenge.
Does Economic Downturn Mean Crisis for Nonprofits?
OnPhilanthropy.com, 2/28/08
It is nearly impossible these days to avoid thinking — and worrying — about the country's recent economic struggles. The subprime mortgage crisis is a top news event, while presidential candidates pepper their speeches with solutions to turning the economy around once elected. The possibility of a significant and protracted economic downturn has created a cross-industry sense of panic, one that has not escaped the non-profit sector.
> Bracing for Tough Times
Chronicle of Philanthropy, 2/7/08
> Recession-Proof Philanthropy
Chronicle of Philanthropy chat transcript, 2/19/08
> Job Hunting in a Tight Market
Chronicle of Philanthropy chat transcript, 2/26/08
California Assembly Votes to Make Foundations Disclose Key Information on Diversity
Chronicle of Philanthropy**
The California Assembly approved legislation to require big foundations to disclose the composition of their boards and employees by race, gender, and sexual orientation, as well as information about the grants and business contracts they award to organizations that help specific minority groups. The bill, which now goes to the State Senate, was promoted by the Greenlining Institute, a public-policy organization in Berkeley that says foundations are too secretive about their giving and award too few dollars to organizations that are led by African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Hispanics, and members of other minority groups.
> Asking Too Much
Los Angeles Times*, 1/31/08
> The Color of Charity
Wall Street Journal, 2/4/08
> California Legislation Requiring Foundations to Report on Diversity, Part 1
PhilanTopic blog
> Are Foundations Doing Enough for Society?
Chronicle of Philanthropy guest column
A New, Improved Focus For United Way
Minneapolis Star Tribune editorial*
The Twin Cities United Way is changing its ways. And, by doing so, the agency hopes to have a greater impact on the community.
Complacency Is The Enemy, Stewards Say
Minneapolis Star Tribune*
On Feb. 13, Minnesota received its annual status report from one of the people charged with stewardship of this state, Gov. Tim Pawlenty. But the governor doesn't bear that responsibility alone. The Star Tribune editorial board heard from four foundation leaders, who say Minnesota has done well, but the state is now in a precarious spot:
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Peter Hutchinson, Bush Foundation
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Carleen Rhodes, The Saint Paul Foundation and Minnesota Community Foundation
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Sandra Vargas, The Minneapolis Foundation
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Kate Wolford, The McKnight Foundation
Emerald City of Giving Does Exist
New York Times*, 12/22/07
When it comes to corporate philanthropy, Minneapolis-St. Paul is a bastion of giving in an age when most companies are cutting back.
Internet Initiatives Make Everyone A Philanthropist
Christian Science Monitor, 12/14/07
The old thinking goes that to change the world, you have to give millions. But young tech-savvy philanthropists are trying to prove otherwise. Leveraging new technologies and the growth of social-networking websites, several online-giving pioneers are trying to expand the pool of potential donors by democratizing philanthropy and making it more transparent.
Philanthropy
Wall Street Journal special section**, 12/10/07
When it comes to donating to a charity, most people know the basic facts — what the charity's mission is and how much it spends on that mission. But they typically don't know the most important element: how well the charity does what it sets out to do. This Journal Report lays bare that gap between what donors do know and what they should know.
Giving
New York Times*, 11/13/06
Features articles on topics such as "philanthropreneurs,"
giving circles, corporate giving, celebrities and more.
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What Is Charity? New York Times*, 11/14/05
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Around the Web
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MCF Press Releases |
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Minn. Grantmaking News |
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Philanthropy Blogs |
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Chronicle of Philanthropy |
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Philanthropy News Digest |
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Special Sections
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Emerald City of Giving
Does Exist
New York Times*, 12/22/07
When it comes to corporate philanthropy, Minneapolis-St. Paul is a bastion of giving in an age when most companies are cutting back. |
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Giving
New York Times*, 11/12/07 |
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Corporate Philanthropy
Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal, 11/26/07 |
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Legislative News
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New System Will Peg Postal Rate Increases to Inflation
Chronicle of Philanthropy, 11/15/07 |
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IRS Posts Reactions to Proposed Tax-Form Revisions
Chronicle of Philanthropy, 8/17/07 |
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Big Change to 403(b) Funds
Wall Street Journal**, 7/28/07 |
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Federal Budget Situation for Charities Improves, Study Finds
Chronicle of Philanthropy, 7/2/07 |
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Change Needed In Philanthropy
Commentary by COF President and CEO Steve Gunderson, 3/19/07 |
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Many Nonprofit Groups Are Tightening Governance Policies, Study Finds
Chronicle of Philanthropy, 12/12/06 |
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What the Election Results Mean for Nonprofit Groups
Chronicle of Philanthropy, 11/8/06 |
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Trends in Philanthropy
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Giving Meets Web 2.0: Charities Use Online Social Networking To Tap New Audiences
MarketWatch, 11/16/07 |
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Macarthur Foundation Explores Virtual Worlds
Chicago Tribune*, 8/16/07 |
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Wanted: Nonprofit Leaders
Christian Science Monitor, 8/13/07 |
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Middle America Volunteers Most, Survey Finds
USA Today, 7/9/07 |
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Foundations Are Facing Up to Failures
New York Times*, 7/25/07 |
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Charity Made Efficient
Forbes, 6/25/07 |
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When Small Donors Get Together
Wall Street Journal**, 5/18/07 |
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Write a Check? The New Philanthropist Goes Further
New York Times*, 3/18/07
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The New Wave Of
American Philanthropy
NonProfit Times, 1/8/07 |
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Foundation Trend:
Less Is More
The Examiner, 3/12/07 |
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Small Family Foundations Become Growth Industry
Baltimore Sun, 2/23/07 |
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Too Much Money? These Gen X-ers Give It Away
U.S. News & World Report, 2/18/07 |
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When Philanthropy Meets Profitmaking
Financial Times, 2/16/07 |
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This Is For Charity?
Washington Post*, 1/21/07 |
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A Web Of Giving
Seattle Times*, 12/18/06 |
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How The New Philanthropy Works
Time, 10/2/06 |
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Voicing Support For Charity
Chronicle of Philanthropy, 8/3/06 |
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Virgin and Google:
But Is It Philanthropy?
OnPhilanthropy.com, 9/27/06 |
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A Look Back... And Ahead
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Fundraising Outlook Steady
Philanthropy Journal, 1/3/07
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Nonprofits Expect Increased Donations, More Scrutiny
The Examiner, 1/1/07 |
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The Year in onPhilanthropy: The Biggest Stories of 2006
OnPhilanthropy.com |
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2006 Was Landmark Year for Big Donations
Chronicle of Philanthropy, 12/30/06 |
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2006: The Year in Review
Philanthropy News Digest, 1/4/07 |
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Record-Breaking Giving
Chronicle of Philanthropy, 2/22/07 |
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Fundraisers Predict Stable Giving Season
Chronicle of Philanthropy, 12/6/06 |
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Gates and Buffett
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Bulk of Buffett's fortune goes to Gates Foundation
Seattle Times, 6/26/06 |
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Gates' Next Full-Time Job:
Trying To Save
The World
Seattle Times, 6/16/06 |
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Gates Foundation Announces That It Doesn't Plan to Operate Forever
Chronicle of Philanthropy, 11/29/06 |
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Philanthropy Smackdown: Google Vs. Gates For The World Charity Championship
Slate, 9/17/06
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Bill Gates, Version 2.0:
Full-Time Philanthropist
Washington Post*, 6/16/06 |
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Buffett Wants Charities To Spend Fast
BusinessWeek, 3/2/07 |
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The Challenges Posed by an Era of Mega-Gifts
Chronicle of Philanthropy, 1/11/07 |
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A New Era For Supercharged Philanthropy
Christian Science Monitor, 6/28/06 |
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Even With Lots More Money, Gates Foundation Faces Big Challenges
Chronicle of Philanthropy |
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Disasters
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Donors Give More Than $27 Million to
Victims of California Wildfires
Chronicle of Philanthropy, 11/5/07 |
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Seeking More Aid, Gulf Coast Looks to Foundations
New York Times*, 11/12/07 |
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Absence of Major Disaster in '06 Affected Giving
New York Times*, 6/25/07 |
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Some Disasters
Compel Us To Give
Washington Post, 11/6/05 |
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Learning From 9/11
Chronicle of Philanthropy, 8/31/06 |
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Fast Track To Nowhere:
Few 9/11 Groups Still In Operation
NonProfit Times, 9/1/06 |
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Planning Your Giving
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Make The Most Of Your Money With A Year-End Gift
OnPhilanthropy.com, 12/7/06 |
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Yes, You Can Start Your
Own Charitable Foundation
USA Today, 6/30/06 |
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How To Be A Big-Time Philanthropist
MSNBC.com, 7/14/06
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