It All Depends on Where You Get Your News

A smart person suggested I read several news sources each day. Preferably, this person said, the sources should come from different places on the spectrum of initial opinion. I think the below article is a case in point - especially when compared to the article from my last post. "It all depends on where you stand." And there are lots of places to start standing from. - M

8) Nearly 30 Percent of Nonprofit Leaders Took Pay Cut in Past
Year (9/29/09) - Philanthropy News Digest (PND)

Nearly three in ten of the leaders of the nation's biggest chari-
ties and foundations have taken pay cuts in the past year, the
Chronicle of Philanthropy reports.

Based on the Chronicle's annual survey of compensation at 325
large nonprofit organizations, fifty-seven charities and foun-
dations -- 29 percent of the 195 groups that responded to the
question -- said their top executive took a pay cut, declined
a raise or bonus, or had his or her pay frozen in the past year.
The median pay cut among those executives was 10 percent. At the
same time, the overall median salary for nonprofit leaders rose
7 percent, almost double the rate of inflation. In contrast, total
compensation for executives at the 200 largest for-profit compan-
ies dropped by 9 percent in 2008, according to a survey conducted
for the New York Times.

Most of the increases that showed up in the Chronicle's survey
were approved in 2007, when the economy was stronger and the
stock market was near its peak. And one of the factors responsi-
ble for the long-term climb in nonprofit executive compensation
-- the increasing reliance by boards on salary surveys produced
by compensation experts -- may serve to curb raises in 2009 and
beyond.

Ken Berger, president of New Jersey-based Charity Navigator, said
there are several possible explanations for the relative paucity
of pay cuts in nonprofit executive suites, including fear on the
part of boards that a cut in pay will cause an executive to leave
for a better-paying job. Charities may also be slow in coming to
grips with changed economic circumstances. "A lot of people still
haven't faced the fact that we're going over a cliff," said
Berger. "This economic situation we're in is not over yet. People
are hoping that things are going to turn around, and it won't be
necessary to be draconian in that way."

"Nearly 30% of Nonprofit Leaders Took a Pay Cut This Year; Pay
in 2008 Grew Quickly." Chronicle of Philanthropy 9/28/09.
http://philanthropy.com/free/articles/v21/i22/22000107.htm

http://pndapps.fdncenter.org/link/20012976/story

From CNN: The Debate over Nonprofit CEOs Continues

These nonprofit CEOs are getting raises

Median salary for thse executives climbed 7% in 2008 -- and one had his compensation nearly double.

http://money.cnn.com/2009/09/29/news/companies/nonprofit_salary/index.htm

Anyone who works in the nonprofit field will find the above article interesting. The debate goes on about what is "fair pay" and who gets what. I know where I come down on this issue. I'm sure others have strong opinions as well. On top of that, just another example of the nonprofit world becoming more and more "professionalized" all the time, which is probably a good thing in many ways...as long as mission drift doesn't occur. Something to think on for a September Tuesday. - M

Help at Home - Cleveland

Just FYI. I was not aware of this economic emergency hotline until today, either. - M

Number of Calls to Northeast Ohio Emergency Hotline Up

Rising unemployment and foreclosure rates have led to a surge in calls to Northeast Ohio's 2-1-1 First Call for Help line, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Last month some 18,000 callers sought information about food, shelter, utility bill payments, and other services from the free social services hotline, which serves Cuyahoga, Medina, and Geauga counties and is funded by the United Way of Greater Cleveland. That made August the busiest month of the year for the hotline and the second busiest in its five-year history. Since 2004, the average number of monthly calls has increased from about 7,800 to nearly 16,500. What's more, calls from suburban communities have risen sharply, with the number of suburbanites requesting emergency food up some 190 percent since 2006.

According to 2-1-1 director Steve Wertheim, while the jump in calls is due in part to increased public awareness of the service, it is also a symptom of a stressed economic region. Indeed, at the Salvation Army of Greater Cleveland, which receives the largest share of 2-1-1 referrals, 42,000 first-time clients have sought food, shelter, and other services this year. At the same time, donations to the agency have fallen, resulting in the cancellation of its infant daycare program.

Although stimulus money for emergency food and shelter has provided a temporary boost for some agencies, the support may not be enough. "It's one-time bucks," said Wertheim, "and everybody's wondering what's going to happen after that."

Important Information for Education Fundraisers

Foundation Center Launches National Education Stimulus Initiative

New Initiative, Web Portal Help Foundations
Leverage Funds for Education Reform

New York, NY — September 16, 2009. The Foundation Center today announced the launch of "Foundations for Education Excellence," a national initiative it is supporting to engage philanthropic institutions and education leaders across the country in a unified, strategic drive to improve public education. The cornerstone of this initiative is a new online resource center that will help education funders align their grantmaking — and maximize their overall impact — with funds available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

The web portal, foundationcenter.org/educationexcellence, developed with a grant from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, was launched in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Education (DOE). It connects education funders to information and tools that will help them assess areas of need, share best practices, and forge strategic alliances to support ARRA's education reform goals.

With over $100 billion in ARRA funds designated to improve educational opportunity nationwide, the DOE is collaborating with the foundation community to support innovative approaches to education reform at the local, state, and national levels.

"We are grateful for philanthropy's contributions in support of the hard work that teachers and leaders, schools and higher education institutions, districts and states are undertaking to dramatically improve outcomes for students," said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. "This effort will enable foundations to collaborate in new ways in support of ARRA implementation. Private investment in support of excellent implementation of public funds is a formula for success."

"There is a unique window of opportunity in the coming weeks and months for private philanthropy to leverage its investment in education," said Bradford K. Smith, the Center's president. "Funders need fast-track tools to target areas of need and collaborate in new ways to improve educational opportunities across the country. The Foundation Center is ideally positioned to provide foundations with the knowledge platform needed to advance this process."

The Foundations for Education Excellence portal includes:

• Interactive U.S. maps, updated weekly, with details for each state, including foundations that have made grants for elementary/secondary school reform; total ARRA education dollars announced, available, and paid out; and key ARRA education funding resources
• Summaries of best and "promising" practices drawn from foundation-sponsored reports, focusing on each of the education reform goals
• Weekly spotlights of current foundation initiatives on education reform
• Lists of top foundation funders and nonprofit recipients in each of the education reform areas, by state
• Links to daily education news from the Center's Philanthropy News Digest
• Upcoming and archived events related to ARRA funding for education

The portal also features "What You Need to Know," a compilation of timely information from the DOE, such as daily news feeds, guidelines, major announcements, and grant deadlines.

Visitors will be able to post comments about the best or "promising" practices cited on the portal or share approaches they are taking to address issues in education reform. Funders can also post upcoming programs and events that bring education funders together around common goals. A live, interactive discussion forum will soon be added to foster real-time conversations about strategies, program evaluation methods, and recent grants awarded.

New content and communication tools will be added to the portal on an ongoing basis, including funding snapshots and research advisories on the reform goals, as well as webinars and podcasts with experts from the public and private sectors. The first in a series of online surveys, conducted in September, will reveal how current collaborations and giving practices are aligning with the DOE's vision for improving educational opportunities for student success.

"At perhaps no time in this nation's history has access for all families to high quality educational opportunities been more important," said William S. White, Mott Foundation president. "This initiative takes a critical step towards that goal by offering funders and educators a new way to connect on issues of education reform; to share related ideas, resources and strategies; and rethink the future of education in the U.S."

The initiative is guided by advisory board members from Carnegie Corporation of New York, The Chicago Community Trust, Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, The John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, The Rodel Foundation of Delaware, and WestEd.

Literacy Grants for Youth Leaders ages 5-25

Considering my background, there was no way I couldn't post this. Literacy is only becoming more important in our electronic, text (not just the kind you find on a phone) heavy world. Sometimes you'll only know a person by messages you read, and they'll only know you by the words you write in return. Do it well. - M

Posted on September 16, 2009	print e-mail ShareThis
Deadline: October 30, 2009

Youth Leaders for Literacy Grants Available to Young Volunteers Who Encourage Reading

Youth Service America is partnering with the National Education Association to once again offer Youth Leaders for Literacy grants to children and youth, ages 5 through 25, who offer innovative ways to increase literacy skills and appreciation for reading among their peers.

Youth Leaders for Literacy will award thirty young people from across the United States with grants of $500 each and $500 in books from thePearson Foundation. Successful projects will be youth-led and address an established literacy need in the applicant's school or community. The projects will follow the framework of YSA's Semester of Service initiative, which will launch on the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service in January and culminating on Global Youth Service Day, April 23-25. An activity should also occur during the NEA's Read Across America Day on March 2, 2010.

Visit the YSA Web site for complete program information.

Contact:

Link to Complete RFP

A Good Segue To My Current Thoughts...

Case Foundation Launches Initiative to Help Nonprofits Leverage Social Media

The Washington, D.C.-based Case Foundation has announced the launch of a month-long initiative, Gear Up for Giving, designed to help nonprofits leverage social media to raise money and awareness.

Although research has shown that nonprofits are adopting social media tools at a faster rate than most Fortune 500 companies, many nonprofits still struggle to harness those tools in a way that increases awareness, donations, and engagement. To address the problem, Gear Up for Giving will offer training, expert advice, and resources designed to help nonprofits and individuals navigate the world of social media.

The initiative precedes the launch of the next America's Giving Challenge, which the foundation debuted in 2007 as a way to galvanize nonprofit engagement with social media tools.

"From our very first experiences with social media prior to the challenge launch, we recognized the powerful potential to bring communities together around issues for which they shared a passion," said Case Foundation founder and CEO Jean Case. "As we look forward to launching the next America's Giving Challenge this fall, we believe that the prospects for robust participation by nonprofits are better today than they were in the first challenge, and we are heartened to see that nonprofits have embraced the rapid growth in social media with enthusiasm."

The NFL a NonProfit?

While listening to Mike & Mike in the Morning on ESPN2 today, I heard a guest refer to the NFL not as a corporation, but as a giant nonprofit. A quick Guidestar search brought up a thousand returns for "NFL," many of which were players' associations, youth programs, and such. Didn't have time yet to see if the the big money accounts fall under 501(c)3. If they do, I'm amazed. Really, can you imagine the power wielded by that organization if they have that status? For a multi-billion dollar conglomerate? The loopholes? The requirements? The complexities?

More on this later. I find it intriguing. What about the other major sports? International?

I could be wrong, or could have misunderstood the guest, but still...

I'm on LinkedIn

A selfish note: today, I officially joined LinkedIn. You can find me by searching my name, Michael Crifasi, or my gmail account, michaelcrifasi@gmail.com.

In lieu of connecting a website to my profile, I'll probably be linking this blog. Hopefully this will bring in some new partners who'd otherwise miss what's going on here.

- M

From GUIDESTAR: Info on new 990s

Found this interesting, especially since 990s get used so heavily in making the case for future funding... - M

From the President's Office

Dear Friend:

We're just starting to see the new and expanded IRS Forms 990 for 2008 trickling in to GuideStar. As of the end of August, we have about 30,000 now available on our free Web site.

We expect new 990s will come in at a slower pace than usual this year. We are hearing frequent reports from auditing firms and nonprofit organizations that this first-year effort at completing the new Form 990 has been difficult, very expensive, and time-consuming for most. It also appears likely that more nonprofits than usual will be requesting extensions this year in order to have more time to work through the details.

As you know, GuideStar's position on the Form 990 has evolved over the years. We like the 990 because all organizations of a certain size are required to file it—under penalty of law–and it is a public document. That helps promote transparency and accountability and gives the general public a chance to learn about nonprofit practice. But we also find some 990 data inaccurate or hard to understand, not timely, and not always as comprehensive as we would like. ... Read more >

Not trying to send people to Indiana, but...

Applications Invited for 2010 Cohort of Woodrow Wilson Indiana Teaching Fellows

The Woodrow Wilson Indiana Teaching Fellowship program seeks to attract talented, committed individuals with backgrounds in the STEM fields — science, technology, engineering, and mathematics — into teaching in high-need Indiana secondary schools.

Funded through a $10 million grant from the Lilly Endowment and administered by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, the fellowship program provides rigorous disciplinary and pedagogical preparation, extensive clinical experience, and ongoing mentoring. Eligible applicants include current undergraduates, recent college graduates, midcareer professionals, and retirees who have majored in, or had careers in, STEM fields.

The fellowship includes a $30,000 stipend, admission to a master's degree program at one of four participating Indiana universities, preparation in a high-need urban or rural secondary school, support and mentoring throughout the three-year teaching commitment, guidance toward teaching certification, and lifelong membership in a national network of Woodrow Wilson Fellows. Fellows teach for at least three years in an urban or rural school district.

Visit the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation Web site for complete program information.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP