Online Charity News You Can Use!™

College Park, MD—Funding Deadline
February 20th

J-Lab: The Institute for Interactive Journalism (view site) invites U.S. nonprofit groups and education organizations to apply for 2007 funding to launch new community news ventures and to cooperate with J-Lab in spotlighting best practices and lessons learned. Eligible to apply for funding under the J-Lab “New Voices project” are 501(c) 3 nonprofit organizations and education institutions, including civic groups, community organizations, public broadcasters, schools, colleges and universities. Under the New Voices project, J-Lab will select 10 projects in 2007. Each project may receive as much as $17,000.

Funding is available for start-up news initiatives only. Ongoing efforts are not eligible to apply unless they are proposing a new venture.

Click here to read more

Santa Barbara, CA

Funding Deadline-February 15, 2007 The Hutton Foundation (visit site) is accepting proposals for its “Standard Grant” program for Health & Human Service, and Education programs, in Santa Barbara County only, until February 15, 2007. Hutton Foundation limits its grant proposal acceptances to the first 50 qualifying applications per grant cycle on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Click here to read more

National Funding Deadline-February 26, 2007, 5pm EST

The United States Conference of Mayors (www.usmayors.org) in cooperation with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention, has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for its HIV Prevention Grants Program to strengthen local capacities to carry out effective HIV/AIDS prevention activities.

There are two tracks: Track One-HIV Prevention for Native Americans; Track Two-HIV/AIDS Prevention for African American or Hispanic Women at High Risk of HIV Infection. Approximately $180,000 will be allocated for three grants of $60,000 each for Native Americans. Approximately $350,000 will be allocated for five grants of $70,000 each for high-risk women.

Click here to read the RFP

New York City

Ford Foundation President Berresford to retire in ‘08 -
In January 2008, after 38 years of service to Ford and 12 years as president, Susan V. Berresford, President of the Ford Foundation will retire at age 65

Click here to read more

San Francisco, CA

The Bernard Osher Foundation (visit site) has recently donated $1 million to San Francisco State University to provide support for its Presidential Scholars program, which awards four-year scholarships to the University's top incoming freshmen every year.

Click here for more information

Birmingham, Alabama Grant Deadline

Los Angeles, California Funding Deadline

The S. Mark Taper Foundation (smtfoundation.org) was honored as "Outstanding Private Foundation" in Los Angeles (National Philanthropy Day, November 15, 2006).

If you wish to be considered for a grant during calendar year 2007, the Foundation must receive your letter of inquiry before February 28, 2007.

Click here for more information

(librifoundation.org) is currently accepting applications for its 2007 Books for Children grants. Application deadlines for 2007 are: (postmarked by) April 15th, and August 15th. Grants are awarded April 30th, and August 31st. The Libri Foundation is a nationwide non-profit organization which donates new, quality, hardcover children's books to small, rural public libraries throughout the United States. Since October 1990, the Foundation has donated over $3,000,000 worth of new children¹s books to more than 2,300 libraries in 48 states, including Alaska and Hawaii.

Actor Danny Glover,

Chairman, of the Board of Directors of TransAfrica Forum (visit site), the oldest African-American advocacy organization for justice for Africa and the Diaspora, announced in mid-December 2006 the appointment of Nicole Lee as its new Executive Director.

(view site), Los Angeles, has announced its free 2007 Community Development Project Seminars: Wednesday, February 14-Recent Developments in Employment Law for Small Businesses and Nonprofit Organizations; Wednesday, ...

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The Los Angeles magazine, www.lamag.com, February 2007, “The Movie Issue,” included the following letter to the editor and a picture of their December 2006 issue:

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is offering free online training on its website for 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organizations related to: 1) Tax-exempt status; 2) Unrelated business income; 3) Employment Issues; 4) Form 990 and; 5) Required Disclosures. For more information go to www.stayexempt.org

February is Black History Month-a four-week-long celebration of African American History, which has existed since 1926. Originally the celebration started as Negro History week by Harvard Scholar Dr. Carter G. Woodson, who wanted to bring Black History into the mainstream of public life. The first Negro History Week took place during the second week of February to coincide with the birthdays of Frederick Douglas and Abraham Lincoln, two leaders who had major positive impacts on the black population.

Appropriately, StoryCorps (www.storycorpsgriot.net), a nonprofit based in New York, announced on February 7 that “Story Corps, the acclaimed project to create an oral history of America, together with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB),” are launching the StoryCorps Griot Project, a year-long initiative to gather and preserve the life stories of African American families. Pictured above, the StoryCorps mobile vehicle. (Photo credit, Robert Lowell.)

Click more here to read more, see additional pictures and the cities that the project will visit, starting in Atlanta on February 15

Sacramento, CA

NEW LAW FOR CHARITY
“POKER NIGHT” FUNDRAISERS

Beginning January 1, 2007, a new California law allows eligible nonprofit organizations that have been in existence for at least three years and register with the Division of Gambling Control to hold “charity poker night” fundraisers under specified circumstances.

Click here to read more about specific rules for Poker Nights

Spitzer

In late December, former New York Attorney General Elliot Spitzer (now Governor) issued the following press release about telemarketing campaigns: ANNUAL REPORT SHOWS HOW TELEMARKETERS PROFIT FROM CHARITABLE GIVING--

Spitzer Urges Donors to be Make Informed Charitable Donations

Attorney General Elliot Spitzer today released a report which reveals that, on average, only a little over a third of the money raised by telemarketing campaigns goes to charity while the balance is used to pay fees and expenses associated with the fundraising. The 12th annual report, Pennies for Charity, Where Your Money Goes: Telemarketing by Professional Fund Raisers summarizes information filed with the Attorney General's Charities Bureau by professional telemarketers who conducted fundraising campaigns in New York State in 2005. In 2005, telemarketers raised $189.6 million through the 582 telemarketing campaigns included in the report. Charities retained $73.2 million, or 38.61 percent, of the funds raised. The remainder

- $116.4 million - was paid to the telemarketers as fees and other costs of the campaigns. "This annual report should serve as a reminder of the need to make informed decisions before contributing hard-earned dollars to charity," Spitzer said.

The report identifies the following professional fundraisers whose campaigns, on average, yielded the least amount for charity - less than 15 percent of the funds raised: S & E Marketing Ltd - 10.00 percent; DialAmerica Marketing - 10.65 percent; Theodore Productions - 11.11 percent; Allen C. Hill Productions - 12.00 percent; Xentel, Inc. 13.11 percent; Data Communications, Inc. 13.14 percent; Xentel America, Inc. - 13.15 percent; Bee LC - 14.39 percent; Reese Teleservices, Inc.- 13.49 percent; LAS LLC - 14.47 percent; and New Liberty Promotions, Inc. - 14.85 percent.

Spitzer said, ‘I urge charitable organizations to seek bids from several professional fundraisers to ensure that the organizations' fundraising campaigns yield the most money possible for charitable programs’ ’Among the other significant findings of the Attorney General's report are: In only nine percent of the fundraising campaigns did the charity retain at least 65 percent of the money raised, the amount deemed acceptable under the Better Business Bureau's standards for charitable organizations; Charities received less than half of the funds raised in 75 percent of the 2005 telemarketing campaigns; and Twenty-three charities actually lost money and five received no money at all under their fundraising contracts. The information contained in the Attorney General's report pertains solely to telemarketing campaigns conducted by charitable organizations registered to solicit contributions in New York.

To read the full report “Pennies for Charities Report,“ click here

California Charitable Raffles

In California, charities and certain other nonprofit organizations may conduct raffles to raise funds for beneficial or charitable purposes in the state. This exception to the general constitutional prohibition against lotteries requires that at least 90 percent of the gross receipts from these raffles go directly to beneficial or charitable purposes in California. Unless specifically exempted, a nonprofit organization must register with the Attorney General's Registry of Charitable Trusts prior to conducting the raffle and file financial disclosure reports on each raffle event.

To view and complete the required California charitable raffle registration form,
click here

Sacramento, CA

California Air Resource Board (ARB) announced on January 24, 2007 two advisory committees (includes a number of CA nonprofit environmental leaders) for the State’s Climate Change Initiative set forth in the California Global Warming Act of 2006 (AB32).

Click here to read more and see the Committee members

Baton Rouge, LA

Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco says Katrina forgotten in State of the Union address…and that Louisiana receives “second class citizenship” from Congress.

The Governor stated on her website (view site) “Did you see the State of the Union last night? I did, and was surprised and disappointed that the President had nothing to say about the Gulf Coast. He had nothing to say about Louisiana. And he had nothing to say about the massive recovery that still lies before us. Our recovery may be yesterday's news in Washington, but it's very real here at home.“

Click here to read more

Federal Government IRS

For federal information on charities and tax-exempt organizations, including forms:

Click Here

State Charitable Registration Offices

Go to your state to see the requirements for charitable (nonprofit) organizations, for fund-raising counsel, and whether there are specific state rules for paid solicitors.

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Click here to learn more

Portland, OR

Adidas North America, which includes Reebok International, Taylor Made Golf Company and The Rockport Company, LLC Adidas North America states that “due to the various needs in different countries, we follow a decentralized approach in Community Affairs. Donations at the adidas Group can take the form of financial contributions, product contributions and in-kind goods and services. Globally, in 2005, the adidas Group received 13,153 donation requests and supported 40 requests with a cash grant and 1,243 with product donations.

“The Adidas Community Affairs program is built on three pillars: community involvement, employee involvement and corporate giving. In each community the specific design of these three pillars is determined by local cultural, economic and social factors. We are selective and support projects that show sustainable benefits to the communities where we live and work.”

Click here to see adidas North America grant guidelines and where to submit grant proposals, which are accepted year-round.

Beaverton, OR

Funding Deadline— Nike Foundation (view site) Letter of Inquiry due March 3, 2007. Nike Foundation states on its website that the “Nike Foundation is working now to finalize Requests for Proposals for new girls-focused initiatives that remove barriers and harness the untapped potential of girls in the developing world as powerful agents for change. “We are looking for organizations that share our vision and are ready to grow a great project or apply their expertise in trying something new. We are looking to begin funding in late spring 2007.”

“Information on these RFP's, along with applications guidelines will be posted soon. After the RFP's are posted, we will accept Letters of Intent from qualifying organizations through Friday, March 3.”

Click here to read more

New York
Goldman Sachs

Goldman Sachs, a major investment banking and securities firm, is a global company with offices in more than 23 countries and 40 cities around the world.

Goldman Sachs states it takes seriously its “responsibility to the communities where we work and live. We seek to help our people fulfill the firm's commitment to assist our communities through volunteer endeavors, financial support and partnerships with nonprofit organizations.”

The Goldman Sachs Foundation, endowed with $200 million in 1999, helps to serve the educational needs of young people in secondary schools worldwide.

Click here to read more

Go here for articles

National Corporate Philanthropy Day

February 26, 2007-- the corporate philanthropy community celebrates National Corporate Philanthropy Day (NCPD), building awareness of philanthropic achievements, sharing the benefits of corporate giving, and inspiring businesses across the country to engage further in philanthropy.

For more information contact this e-mail

BOSTON

CORPORATE PHILANTHROPY PARTNERS OF THE YEAR AWARDS 2007

The Boston Business Journal invites corporations and nonprofits to nominate a company for its second annual Corporate Philanthropy Partners of the Year awards. Self-nominations are welcome, but last's year award winners are not eligible. To nominate go here

For more information, click here

In the news….

Douglas McGray, a fellow at the New American Foundation and a contributing writer for West Magazine, Los Angeles Times, has a philanthropy story as the cover article (six pages) in the January 21, 2007 issue that discusses Silicon Valley’s latest venture: “Network Philanthropy.”
(www.latimes.com)

TWPOC.com Publisher/CEO Bill White had the following Letter to the Editor published in the Los Angeles Times, Friday, January 5, 2007:

Letters

An addendum to New Year’s Wishes

Re “New Year’s Wishes” editorial, Jan 1

I read your 28 wishes for the New Year and was surprised, given your coverage in 2006, that there was no mention of the homeless.

How about a wish that the federal government and the state join with Southern California counties, cities and non- profit providers to address the crisis of nearly 90,000 homeless people on Los Angeles County streets, parks and freeway underpasses. Each city and county could commit to building shelters and residences for these forgotten people.

Bill White
Beverly Hills

 

(www.pacificlife.com), a 138-year-old company, gives approximately $3.6 million in its charitable giving program and also through the volunteer activity of Pacific Life's employees. Pacific Life's charitable giving is distributed primarily through the Pacific Life Foundation. Grants are made to organizations that address a broad spectrum of social problems. Applications are accepted annually from July 15 - August 31. The 2008 Application form will be available online in April 2007. Gifts are primarily made in California and Omaha, NE. Some national organizations also receive support.

(www.altria.com), a conglomerate which owns Kraft Foods, Philip Morris International and Philip Morris USA has announced that Altria’s grant cycle for 2007 is by invitation only. Kraft and Philip Morris, which fund most programs by invitation only, will also consider certain requests for funding in 2007. The following submission deadlines are in effect for Kraft’s 2007 funding programs: