FN&C Now

Volume 6, Number 17 – May 13, 2005 IN THIS ISSUE NEWS COVERAGE: Panel on the Nonprofit Sector seeks comments by May 19; Ford Foundation grants boost innovative public media; Clinton foundation launches global initiative to tackle pressing problems AWARDS ROUNDUP: Susan Berresford receives inaugural International Funders for Indigenous Peoples Award; Rasmuson Foundation announces Individual Artist Awards JUST PUBLISHED: Giving by Arizona foundations more than tripled since 1993; survey finds nonprofits unequipped to use older volunteers; Family Giving News offers new techniques in estate planning ON THE MOVE: Linda Childears (Daniels Fund); Kathleen Brown (California Endowment); Jerrold (Jerry) Mitchell (Boston Foundation); Jeffrey Seungkyu Kim, Taryn Lee and Adriana Godoy Leiss, et al. (California Wellness); Hugh Gildea (Greater Cincinnati); Carol B. Tomé, Ron Brill and John Burd, et al. (Metropolitan Atlanta Arts Fund) NEWS COVERAGE SEEKING FEEDBACK: The Panel on the Nonprofit Sector is seeking comments on the phase II draft recommendations being reviewed for its June report to the Senate Finance Committee. The recommendations focus on improving nonprofit governance and accountability, and cover issues such as donor-advised funds and compensation. The recommendations are based on discussions among the panel's five Work Groups and its Expert Advisory Group, as well as field meetings held around the country this spring. The comment period ends Thursday, May 19, 2005. Council on Foundations members may e-mail their comments to Council President and CEO Dorothy S. Ridings, a panel member, at govt@cof.org. Please put "Panel Comments" in the subject line. Read the new recommendations: http://www.nonprofitpanel.org/junerecs/list . For more information on the report, Council members may contact Luis Maldonado (maldl@cof.org) or Brian Flahaven (flahb@cof.org). MEDIA GRANTS: The Ford Foundation launched a new effort, Global Perspectives in a Digital Age, to help innovative public media—including satellite TV and the Internet—provide in-depth information and diverse perspectives on national, international and cultural affairs. The program will grant $50 million for public broadcasting over five years, with the largest grants going to the Public Broadcasting Service ($10 million) and National Public Radio ($7.5 million). The initiative also encourages independent media organizations to share resources, ideas, and outreach and distribution strategies. The initiative builds on the foundation's long history of supporting public media, beginning with core funding in the 1950s for educational channels and programs that led to creation of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Read more: http://www.fordfound.org/news/view_news_detail.cfm?news_index=154 . GLOBAL EFFORT: The William J. Clinton Foundation announced the Clinton Global Initiative, an effort to combine the resources of global corporations, nongovernmental organizations and governments in solving some of the world's most pressing problems. The initiative will hold its first meeting September 15–17, 2005, in New York City. The nonpartisan conference will focus on reducing poverty, using religion in reconciliation and conflict resolution, enhancing governance and implementing new business strategies and technologies to combat climate change. Participants will be asked to commit to acting to address one of the issues discussed. Read more: http://www.clintonglobalinitiative.org . AWARDS ROUNDUP INDIGENOUS PEOPLES: Ford Foundation President and CEO Susan Berresford is the first recipient of the International Funders for Indigenous Peoples Award. Berresford received the award for her leadership in increasing philanthropic support for international indigenous development projects and communities. The foundation has been the top donor to native projects and communities for the past 14 years. Berresford received a soap sculpture titled "Transition," created by Oneida artist Cheyanne Doxtador. The presentation was made by Rebecca Adamson, president of First Nations Development Institute, April 9 at the Council on Foundations 56th Annual Conference. Read more: http://www.internationalfunders.org . INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS: The Rasmuson Foundation named 14 Alaskan artists recipients of project awards in the Individual Artist Award Program. Alaskan artists at any stage in their careers are provided with funds to support specific, short-term projects that have a clear benefit to their growth as an artist and the creative development of their art. Recipients are: Kim Brown, mixed-media/visual artist; Alisa Carroll, clay artist; Brian George Smith, media artist; Rob Goldberg, watercolor painter; Lisa Gray, photographic collage artist; Ingvil Guttu, music composition; Mary Mahaffey, literary artist; David Marusek, literary artist; Peter Porco, literary artist; Angela Ramirez, performance artist; Gretchen Sagan, printmaker; Marge Thompson, photographer; Kat Tomka, multimedia artist; and Evon Zerbetz, printmaker. Recipients are based in Anchorage, Bird Creek, Fairbanks, Haines, Juneau and Ketchikan. Read more: http://www.rasmuson.org/PressRelease/index.php?switch=view_pressrelease&iReleaseID=61 . JUST PUBLISHED ARIZONA GIVING: Total giving by Arizona private foundations has more than tripled, growing from $40 million in 1993 to $141 million in 2002, according to Profile of Charitable Foundations in Arizona. The report, sponsored by the Arizona Grantmakers Forum and produced by Arizona State University's Center for Nonprofit Leadership & Management, says some of Arizona's largest foundations also expect their giving this year to meet or exceed last year's totals. The growth in giving is attributed to increases in both the number and assets of foundations. The number of foundations in the state increased 96 percent, from 436 in 1993 to 855 in 2002, including a jump from 383 to 634 private foundations. Total assets of private and public foundations grew an astounding 327 percent, from about $717.5 million in 1993 to over $3 billion in 2002. Download the report (PDF): http://www.arizonagrantmakersforum.org/%5Cresources%5CFoundationProfile2002-Final.pdf . OLDER VOLUNTEERS: The first survey on the capacity of nonprofits to use older Americans as volunteers shows that nonprofits are largely unequipped to do so. About half of the 811 local officials with 21 organizations surveyed said their organizations had no system in place to screen, assess or place older volunteers. However, possible solutions emerged from the study, conducted by The National Council on the Aging's RespectAbility program. Among them: creating national services to recruit and deploy seasoned executives to serve on local boards and to train and certify volunteer coordinators. The RespectAbility initiative is funded by The Atlantic Philanthropies. Read more or download the survey's summary (PDF): http://www.magnetmail.net/actions/email_web_version.cfm?recipient_id=10185562&message_id=94405&user_id=NCOA . ESTATE PLANNING: The May 2005 Family Giving News explores new holistic techniques for estate planning that can help families turn a difficult and often dreaded conversation into a constructive and comforting one. As part of the Profiles in Family Philanthropy series, the issue includes The Foundation Incubator's profile of the Morgan Family Foundation, detailing how it has helped the community and brought joy and cohesiveness to family members. Read the issue or subscribe: http://www.ncfp.org/FGN-May_2005/contents.html . ON THE MOVE LINDA CHILDEARS will become president and CEO of the Daniels Fund August 1, 2005. She succeeds former U.S. Senator Hank Brown, who becomes president of the University of Colorado this summer. Read more: http://www.danielsfund.org/news/newsdetail.asp?nID=74 . The California Endowment appointed KATHLEEN BROWN to its board of directors. Read more: http://www.calendow.org/news/press_releases/2005/05/051005.stm . The Boston Foundation hired JERROLD (JERRY) MITCHELL as chief investment officer. Read more: http://www.tbf.org/About/about-L2.asp?id=3073 . The California Wellness Foundation hired JEFFREY SEUNGKYU KIM as program director for grants on healthy aging and mental health, TARYN LEE as human resources manager and ADRIANA GODOY LEISS as executive assistant to the vice president of communications. NICOLE J. JONES, program director for grants in mental health and violence prevention, became program director for grants in the prevention of teenage pregnancy and violence. Read more: http://www.tcwf.org/news_room/news_releases/may_06_05_staff.htm . HUGH GILDEA joined The Greater Cincinnati Foundation as controller. CAROL B. TOMÉ is chair of the Metropolitan Atlanta Arts Fund. RON BRILL, JOHN BURD, SUSANA MARIA CHAVEZ, MIRA HIRSCH and JAN SMITH were named trustees. SUBSCRIBE FN&C Now is published by the Council on Foundations to keep you in the loop by sharing news between bimonthly editions of Foundation News & Commentary magazine (FN&C Now Web archive: http://www.foundationnews.org/now/index.htm ). Please feel free to forward this message to your friends and colleagues who might enjoy it. To subscribe (it's free) to FN&C Now, send an e-mail to fncnow@cof.org . Questions or comments about FN&C Now? Contact Paula J. Kelly at 202/467-0261. To contribute a news item for consideration, please e-mail fncnow@cof.org . To unsubscribe, send a blank e-mail to leave-fncnow-4832R@int1.cof.org . To subscribe to Foundation News & Commentary, an award-winning magazine, please send an e-mail to fncsubs@cof.org , or visit our website at http://www.icnfull.com/cgi-bin/cobolscript.exe?cof/cofmain.cbl . Council on Foundations 1828 L Street, NW Washington, DC 20036 202/466-6512 webmaster@cof.org last update: 5.17.05