Council on Foundations: FN&C Now – Volume 6, Number 32

	FN&C Now
	Volume 6, Number 32 – September 26, 2005 IN THIS ISSUE NEWS COVERAGE: Council members give more than $150 million for hurricane relief; relief legislation includes charitable incentives, with exclusions; Daniels Fund surpasses $100 million in grants ACT NOW: Panel on the Nonprofit sector seeks comments on draft recommendations by Friday JUST PUBLISHED: Groundbreaking study of social justice grantmaking; report says nonprofits face leader shortage as baby boomers retire; Family Giving News on matching family passions to grantmaking strategies; three strategic planning approaches for nonprofit boards AT THE COUNCIL: 2004 Investment Performance and Practices of Community Foundations shows strong returns; Charitable Reform Resource Center created; Trusts & Estates discount offered for PAN members; sign up for Breaking News NOW ONLINE: Website to raise funds for World Trade Center Memorial; redesigned United States International Grantmaking website ON THE MOVE: Kate R. Guedj (Boston); Andrea Bosch (International Youth); Ron Kroese (McKnight); Nancy Youman, Erlin Ibreck and Maria Teresa Rojas, et al. (Open Society); Victor D'Allant (Skoll); Peter J. Cera and Tim Lord (Golden LEAF) NEWS COVERAGE HURRICANE RELIEF: Members of the Council on Foundations have pledged more than $152 million for hurricane relief since Hurricane Katrina struck, four weeks ago today. View a list of contributing member foundations: http://www.cof.org/index.cfm?containerid=490 . The Council is looking into funds being established for Hurricane Rita relief, as well, and will continue to post relief updates at http://www.cof.org/Content/General/Display.cfm?contentID=2943 . RELIEF LEGISLATION: On September 21, Congress approved legislation, H.R. 3768, that included a number of charitable incentives to aid victims of Hurricane Katrina, and President Bush signed the bill the next day. However, the most important incentive—a temporary suspension of the percentage limitations that otherwise apply to contributions of cash to public charities—doesn't apply to gifts made to donor-advised funds at public charities, to supporting organizations and to most private foundations. H.R. 3768 suspends the percentage limitations otherwise applicable to gifts of cash to both public charities and private foundations, allowing donors to deduct cash gifts made between August 28, 2005 and December 31, 2005 up to 100% of their adjusted gross incomes. Donations to unrestricted and field of interest funds at community foundations and to private operating foundations qualify for the incentive. Read more: http://www.cof.org/Content/General/Display.cfm?contentID=2983#second . Read the bill (PDF): http://waysandmeans.house.gov/media/pdf/taxdocs/092105katrinabilltext.pdf . MILESTONE REACHED: The Daniels Fund has provided more than $100 million in funding since it began making grants in 2000. The Fund was established in 1997 by Bill Daniels, a pioneer in cable television. After Daniels died in 2000, his estate was transferred to the fund, making it the largest foundation in the Rocky Mountain region. "Bill Daniels was a demanding businessman and carefully defined his goals for the fund," says Linda Childears, fund president and CEO. The fund's program areas include aging, alcoholism & substance abuse, amateur sports, disabilities, education, youth development and the homeless and disadvantaged. Read more: http://www.danielsfund.org/news/newsdetail.asp?nID=86 . ACT NOW SEEKING INPUT: The Panel on the Nonprofit Sector invites comments on draft recommendations for its supplemental report to the Senate Finance Committee. The comment period ends on Friday, September 30, 2005. The recommendations, drafted by the panel's five work groups and its expert advisory panel, will be considered by the full panel as it prepares the supplemental report. Topics addressed in the recommendations include compensation of trustees of charitable trusts, international grantmaking, disclosure of unrelated business activities and taxation of sales of donated assets. Read the draft recommendations: http://www.nonprofitpanel.org/supplemental/list . Submit comments: http://www.nonprofitpanel.org/supplemental/public . JUST PUBLISHED SOCIAL JUSTICE: The first study of foundation support for social justice grantmaking found that at the largest foundations in the United States, 11 percent of grant dollars support structural changes aiding those who are least well-off economically, socially and politically. According to Social Justice Grantmaking: A Report on Foundation Trends, released by Independent Sector and the Foundation Center, support spans all areas of foundation activity, from promoting economic development in distressed areas to ensuring access to healthcare for disadvantaged populations to encouraging diversity in education. The report focuses on funding trends from 1998 through 2002, based on an analysis of the center's grants database, which includes all grants of $10,000 or more awarded by over 1,000 of the nation's largest private and community foundations. Funded by the Ford Foundation, Social Justice Grantmaking analyzes social justice giving by type of support, field, recipient type and funder and recipient location. It also includes grantmaker interviews and profiles of 26 leading social justice grantmakers. Read the press release: http://www.fdncenter.org/media/news/pr_0509a.html . View the highlights (PDF): http://fdncenter.org/research/trends_analysis/pdf/socialjustice.pdf . FAMILY GIVING NEWS: The September Family Giving News offers steps for developing and launching a philanthropic agenda based on your family's passions. As part of its Profiles in Family Philanthropy series, the issue celebrates the life and legacy of Beth K. Stocker of the Stocker Foundation, who passed away in August at age 97, and whose volunteerism and leadership are well known in her home state of Ohio and beyond. This month's issue also launches a regular feature called In Your Experience: Advice for Philanthropists from Philanthropists. Each month, readers will have the opportunity to answer one of the pressing questions received by the National Center for Family Philanthropy. Read the issue or subscribe: http://www.ncfp.org/Email_Alert.html . LEADER SHORTAGE: Nonprofits will face increasing difficulty in finding and retaining leaders as the U.S. population ages and baby boomers retire, according to a report from Grantmakers for Effective Organizations, written by Betsy Hubbard. Investing in Leadership: A Grantmaker's Framework for Understanding Nonprofit Leadership Development says that annual workforce growth in the United States has slowed to 1.1 percent from 2.6 percent in the 1970s, and is expected to decline further to 0.4 percent between 2010 and 2020. A prolonged labor shortage and intense competition for top talent would be especially challenging for nonprofits, since government and businesses often offer higher pay and better benefits. Funded by the Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation and the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, the report summarizes current leadership development approaches, examines the connections between leadership and organizational performance and discusses how grantmakers can more effectively support nonprofit leadership development. Read more or download the report (PDF): http://www.geofunders.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=document.showDocumentByID&DocumentID=2588 . STRATEGIC PLANNING: BoardSource released a tool that helps nonprofit boards assess their organizational readiness for strategic planning and provides three planning approaches. Written by Michela M. Perrone and Janis Johnston, Presenting Strategic Planning: Choosing the Right Method for Your Nonprofit Organization, provides a roadmap for organizations that are considering strategic planning for the first time or need to review their present plan and determine whether a course change is necessary. The tool includes a user's guide, accompanied by a CD-ROM with customizable PowerPoint presentations and electronic worksheets. The tool is designed for a facilitator who will guide the chief executive and board in discussion, brainstorming and decisionmaking. Read more or purchase the tool: http://www.boardsource.org/ViewBookstoreItem.asp?ID=179 . AT THE COUNCIL STRONG COMMUNITY FOUNDATION RETURNS: Gaining an average of 10.8 percent on investments, community foundations have posted returns in the double digits for the second year in a row, according to the Council on Foundations' 2004 Investment Performance and Practices of Community Foundations. The report also shows that due to substantial consecutive gains, three-year median returns have bounced back to levels just below 7 percent. "The report reflects the wise investment choices of community foundations," said Colburn S. Wilbur, interim president and CEO of the Council on Foundations. "Their strength and ingenuity have put them in financial positions that better serve their communities." Read the press release: http://www.cof.org/Content/PressRelease/Display.cfm?pressReleaseID=2985 . CHARITABLE REFORM RESOURCES: For the latest developments on legislation affection foundations, visit the Council on Foundations' new Charitable Reform Resource Center. Visitors can view breaking news, a charitable reform timeline, talking points, key documents and bill analyses. Access the center at: http://www.cof.org/government . PAN DISCOUNT: The Council on Foundations' partnership with Trusts & Estates magazine allows members of the Council's Philanthropic Advisors Network (PAN) to receive a discounted listing in the magazine's online Wealth Management Resource Guide and its 2006 print edition. The guide is published in the fourth quarter of each year. The listing fee will be discounted for PAN members from $350.00 to $150.00. Find out more (PDF): http://www.cof.org/files/Documents/PAN/Trust_&_Estates_Promo_FINAL.pdf . FREE NEWS SERVICE: Breaking News is a free, daily e-mail newsletter summarizing the top articles—mostly from national and regional newspapers—about philanthropy. Breaking News is available to Council members only. Subscribe by e-mailing your name, title and foundation name to media@cof.org. NOW ONLINE SEPTEMBER 11 MEMORIAL: The World Trade Center Memorial Foundation launched a website to commemorate the events of 9/11 and to help build the World Trade Center Memorial and Memorial Museum. Site visitors can become part of an online community by sharing their stories and photographs of 9/11; viewing new images and animation of the memorial, making a donation, participating in surveys and more. The memorial—whose construction is expected to begin in early 2006—is slated to open to the public in 2009. Find out more: http://www.buildthememorial.org/wtcmf.html?JServSessionIdr011=mchbvrxw81.app6a . INTERNATIONAL GRANTMAKING: The United States International Grantmaking (USIG) project redesigned its website to facilitate effective and responsible international grantmaking by foundations in the United States. USIG, a project of the Council on Foundations in partnership with the International Center for Not-For-Profit Law, provides a wealth of information on topics such as international grantmaking basics, legal and accounting issues, legal framework for nonprofit organizations for 32 select countries, links, publications and updates. Find out more: http://www.usig.org . ON THE MOVE The Boston Foundation promoted Director of Philanthropic Services KATE R. GUEDJ to vice president of donor and philanthropic services. Read more: http://www.tbf.org/About/about-L2.asp?id=3191 . ANDREA BOSCH is now vice president of education at the International Youth Foundation and will lead its Education Center. Read more: http://www.iyfnet.org/document.cfm/30/755 . The McKnight Foundation named RON KROESE as program officer in its environment program. Read more: http://www.mcknight.org/newsandviews/news_detail.aspx?itemID=3137&catID=2440&typeID=2 . The Open Society Institute promoted Associate Director of U.S. Programs NANCY YOUMAN to deputy director, Director of Youth Initiatives ERLIN IBRECK to director of grantmaking strategies and Associate Director for Grantmaking and Program Development MARIA TERESA ROJAS to deputy director of grantmaking strategies. ANTONIO MACIEL joined as director of the U.S. Justice Fund. JOHN KOWAL will take on additional responsibilities as director of Constitutional Democracy Initiatives. Read more: http://www.soros.org/newsroom/news/staff_20050824 . VICTOR D'ALLANT joined the Skoll Foundation as executive director of its Social Edge program. Read more: http://www.skollfoundation.org/media/press_releases/internal/090105.asp . PETER J. CERA was named investment officer and TED LORD program officer at the Golden LEAF Foundation. 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: 10.14.05