FN&C Now

Volume 7, Number 11 – March 6, 2006 IN THIS ISSUE IN MEMORIAM: Michael S. Joyce, philanthropist and conservative leader NEWS COVERAGE: Microsoft begins initiative to strengthen U.S. work force; Jan Kreamer to receive Entrepreneurial American Leadership Award JUST PUBLISHED: Concise guide on foundations and self-dealing available; report reveals keys to effective communication with grantees AT THE COUNCIL: Seeking nominations for Community Foundations Leadership Team; sign up for Breaking News NOW ONLINE: Listen to BusinessWeek podcasts with philanthropy leaders or webcasts on social innovation across sectors; Fund for Global Human Rights launches resource on activists ACT NOW: Register for teleconference on demystifying decisionmaking in family philanthropy ON THE MOVE: Bruce K. MacLaury and Joseph E. Kasputys (Hitachi); Kathy Bonnifield, Jennifer Harshner and Shannon Lee, et al. (McKnight); Cheryl Dorsey, Martha Campbell and Beth Bruner (Grantmakers for Effective Organizations); Jeb Dickey and Kristin Donovan (Daniels) IN MEMORIAM CONSERVATIVE LEADER: Michael S. Joyce, 63, who helped spearhead the modern conservative movement through philanthropy, died February 24 in Wisconsin of a liver illness. Joyce got his start in philanthropy as head of the Morris Goldseker Foundation in 1975. He then served as executive director of the John M. Olin Foundation from 1979 to 1985 and the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation from 1985 to 2001, which spent millions of dollars on such conservative causes as school choice, welfare reform and faith-based initiatives. Joyce also criticized the Ford and Rockefeller foundations as aiding a welfare state and espoused helping people become self-sustaining members of society. Read more from the National Review Online: http://www.nationalreview.com/miller/miller.asp . NEWS COVERAGE WORK FORCE BOOST: Microsoft will donate cash, software and a curriculum to help strengthen the United States' work force and boost companies' ability to compete in a global economy. In a two-year alliance with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), career centers around the country will receive $3.5 million from Microsoft in cash and software, as well as a Digital Literacy curriculum to provide training in technology skills to adults. The DOL alliance is part of Microsoft's Unlimited Potential program, which is designed to provide underserved populations with education and skills training through community-based technology centers. The first grants will be made to the DOL's One-Stop Career Centers in nine cities: Boston and Framingham, Massachusetts; Pittsburgh and Lancaster, Pennsylvania; Rockledge, Florida; Sunnyvale, California; Beckley, West Virginia; Seattle; and Chicago. Read more: http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2006/feb06/02-28MSDOLPR.mspx . LEADERSHIP AWARD: Partners for Livable Communities will give Jan Kreamer, former president of the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation, the Entrepreneurial American Leadership Award for her pioneering efforts to redefine community foundations' leadership in creating regional cooperation in the United States. Kreamer is being cited for focusing on strategic planning and spearheading initiatives that strengthened the relationships between donors, local foundations and grantees and increased the flow of information about community needs and wants during her tenure at the foundation. The award will be presented March 9 in Washington, DC, at Partners for Livable Communities' Celebration of Vision and Community Spirit, where nine individuals and communities will be recognized. Council on Foundations President and CEO Steve Gunderson will deliver the keynote speech. Read more: http://www.livable.com/honors/honorees_2006.htm . JUST PUBLISHED SELF-DEALING GUIDE: The Effectiveness and Accountability Initiative of the Forum of Regional Association of Grantmakers released a guide on self-dealing, written by John Edie of PricewaterhouseCoopers. Topics in Self-Dealing: A Concise Guide for Foundation Board and Staff include definitions of self-dealing and disqualified person, exceptions for reasonable compensation and expense reimbursement, common problem areas, penalties for violations and recommended steps for foundations in handling self-dealing. The guide can be used as a tool for board meetings and educational programs. Download the free guide (PDF): http://www.givingforum.org/cgi-bin/doc_rep/public/file.pl/3661/self.dealing.guide.pdf . GRANTEE COMMUNICATIONS: The Center for Effective Philanthropy's Foundation Communications: The Grantee Perspective calls for a holistic approach to communicating with grantees. According to the report, the three keys to effective communication are consistent foundation communication resources; approachable, responsive foundation staff who treat grantees fairly; and helpful foundation selection and reporting/evaluation processes. The report explores the relative value grantees place on different types of foundation communications and highlights the best practices of foundations that were given high marks in grantee surveys for clearly communicating their goals and strategies. Foundation Communications is the first in a series of issue papers designed to provide foundation leaders with practical and actionable research. Read more or download the report (PDF): http://www.effectivephilanthropy.org/publications/publications_downloadorder.asp . AT THE COUNCIL TEAM NOMINATIONS: The Council on Foundations needs your help in identifying outstanding representatives from community foundations to fill up to five elected positions and up to two appointed positions on the Community Foundations Leadership Team. The Leadership Team is a group of community foundation leaders who set strategic direction and policy for the field. Qualified candidates will be knowledgeable about the community foundation field; understand the opportunities and challenges facing community foundations and philanthropy in general; have demonstrated leadership in the field; have relevant experience, skills and diverse backgrounds (with respect to race, ethnicity and gender); and represent diversity among community foundations (asset size, geographic location, urban/rural, age, operating philosophies, etc.). Nominations must be faxed or e-mailed by Friday, March 31, 2006. Make a nomination or find out more: http://www.cof.org/Content/General/Display.cfm?contentID=84 . 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, as well as members and staff of our colleague organizations. Subscribe by e-mailing your name, title and foundation name to media@cof.org. NOW ONLINE BUSINESSWEEK PODCASTS: Hear a February 27, 2006, BusinessWeek podcast interview with Council President and CEO Steve Gunderson on the intensifying focus on accountability and transparency in the nonprofit sector. Other recent interviews in BusinessWeek's weekly Altruism Trend series include Peter Hero of the Community Foundation Silicon Valley on how donors can get the most out of their gifts and Paul Shoemaker of Social Venture Partners on donors pooling their charitable contributions to get more bang for their buck. Listen or find out more: http://www.businessweek.com/mediacenter/podcasts/philanthropy/ philanthropy_02_13_06.htm?campaign_id=search . HUMAN RIGHTS: The Fund for Global Human Rights, which focuses on five regions of the world and facilitates providing resources to human rights activists, created a new website for donors, media and the general public. The website includes information about the fund, human rights activists' work and the often-difficult conditions they face, as well as information about human rights issues around the world. Interested grant applicants can also learn about the fund's guidelines and how to apply. The website is available in English, French, Spanish and Arabic. Find out more: http://www.globalhumanrights.org . SOCIAL INNOVATION: View webcasts and listen to audio files from the 13th Annual Net Impact Conference on Bridging the Gap—Leading Social Innovation Across Sectors, hosted by Stanford Graduate School of Business on November 11, 2005. Net Impact featured social-sector leaders including Al Gore, former U.S. vice president; Gary Hirshberg, CEO of Stonyfield Farm; Judy Vredenburgh, president and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America; and Jed Emerson, senior fellow at the Generation Foundation. Net Impact is the largest annual gathering in the world for MBA students and young professionals focused on corporate social responsibility, social entrepreneurship, international development and environmental management. Access the webcasts and audio files: http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/news/conferences_social.html . ACT NOW BETTER DECISIONMAKING: The National Center for Family Philanthropy will hold the teleconference Demystifying Decisionmaking in Your Family's Philanthropy, March 9, from noon to 1:30 p.m., ET. The teleconference will offer alternative approaches to making decisions in family philanthropy and provide fodder for family discussions that can improve group decisionmaking. The program will be presented by Ann Shulman, a facilitator, mediator and trainer who also serves as director of her family's charitable fund. Registration is required. Find out more: http://www.ncfp.org/program-teleconferences.htm#d030906 . ON THE MOVE BRUCE K. MACLAURY was elected chair of The Hitachi Foundation. He replaces JOSEPH E. KASPUTYS, who will head a new advisory council on corporate citizenship. Read more: http://www.hitachifoundation.org/news/news/121605.html . The McKnight Foundation hired KATHY BONNIFIELD as program assistant for its international program, JENNIFER HARSHNER as communications/administrative assistant, SHANNON LEE as program assistant for its environment program, JANET PETERSON as grants administration assistant and LORRI TODD as meeting and travel coordinator. Read more: http://www.mcknight.org/newsandviews/news_detail.aspx?itemID=3455&catID=2440&typeID=2 . CHERYL DORSEY, MARTHA (MARTY) CAMPBELL and BETH BRUNER were elected to the board of Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO). Read more: http://www.geofunders.org/_uploads/documents/live/3%20new%20board%20members%202006.doc . The Daniels Fund promoted JEB DICKEY to executive vice president and chief financial officer and KRISTIN DONOVAN to senior vice president. 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: 3.27.06