FN&C Now

Volume 7, Number 19 – April 27, 2006 IN THIS ISSUE AT THE COUNCIL: Dr. Mae Jemison added to annual conference lineup; J. Paul Getty Trust regains full membership; CFSource reports on Council's reconsideration of membership eligibility; booklet highlights philanthropy's response to national emergencies and its investments in progress; sign up for Breaking News NEWS COVERAGE: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation restructures; Adisa Douglas wins 2006 LEAD Award; Bradley Foundation announces 2006 prize recipients JUST PUBLISHED: Proxy Season Preview Spring 2006 available; new index finds private giving to developing countries greatly exceeds U.S. government foreign aid NOW ONLINE: Strategies for ending long-term homelessness; join discussion on high rate of nonprofit leader attrition ACT NOW: Nominate research for Hodgkinson Prize ON THE MOVE: Barbara L. James (Kalamazoo); Edmund J. Cain (Hilton); Carol Kuhre and Ladonna Redmond (Noyes) AT THE COUNCIL ANNUAL CONFERENCE UPDATE: Dr. Mae Jemison will replace Dr. Wangari Maathai as the keynote speaker for the Monday, May 8, afternoon luncheon plenary at the annual conference in Pittsburgh. The Alabama-born and Chicago-reared trailblazer made history in 1992 as the first woman of color to go into space on the Space Shuttle Endeavour. As an entrepreneur, engineer, doctor, astronaut, professor and philanthropist, Jemison is dedicated to promoting science literacy and the design and development of sustainable technologies for the benefit of all residents of this planet. Read more: http://int2.cof.org/conferences/ac2006/index.asp . GETTY MEMBERSHIP: Citing "positive and significant" reforms implemented by the J. Paul Getty Trust to address governance and management concerns, the Council on Foundations restored the trust to full membership. "We appreciate the cooperation and constructive dialogue between our organizations over the past few months and respect the hard work they've done to provide the information we requested," said Steve Gunderson, president and CEO of the Council on Foundations. He added that the Council will offer continued assistance as the trust moves forward in ways that enhance its work and the public's confidence. Getty spokesman Ron Hartwig said in the Los Angeles Times that the reforms included new training and evaluation tools for board members; strengthened conflict-of-interest provisions; increased board oversight of real estate deals; and more transparency of staff compensation and performance reviews. Read the Council's press release: http://www.cof.org/Content/PressRelease/Display.cfm?pressReleaseID=3592 . Read the Los Angeles Times article: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-quick18.4apr18,1,6155903.story?ctrack=1&cset=true . CFSOURCE: The April CFSource reports on the Council's reconsideration of eligibility guidelines for membership—including commercial gift funds; the launch of the National Agenda evaluation; the search for a new managing director of Community Foundation Services; and the new Donors of the Future Knowledge Center, jointly sponsored by the Community Foundation Leadership Team and the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers/New Ventures in Philanthropy. It also announces a new publication, the Community Foundations Handbook: What You Need to Know. Read the issue: http://www.cof.org/Content/Newsletter/Display.cfm?newsletterID=3587 . The Council on Foundations published We Were There: The Role of Philanthropy in Disasters to highlight how philanthropy has helped meet both long-term and immediate needs after national emergencies, and how it's helped spur progress in other societal challenges. The booklet tells philanthropy's story after the 1989 San Francisco Earthquake; the 1995 Oklahoma City Bombing, the September 11 attacks and Hurricane Katrina, and offers commentary from grantmakers and government officials on the role foundations played. The booklet also provides examples of how foundations have invested in "visions for progress" on social issues such as AIDS, hunger, public libraries and the hospice movement. Download the booklet (PDF): http://www.cof.org/files/Documents/Publications/WeWereThere.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, as well as members and staff of our colleague organizations. Subscribe by e-mailing your name, title and foundation name to media@cof.org. NEWS COVERAGE LEAD AWARD: Adisa Douglas, program director at the Public Welfare Foundation, is recipient of the 10th Anniversary LEAD (Leadership for Equity and Diversity) Award, presented by Women & Philanthropy. The award honors women and men who provide exceptional, transformative and inspirational leadership for equity and diversity in the field of philanthropy. Douglas is being honored for helping to transform the reproductive and sexual health program field and for increasing the number and power of young people and people of color in philanthropy. The award will be presented at Women & Philanthropy's 2006 Leadership Conference—Leveraging Power, Engendering Change—held May 6, 2006, in Pittsburgh. Read more: http://www.womenphil.org/Adisa%20News%20Release.pdf . BRADLEY PRIZES: The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation awarded 2006 Bradley Prizes to four individuals: Middle East scholar Fouad Ajami, economist Hernando de Soto, race relations scholar Shelby Steele and school-choice advocate Clint Bolick. The Bradley Prizes honor outstanding individuals who have distinguished themselves in promoting democratic capitalism, freedom and the defense of American institutions. The winners of the $250,000 annual prize will be honored at the third annual awards gala ceremony May 25, 2006, in Washington, DC. Read more: http://www.bradleyfdn.org/new.html . JUST PUBLISHED PROXY SEASON: Publicly traded companies are entering "proxy season," when more than 300 shareholder resolutions related to issues such as natural resources, charitable giving and customer privacy, are up for votes. American foundations' endowments hold more than $500 billion, much of which is invested in the equities of U.S. companies, but are often not aligned with a foundation's own interests and values. Proxy Season Preview Spring 2006: Foundations Aligning Missions and Investment is a tool to help foundations cast engaged, informed votes on issues directly relevant to their missions and programs, and influence corporate policy while also protecting the value of their endowments. The guide gives foundations an "at-a-glance" breakdown of upcoming proposals, the issues behind them and which companies are involved. It is also a compendium of relevant recent news, including case studies of a shareholder dialogue, campaign and foundation voting policy; and a wrap-up of NGO involvement in the proxy process. The guide was published by the As You Sow and Jessie Smith Noyes foundations and Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. Download the free guide (PDF): http://www.rockpa.org/Content/rockpadocs/2006%20proxy%20preview.pdf . FOREIGN AID: The total amount of private U.S. charitable assistance to developing countries is more than three and a half times U.S. government foreign aid, according to the newly launched Index of Global Philanthropy from the Hudson Institute's Center for Global Prosperity. The index found that U.S. private charitable aid to the developing world in 2004—in the form of money, volunteer time, goods and expertise—was at least $71 billion, compared with $21.3 billion in U.S. foreign aid and $6.5 billion in private lending and investment. According to the center, the report challenges the measure of foreign assistance by the Paris-based Organisation of Economic Co-Operation and Development, which only considers government foreign aid and underestimates the amount and impact of private U.S. foreign aid. Read the press release (PDF): http://www.hudson.org/pc_gpr/projects/GprMediaKit.pdf . Download the full report (PDF): http://gpr.hudson.org/files/publications/GlobalPhilanthropy.pdf . NOW ONLINE ENDING HOMELESSNESS: The Partnership to End Long-term Homelessness launched a new website for funders interested in strategies and best practices for fighting chronic homelessness. The site features a searchable collection of case studies, best practices and data and trends. Specific focus areas include strategies such as prevention, supportive housing and systems changes needed to bring about the end of chronic homelessness. Other timely topics include homelessness in post-Katrina New Orleans and housing for individuals with AIDS, mental illness or substance abuse. The site will also feature an ongoing series of teleseminars led by guest experts, as well as expert-led blogs on key topics. The partnership was founded by the Conrad N. Hilton, Rockefeller, Fannie Mae and Robert Wood Johnson foundations and the Melville Charitable Trust, Deutsche Bank and Fannie Mae. Go to the site: http://www.endlongtermhomelessness.org . LEADERS LEAVING: The high number of nonprofit executive directors who plan to leave their positions soon is one new topic at Stanford Social Innovation Review's (SSIR) blog. Albert Ruesga (vice president for programs and communications at the Meyer Foundation-which recently conducted a survey on the issue, Daring to Lead 2006, with Compass Point Nonprofit Services) cites a recent op ed by Meyer Foundation President Julie Rogers that "urged grantmakers to heed the cries of nonprofit executive directors they support." According to Rogers, "foundations too often behave like 'well-meaning rich aunts,' full of advice for nonprofits but not always sensitive to their real needs." Join the discussion: http://www.ssireview.com/forum/archives/2006/04/new_help_needed.php . ACT NOW HODGKINSON PRIZE: Independent Sector is seeking nominations for the 2006 Virginia A. Hodgkinson Research Prize. The prize recognizes outstanding published research that increases the understanding of philanthropy, voluntary action, nonprofits and civil society around the world. Award recipients will be honored at Independent Sector's 2006 Annual Conference, October 22–24, in Minneapolis/St. Paul. Nomination deadline is June 30. Find out more: http://www.independentsector.org/media/20060418_vah.html . ON THE MOVE The Kalamazoo Community Foundation named BARBARA L. JAMES trustee. The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation appointed EDMUND J. CAIN as vice president of grant programs. Read more: http://www.hiltonfoundation.org/press_release_details.asp?id=42 . CAROL KUHRE and LADONNA REDMOND joined the board of the Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation. View the complete board and staff list: http://www.noyes.org/contact.html . SPECIAL OFFER The Council on Foundations has a special offer made possible through the Building Strong and Ethical Foundations program. New foundations can receive a half-priced non-member registration rate at any Council conference. In addition, they can also join the Council and receive half-priced membership dues. Your foundation may qualify—even if you've been grantmaking for several years. For specific eligibility information and more details, please contact the COF Membership Department at 202/467-0291. 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: 6.28.06