FN&C Now

Volume 7, Number 36 – September 8, 2006 IN THIS ISSUE NEWS COVERAGE: Government Accountability Office report on donor-advised funds and supporting organizations sent to Ways and Means Committee chairman AT THE COUNCIL: Seeking nominations for new Critical Impact Award; time's running out to register for the 2006 Fall Conference for Community Foundations; promotional toolkit for National Standards available; sign up for Breaking News JUST PUBLISHED: Two must-read reports released on perceptions about philanthropy; report analyzes websites advertising food to young children; guides for documentary help working poor advance economically; guide shows how culturally-based projects can help create community change NOW ONLINE: Information for donors on healthy environments featured; read stories of women rebuilding the Gulf Coast or a report on groundbreaking work by women's community-based organizations in hurricane-affected areas ACT NOW: Register for teleconference on creating a new family philanthropy ON THE MOVE: Jason Clark, Brittany Boettcher and Johnny Falla (Skoll); Leslie Allen and Nelda Hidalgo Sánchez (Global Greengrants); Samuel J. Tenenbaum, David C. Sojourner, et al. (Central Carolina); Gregory A. White, Sally Venverloh and Phillip Thomas (Chicago Community Trust); Michael Hannaher (Fargo-Moorhead Area) NEWS COVERAGE GAO REPORT: On August 28, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released the report "Collecting More Data on Donor-Advised Funds and Supporting Organizations Could Help Address Compliance Challenges" to the chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means. Noting the significant lack of information about donor-advised funds and supporting organizations, the report recommends that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) begin collecting data about assets and payout and large loan transactions. Substantively, the report concluded that "some donor-advised funds and supporting organizations are used in abusive schemes to unallowably benefit donors or related parties or give donors excess control of charitable assets and operations." GAO found that the IRS was able to take corrective action under existing law in some cases, but was hampered in others by difficulties in gathering evidence or because some activities that the IRS found problematic did not violate existing law or regulations. The Council met with GAO representatives several times during the study and convened two conference calls with Council on Foundations' members-one with community foundations and one with public foundations that make grants internationally-to help educate the authors about donor-advised funds and supporting organizations. Download the report (PDF): http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d06799.pdf . AT THE COUNCIL NEW AWARD: The Council on Foundations is seeking nominations for its new Critical Impact Award, which will recognize grant-funded projects that have had a demonstrated impact on the common good and can serve as models for others in philanthropy. Awards will be given to foundations and their grantees. The Council requests submissions from programs that are funded by family, independent, operating, public or community foundations, or by international or corporate grantmakers (either individually or in collaboration with others) and that have been under way long enough to document having had an enduring positive impact and have provided real philanthropic leadership by establishing philanthropy as the innovators or architects of social change. Special consideration will be given to programs that address poverty, public health, environment and disaster preparedness. The deadline for submissions from family foundation programs is October 31. Nominations for programs funded by independent, public and operating foundations, international and corporate grantmaking programs must be received by January 8, 2007. Nominations for community foundation programs must be received by May 24, 2007. Awards will be distributed during the constituencies' respective 2007 Council conferences. Find out more or download a nomination form: http://www.cof.org/Council/content.cfm?ItemNumber=6418&navItemNumber=3990 . FALL CONFERENCE: Time's running out to register for the 2006 Fall Conference for Community Foundations, to be held September 18–20 in Boston (preconference activities begin September 14 with the Community Foundation Fundamentals course). This year's conference theme, "Revolutionary Ideas," acknowledges that today's world is in constant, and often rapid, flux. Foundations must be prepared to deal with the impact of those changes on our communities and foundations and employ creative solutions to complex problems. Speakers include Mathew Gross, former director of Internet communications for the Howard Dean presidential campaign and launcher of the first presidential campaign blog; Congressman Xavier Becerra (D-CA); Bill Strickland, president and CEO of Manchester Bidwell; David Hackett Fischer, professor of history at Brandeis University and author of Paul Revere's Ride and Washington's Crossing; and Thomas M. Menino, mayor of Boston. Register or find out more: http://www.cof.org/Network/content.cfm?ItemNumber=4050&navItemNumber=4051 . PROMOTIONAL TOOLKIT: Community foundation members of the Council on Foundations that are confirmed in compliance with the National Standards and have returned a signed licensing agreement to the Council now have access to a promotional toolkit to help them showcase their achievement of National Standards for donors, professional advisors and grantees. The toolkit includes communication strategies, letters, ads, web content, news releases and other tools developed to highlight compliance with the most rigorous standards in philanthropy. The newly revised seal production file and guidelines are also available online. Confirmed community foundations may visit the CFMarketplace to login and download the toolkit and seal at: http://www.cof.org/cfmarketplace/content.cfm?ItemNumber=5257&token=26146&userID . 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. JUST PUBLISHED PHILANTHROPIC PERCEPTIONS: FoundationWorks' Philanthropy Awareness Project published the first two volumes in a series of research reports to help foundations better understand perceptions about philanthropy in the United States. The first, "A Research Synthesis on Aspects of Foundations and Philanthropy: Operational Efficacy, Grantee Needs and Public Perceptions, 2000–2004," provides a detailed description of the types and outcomes of research the philanthropic sector has conducted on its own behalf. The report suggests that foundations have been inwardly focused, examining their operations and grantmaking effectiveness, rather than trying to understand external perceptions and attitudes. It also indicates that the philanthropic sector has been in a "reactive mode," since being challenged on its accountability by federal and state government entities. Download the report (PDF): http://www.foundationworks.org/pdfs/research_book.pdf . The second report, "Philanthropy in the News: An Analysis of Media Coverage, 1990–2004," offers an in-depth look at how the news media has covered foundations over a 15-year period. Although the number of news stories is steadily increasing, the coverage has been mostly "transactional," focusing on individual giving and philanthropic events and making only passing references to philanthropy. The report also reveals that only 1 percent of 38,000 stories discussed the impact of philanthropy and only 1 percent of stories analyzed by the project were negative—contrary to the common perception of coverage about the sector. Download the report (PDF): http://www.foundationworks.org/pdfs/media_book.pdf . ONLINE MARKETING: The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation published "It's Child's Play: Advergaming and the Online Marketing of Food to Children," a comprehensive analysis of online food advertising to children. The report found that 85 percent of top food brands that target children through TV advertising also use branded websites to market to children. The study also shows that, unlike traditional TV advertising, corporate-sponsored websites offer extensive opportunities for visitors to spend unlimited amounts of time interacting with specific food brands, through online games and viral marketing. Download the report or executive summary (PDFs) or watch a webcast of its release: http://www.kff.org/entmedia/entmedia071906pkg.cfm . THE WORKING POOR: The Ford and Annie E. Casey foundations published Waging a Living: Opportunities to Action, a companion to Waging a Living, a documentary on America's working poor, which premiered August 29 on the PBS series P.O.V. and will be featured at the Council on Foundations' 2007 Annual Conference as one of the winners of the Henry Hampton Award for Excellence in Film & Digital Media. The companion guide profiles programs that have successfully increased low-income workers' access to education, training and healthcare, and suggests how others can get involved. A discussion guide funded by the Casey foundation is also available to help the working poor, service providers and labor leaders gain visibility and engage employers and civic leaders. Visit the PBS website on the documentary: http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2006/wagingaliving . Download the companion guide (PDF): http://www-tc.pbs.org/pov/pov2006/wagingaliving/pdf/pov_wagingaliving_report.pdf?mii=1 . Download the discussion guide (PDF): http://www-tc.pbs.org/pov/pov2006/wagingaliving/pdf/pov_wagingaliving_guide.pdf?mii=1 . COMMUNITY CHANGE: The Fieldstone Alliance released The Creative Community Builder's Handbook: How to Transform Communities Using Local Assets, Arts and Culture, a guide by Tom Borrup designed to show how culturally-based projects can play a role in creating change in communities. The guide distills research and emerging ideas behind culturally driven community development and includes case studies and six concrete steps for assessing, planning and implementing creative community building projects. Read more or purchase the guide: http://www.fieldstonealliance.org/productdetails.cfm?SKU=069474&disccode=NBCCBH . NOW ONLINE HEALTHY ENVIRONMENTS: Community Giving Resources (CGR) posted information on healthy environments to help donors who are passionate about the environment apply their passion to challenges facing low-income communities. The website includes information on: linking health and environment; funding urban and rural environments; built environments, such as homes, schools and offices; promoting clean air and energy; and fighting pollution. CGR was created by the Neighborhood Funders Group, in partnership with the Aspen Institute Nonprofit Sector and Philanthropy Program. Find out more: http://www.communitygivingresource.org/environments/environments.htm . WOMEN'S STORIES: In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the Ms. Foundation provided support to 23 organizations in Louisiana and Mississippi through its Katrina Women's Response fund. The fund aims to make heard the voices of low-income women in the Gulf Coast states, especially women of color, and guarantee their place at the policymaking table. Now grantees' personal stories of triumph and tragedy are posted on the Ms. Foundation website. Among the stories is that of Mary Croom Fontenot, executive director of All Congregations Together (ACT) in New Orleans, who put aside her own familial losses to organize her community immediately after the storm. Five days after Katrina made landfall, ACT took a group of clergy and families from New Orleans to Washington, DC, where they met with 40 members of Congress. Read more: http://ms.foundation.org/wmspage.cfm?parm1=368 . The Ms. Foundation also joined with the Women's Funding Network in publishing the "Katrina Anniversary Report" on the groundbreaking work of women's community-based organizations in the hurricane-affected areas of the Gulf Coast and the importance of women's philanthropy. Read more or download the report (PDF): http://www.wfnet.org/donate/katrinarelief.php . ACT NOW NEW PHILANTHROPY: The National Center for Family Philanthropy will hold the teleconference "Breaking Ground: Considerations for Starting a New Family Philanthropy" September 21 from noon to 1:30 p.m., ET. The session will be helpful to experienced philanthropists starting a new philanthropy, to first-timers wondering where to begin and to advisors struggling to give their clients a template for success beyond the legal and financial issues. Curtis Meadows, former president and CEO of the Meadows Foundation and a tax and estate planning attorney, will be the presenter. Register or read more: http://www.ncfp.org/program-teleconferences.htm#d092106 . ON THE MOVE The Skoll Foundation hired JASON CLARK as web manager of Social Edge, BRITTANY BOETTCHER as administrative assistant and JOHNNY FALLA as associate program officer. Read more: http://www.skollfoundation.org/media/press_releases/internal/080306.asp . The Global Greengrants Fund appointed LESLIE ALLEN as director of development and communications. Read more: http://www.greengrants.org/pressreleases.php?news_id=57 . NELDA HIDALGO SÁNCHEZ was also appointed as Central America coordinator. The Central Carolina Community Foundation elected SAMUEL J. TENENBAUM chairman, DAVID C. SOJOURNER, JR. vice chair and KATHARINE M. HUBBARD secretary/treasurer. BRUCE W. HUGHES, CHRIS LEEVY JOHNSON and CATHERINE R. MONETTI were elected to the board. Read more: http://www.yourfoundation.org/about_us/news_details.aspx?news_id=38 . The Chicago Community Trust named GREGORY A. WHITE vice president of strategy and operations, SALLY VENVERLOH director of gift planning and PHILLIP THOMAS senior program officer. MICHAEL HANNAHER joined the Fargo-Moorhead Area Foundation as director of development. 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: 10.16.06