NY Archdiocese To Let Nonprofit Run Struggling Catholic Schools

In an effort to save six struggling Catholic schools, the Archdiocese of New York has contracted an education nonprofit to run them this fall.

According to a report in The New York Daily News, the Partnership for Inner-City Education (PICE) -- which already has a history of working with Catholic schools -- will take over the finances and oversee the curriculum of the cash-strapped schools, located in the Bronx and Harlem. It marks the first time an independent organization has taken control of a NY parochial school.

“We want to have full enrollment and sustainability for the very long term,” Jill Kafka, executive director of PICE, said according to the report. “We’re really looking to have these schools alive for a long time.”

The six schools are:

• Mt Carmel-Holy Rosary, Our Lady Queen of Angels and St. Mark the Evangelist (Harlem) 
• St. Athanasius, Immaculate Conception (151st Street) and Sacred Heart (South Bronx)

PICE plans to allocate $9 million over the next five years to repair the building of the schools classroom materials, professional development for teachers, enrichment programs and other resources. The archdiocese will continue to oversee religious instruction and will retain ownership of the buildings.

In an announcement on the nonprofit's website, the following goals were laid out in regards to the group's plans for the schools:

• Provide low-income students with the academic preparation, values and life skills they will need to be successful throughout their lives. 
• Develop Catholic schools that are strong operationally and financially by maximizing enrollment, improving efficiency, rationalizing increased costs, and stabilizing revenue sources.

You can read the full story in The NY Daily News.

Housing Nonprofit Investigated Over Use Of Federal Funds

The United States Attorney's office is conducting an investigation to determine whether a now-defunct Portsmouth, Va.-based housing nonprofit misused hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal funds.

The organization, the Center for Community Development Inc., (CCDI) had worked in Portsmouth since 1990 to help renovate and provide homes to the needy. Bill Price, a spokesman for the Commonwealth's Attorney Earle Mobley, told The Virginian-Pilot that investigators were concerned about that amount of money that was used by the nonprofit.

“Based on the amount of money and that a significant portion was federal money, we asked the federal authorities to review it,” said Price.

The Center used $313,000 in federal funds from Portsmouth to renovate three properties, funds that the city eventually had to repay to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development because the projects weren’t completed under the federal HOME program. In addition to the $313,000, CCDI received $256,000 from the city council between November 2011 and December 2012.

CCDI closed in February 2012 and the Internal Revenue Service had put about $43,000 in tax liens on at least one of its properties.

For his part, CCDI founder Maury Cooke said Monday that the group's executive director, Bruce AsBerry, had requested a federal investigation into Portsmouth's money-lending practices and that he believes the organization is a victim of racial discrimination.

You can read the full story in The Virginian-Pilot.

Telling Your Nonprofit's Story

One could argue that the key to fundraising is presenting a story that is relatable while also telling potential donors what they can do about the particular situation.

So what's your nonprofit's story?

In his book “Winning The Story Wars,” Jonah Sacks suggests the use of what he calls core story elements, the components that will become part of the story strategy. Seeing members of the target audience as heroes in the making and recognizing the organization’s need and ability to mobilize them with a compelling story and inspiring message makes donors feel as though they can make a big difference.

The core story elements are:

• Brand Hero. This is the embodiment of the primary audience the organization seeks to reach.
• Brand Mentor. This is the embodiment of the brand.
• Brand Gift. This is the creative wild card that makes the brand special and makes the brand hero believe higher-level values can be pursued through a relationship with the brand.
• Moral of the Story. This is the core message that underlies, sometimes subtly and sometimes overtly, every story the organization tells.
• Brand Boon. This is the contribution to the world that the brand hero will ultimately make.

China To Lift Nonprofit Restrictions

The Chinese government announced Wednesday that it will lift some of its long-standing restrictions for outside nonprofit organizations, potentially opening the door to a greater partnership with these groups.

According to a report on ABC News' website, Civil Affairs Minister Li Liguo said in a news conference that as part of the Cabinet's recently announced restructuring, the government will begin to expand the functions that external nonprofits, which they call social organizations, are allowed to perform.

"Overall, from now on, the role that our country's social organizations will play in economic and social development will be expanded and strengthened," Li said at the Beijing news conference.

In the past organizations would have to find government sponsors in order to obtain official registration that would grant them nonprofit status in the eyes of the Chinese government, allowing them to operate legally, raise funds domestically, and be eligible for some tax deductions. That process will no longer be necessary, Li announced, as groups will be able to register themselves directly through the Civil Affairs Ministry. While Li did not explain how applications would be assessed, he said the Ministry would set up a mechanism to process registrations and supervise and regulate independent groups.

The new changes would apply to nonprofits, charities, community service groups, industry associations, and organizations that work in science and technology. This would seem to exclude organizations that are working to expose environmental pollution or expand the rule of law. It is also unclear whether nonprofits that operate in other "sensitive" areas, such as AIDS prevention, would be treated differently. Such nonprofits are frequently reported as being harassed by local police and tax authorities.

Lu Jun, organizer of the anti-discrimination group Yirenping, acknowledged to The Associated Press that the new changes indicate that the Chinese government doesn't view all nonprofits as a threat now. Still, he said that by seemingly excluding these more sensitive groups, China still has a long way to go.

"Not opening up to these kinds of organizations is a huge flaw," he reportedly told the AP.

You can read the full story on ABC News' website.

New Foundation To Oversee Newtown Fund

A new foundation has been formed to oversee the more than $9 million that has been donated to the Newtown Fund since the shootings took place Dec. 14.

Soon after the tragic shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., the United Way of Western Connecticut and Newtown Savings Banks set up a fund for donations. The organization, however, did not want to oversee the money, so a transition team was formed to create a foundation that would distribute the funds for charitable purposes.

According to The Hartford Courant, the organization, known as the Newtown-Sandy Hook Community Foundation Inc., took two months to create. During that period, members of the team drafted bylaws for the foundation. The transition team officially transferred authority to the foundation, which has former U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman as an unpaid advisor. Lieberman met with families of victims on Wednesday to explain how the organization will operate, and to solicit suggestions.

While the foundation is open for business, it is not yet ready to begin distributing money. The board will first consider requests and suggestions that will be vetted by a "distribution committee." According to Newtown Selectman Will Rodgers, who headed the efforts to form the foundation, there is a possibility there will be more than one distribution committee.

Rodgers told The Courant that there is not yet a timetable for when the first funds will be distributed.

You can read the full story in The Hartford Courant.

Georgia Bill To Allow Nonprofit Food Distribution

The Georgia House of Representatives unanimously passed a law today that would allow nonprofits to sell food for short-term fundraising events without a permit. The bill will now move onto the state Senate for consideration.

ABC affiliate WTXL reported that the measure, House Bill 101, was first introduced by Rep. Bubber Epps (R-Dry Branch) and sponsored by Reps. Tom McCall (R-Elberton), Rick Jasperse (R-Jasper), Susan Holmes (R-Monticello), Buddy Harden (R-Cordele), and Robert Dickey III (R-Musella). If the bill is passed by the Senate and signed by Gov. Nathan Deal, it would remove a key obstacle for nonprofits looking to hold fundraisers in Georgia.

“Churches and other nonprofit organizations throughout the state are trying to hold bake sales and other similar fundraisers, but are getting caught in a state permit requirement that is meant for restaurants,” said Epps in a statement. “This legislation will make it easier for non-profit organizations to hold weekend fundraisers without having to deal with the hassle of obtaining a food service permit.”

Current Georgia law requires institutions classified as "food service establishments" to have a food service permit. The definition of such establishment encompasses restaurants, coffee shops, and other private and public institutions. While fairs and festivals are exempt from the law, similar short-term events are not, which have made it difficult for nonprofits conducting weekend fundraisers.

House Bill 101 would amend that law so that any event sponsored by a nonprofit or government entity would be exempt from that requirement, so long as the event lasts 120 hours or less.

You can read the full story on WTXL's website.

Nonprofit Arguments On LinkedIn

UPDATE 2/4: Our first discussion topic is now available. The topic is whether nonprofits should get postal discounts when the USPS is bleeding money.

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LinkedIn is one of the more popular tools for job seekers today, as it allows them to connect with individuals who can help them land a job. Did you know it's also a great place for provocative discussions?

There are literally thousands of groups on LinkedIn on a variety of topics, including the nonprofit sector. The NonProfit Times has such a group, and we want to invite our readers to join our group to participate in some discussions regarding topics in the sector. In the next few weeks or so, we will be posting some of these questions and we want you to be a part of it.

Head over to our LinkedIn page now and join before the fun starts.

State Connection Examined In Nonprofit Probe

A federal and state investigation into an Albany, N.Y.-based nonprofit turned its attention to the state level, as investigators examined the circumstances that led to a former assemblyman from Brooklyn being added to the organization's payroll.

According to a report in The Albany Times Union, details emerged Thursday that investigators were looking into how former Brooklyn assemblyman William F. Boyland Sr., came to be on the payroll of the Altamont Program, the parent organization of Father Peter Young's network of services for the homeless. The date of Boyland Sr.'s addition to the organization came shortly after he and his son, William Boyland Jr., arranged grants to the organization. The grants, known as member items, totaled at least $1.2 million over four years beginning in 2006.

That wasn't the only grant Boyland Sr., helped procure for the Altamont Program. He and Assemblyman Speaker Sheldon Silver secured a $300,000 community project grant for the organization in 2004. After he left office in 2006 his son, Boyland Jr., secured three successive legislative grants from 2006 to 2009. Those funds were managed by the state's Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, according to records.

The Altamon Program was originally under investigation for allegations that Dennis Bassat, a director at one of the Program's offices in Troy, embezzled funds and misused its credit card. There are also questions about the nonprofit's use of its grant funding and payroll expenditures.

Bassat was fired two years ago after officials at the Troy location discovered he had allegedly issued checks from a business account to fake employees and then took the money for himself. Officials said the checks were written in amounts of less than $600 to avoid detection.

The investigation expanded into the Boylands' role in the organization on Thursday, when state investigators and FBI agents obtained a search warrant for the Troy offices. Financial records were seized by investigators, and employees were questioned. A source told The Times Union that one employee at the organization questioned exactly what Boyland did and whether he was provided with a credit card.

You can read the full story in The Times Union.

Tampa To Review Deals With Nonprofits

The city council of Tampa, Fl. has called for a review of contracts with the city's nonprofits to determine how many are falling short of their obligations.

The review was ordered after Councilwoman Lisa Montelione discovered that the Steward's Foundation had fallen short of the terms of the 25-year lease it originally signed with Tampa in 2003, according to a report on  Tampa Bay Online. In exchange for paying $1 a year to use 3 acres in Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park, the organization was to teach rowing to high school students, host competitions, and provide a training area for out-of-state college teams.

That end of the bargain was fulfilled, but the Foundation still has not built the $2 million boathouse the city ordered it to construct after a 2007 renewal of the lease. A temporary structure for the boathouse exists, but the lack of permanent structure lead to the Foundation defaulting on its agreement with the city.

The Council voted 5-2 to send out a formal default notice to the organization, which gives it 60 days to correct the problem or face eviction. Mayor Bob Buckhorn has so far decided to let Steward's continue its work in Riverfront Park while the city works out its future.

Steward's Foundation president Tom Feaster told Tampa Bay Online that the reason the boathouse has not yet been constructed is because the organization has been unable to find donors for the project, due to uncertainty about the city's plans for the park.

According to public tax filings, the Foundation spent about $100,000 on its rowing programs in 2010. Feaster has maintained that other than the issue with the boathouse, his organization is fulfilling its mission, putting over 250 students a day on the Hillsbourough River to learn teamwork and improve their fitness.

Montelione will begin reviewing the agreements with the other city's nonprofits, and suggested to the Council that they may have to end support for them if they are unable to meet their obligations.

You can read the full story on Tampa Bay Online's website.

Nonprofits Advocate For Charitable Deduction

The Charitable Giving Coalition -- a group of nonprofit advocates from 40 states -- traveled to Washington, D.C., yesterday. Their mission? To make sure the charitable deduction isn't eliminated during on-going discussions on how to avoid the so-called "fiscal cliff."

According to an article in The Worcester Telegram, the group is part of an effort called "Protect Giving," which involves an estimated 280 people from more than 50 nonprofits. They met with members of Congress to plead with them to leave the charitable deduction off of the chopping block.

While both Democrats and Republicans agree the cliff needs to be avoided, they remain at an impasse because President Barack Obama is insisting tax rates go up on the wealthiest 2 percent. Republicans say they are ready to accept increased revenue as part of a deal, but that it can't come from tax hikes, which they say will destroy jobs. They say any revenue should come from closing loopholes and eliminating deductions.

Yet many economists claim that it is impossible to raise the revenue Republicans claim they can get ($800 billion) without eliminating virtually all deductions, including the charitable deduction. Nonprofit officials say that if it were to be eliminated, giving to organizations would be severely damaged.

The sector appears to have an ally in this fight with President Obama, who said in an interview with Bloomberg TV on Tuesday that  if the deduction were eliminated, "Every hospital and university and not-for-profit agency across the country would suddenly find themselves on the verge of collapse. So that's not a realistic option." Nonprofits the past have fought hard against the Obama administration's efforts to reduce the charitable deduction.

Tim Garvin, president of United Way of Central Massachusetts and a member of the Coalition, told The Telegram that the group met with nearly 240 legislative offices, including staffers from the offices of Sens. John Kerry (D-MA), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT). Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) also came to listen to the group's advocacy.

You can read the full story in The Worcester Telegram.

Pittsburgh To Begin PILOT Dialogue With Nonprofits

The city of Pittsburgh on Tuesday began new dialogue with nonprofits to develop a system for payments in lieu of taxes (PILOTs). The move was urged by state officials.

Pittsburgh becomes the latest city, following the example of Portland, Maine, to attempt to get payments from nonprofits. It comes after Pennsylvania's Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority (ICA) approved the city's 2013 budget and five-year plan, according to a report in The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The plan was approved on the condition that Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl form a task group on nonprofits by Dec. 31 and report on its findings by June 30.

In a letter to Mayor Ravenstahl, ICA chairman Dana Yealy wrote that the task force should examine how other cities handle PILOTs and make recommendations as to how much nonprofits should contribute in a similar program in Pittsburgh. In a statement, Ravenstahl thanked the ICA for "supporting the city's ongoing efforts to receive fair nonprofit payments."

The meetings of the task force must be public, wrote Yealy, and he added that the ICA reserved the right to rescind approval of the city's $469 million budget if Pittsburgh doesn't comply with the directive.

This is not Pittsburgh's first experience with PILOTs. The approval of the city's 2012 was briefly rescinded after there was concern that not enough was being done to get payments from nonprofits. The Tuesday directive by the state was motivated by the fact that the city's largest source of nonprofit contributions -- the Pittsburgh Public Service Fund -- is set to expire at the end of 2013. The city anticipates around $2.6 million from that fund this year, though the amount contributed by nonprofits is not disclosed, something Yealy wants changed with future PILOT agreements.

The fund is the largest source of funds from nonprofits, but the city also has some private contracts in place, including agreements with 10 to 20 nonprofits that were just renewed. Those agreements will net the city $450,000 to $500,000 this year.

You can read the full story in The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Nonprofits Testify In Favor Of Specialty Plates

Leaders from nonprofit groups testified before Indiana lawmakers Wednesday, urging them not to stop the sale of specialty license plates, which they say account for much of their fundraising.

According to a report from CBS News, a legislative study committee heard about an hour of testimony on the subject from representatives from local nonprofits such as the Indianapolis Zoo. The issue of specialty plates first arose last year when conservative lawmakers attempted to kill the sale of plates for the Indiana Youth Group (IYG), an organization for gay youth. That effort failed but the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) eventually took away plate privileges from IYG and two other nonprofits, accusing the organizations of trading low-digit plates for contributions.

IYG maintains they did nothing wrong.

Nonprofit leaders who testified Wednesday said that plate programs are a legitimate public-private partnership that help organizations provide services for which the state would usually pay. Individuals pay $40 for the specialty plates, with $25 going to the organization and $15 going to the BMV. There are currently 459,000 of these plates on cars in Indiana.

"From the tax revenue standpoint, the specialty plate program is a win-win-win for the State of Indiana," said Charles Hyde, director of membership for the Indianapolis Zoo.

Sen. Earline Rogers (D-Gary) questioned the wisdom of the Legislature approving which groups would receive plates, saying that politics could enter the equation. Meanwhile, former state legislator and treasurer Joyce Brinkman testified that lawmakers should only issue plates to organizations whose activities help state services. She also recommended a regulatory system be put in place, something to which nonprofit organizers said they would be receptive.

Committee Chairman Ed Soliday (R-Valparaiso) said that Wednesday's hearing would be the only one on specialty plates before the panel reports to the Legislature, which is expected to take up the issue in January.

You can read the full story on CBS News' website.

Russia Set To Limit Foreign Nonprofits

Russia has introduced a bill that, if approved, would label all nonprofits with funding from outside of the country as "foreign agents." The law would also put numerous financial burdens on foreign organizations.

According to a report in The New York Times, the country's ruling party, United Russia, has scheduled the first three readings of the bill on Friday. In addition to the "foreign agent" label, which critics say is an attempt to discredit organizations' work, the law would also subject nonprofits to annual audits and random checks for "extremist speech" in their materials. Organizations that are found to be in violation would be fined up to 1 million rubles ($30,000).

Critics of the proposed law say that it is yet another attempt by the Russian government to silence dissent. The law would come after a recent bill pushed through parliament that would subject Russian citizens to heavy fines for participating in "unauthorized" protests.

Free speech activists say that if the bill is passed, Russian donors will be afraid to give money to organizations that are seen to be criticizing the government. The bill's sponsors brushed off criticism, saying that the law is on par with the United States' Foreign Agents Registration Act, a law that requires nonprofits to reveal any foreign support they receive. The main difference with that law, however, is that it only applies to organizations that directly represent governments; the Russian law applies to individual and financial support in addition.

"The ultimate goal of funding nonprofit organizations, as a form of ‘soft power,’ is a colored revolution," wrote Aleksandr Sidyakin, a United Russia deputy and sponsor of the bill, on his blog last week. "This is not a myth of government propaganda, it is objective political reality. The United States is trying to affect Russian politics." Sidyakin also made specific references to organizations that monitor elections, such as Golos. The agency, which is financed by two American organizations, has monitored Russian elections for 11 years, and recently came under pressure by the Russian government following disputed elections last December.

You can read the full story in The New York Times.

Game Changing Ruling On Tax Exemption?

A Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling on the tax exempt status of a Brooklyn, N.Y.-based Orthodox Jewish school's camp could have the potential to set precedent for future legal challenges of charities.

According to a report in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Mesivtah Eitz Chaim of Bobov Inc. summer camp was ruled not to be a nonprofit, despite being owned by a religious institution. This is because most of the 61-acre property surrounding the camp does not meet the criteria for charities in Pennsylvania.

The ruling has some concerned that we could be returning to the times, mainly in the 1980s and 1990s, when the tax exempt status of nonprofits was regularly challenged by local governments. A spokesman for Pennsylvania state Senate Pro Tem Joe Scarnati openly raised the possibility that the state's constitution might need to be amended the clarify the section on purely public charities.

The court's decision, a narrow 4-3 ruling, had this kind of impact for a number of reasons. For one, it turned the notion of what qualifies as a nonprofit on its head. Yet even more telling was that the court cited its own 1985 ruling, Hospital Utilization Project v. Commonwealth, as the controlling point, not a 1997 law known as Act 55, which lays out what defines a public charity.

The 1985 ruling, also known as the HUP Test, states that a purely public charity must pass five tests to gain tax exemption: advance a charitable purpose; donate or render gratuitously a substantial portion of its services; benefit a substantial and indefinite class of persons who are legitimate subjects of charity; operate entirely free from private profit motive; and relieve the government of some of its burden. Mesivtah Eitz Chaim of Bobov Inc met every criteria except the last one.

We have already seen a number of legal challenges of tax exempt organizations in the past year, with the most famous example being the case of a number of nonprofit hospitals in Illinois.

You can read the full story in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 

Bay Citizen Close To Merger With Nonprofit News Group

The Bay Citizen, a San Francisco, Ca.-based news organization, has announced plans to merge with Berkley's Center for Investigative Reporting (CIR), a nonprofit investigative news group.

The agreement between the two news groups has been rumored for weeks, but The San Francisco Chronicle reported that The Bay Citizen officially announced the plan on their website Tuesday.  Under the agreement, CIR would run the day-to-day operations of The Bay Citizen within 30 days.  The merger is pending approval from both organizations' boards.

If the merger does go through as planned, former San Francisco Chronicle Executive Editor and Hearst Editor at Large Phil Bronstein will become executive chairman of the combined groups.  Bronstein is currently the chairman of CIR's board of directors and was the first choice of The Bay Citizen's late founder Warren Hellman.  It was also confirmed that Robert Rosenthal would remain CIR's executive director, and would also direct the editorial operations of the combined organization.

Plans for a merger had been in the works for quite sometime, but started to gain steam recently.  Just last month, Bronstein made a presentation to the board of The Bay Citizen, in which he outlined the advantages of a merger between the two groups.  He told them that they would be able to use each other's strengths by forming one group, and he identified economies of at least $1 million in operating expenseses.

You can read the full story on this potential merger in The San Francisco Chronicle.

Gleason Gras Tackles ALS

Five years ago, Steve Gleason experienced one of the high points of his football life.

The former New Orleans Saints safety participated in one of the most dramatic moments in the NFL on September 25, 2006.  His blocked punt against the Atlanta Falcons highlighted the re-opening of the Louisiana Superdome, which had been closed since Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005.  Five years after that memorable game, Gleason announced that he had been diagnosed with ALS (or Lou Gehrig's disease), a fatal disease that damages the nerves that control muscle movement.  There is currently no cure, but that hasn't stopped Gleason from trying to raise awareness.

A day before the Saints' 49-24 win over the New York Giants on Monday Night Football, The Louisiana Hospitality Foundation hosted the first annual Gleason Gras, an all day festival featuring music, games, food, and other entertainment.  WWLTV covered the event, which raised $200,000.  That money will go to the Gleason Family Trust to help offset the costs of living with ALS.

Yet for Gleason, this was just the opening act.  He told WWLTV that the ultimate goal is to raise global and national awareness about ALS.  That's a big part of why he founded his own nonprofit, Team Gleason.  That organization has multiple arms, including the Gleason Initiative Foundation, which works to help other patients struggling with Lou Gherig's Disease.

History tells us that Steve Gleason will lose his battle with ALS, as many have done before him.  But maybe, just maybe, his efforts can pave the way toward a cure in the future.  To read more about Gleason Gras and Team Gleason, head on over to WWLTV.

Maine Gov. Excludes Nonprofits From Jobs Workshop

Maine nonprofits want to know why Governor Paul LePage is excluding nonprofits from an upcoming jobs workshop.

According to an article in The Kennebec Journal, Brenda Peluso, executive director for the Maine Association of Nonprofits, sent a letter to the governor requesting to have a seat at one of his upcoming workshops.  She hoped it would give her an opportunity to talk about the obstacles nonprofits face when it comes to job creation.  What she got instead was a letter from LePage's secretary rejecting her request:

"Because the goal is to hear firsthand from businesses, first priority will be given to them with seating.  If the situation changes as the event nears, I would be happy to include you on an alternate list and contact you."

Nonprofits employ 82,000 people in Maine.  Only the retail industry employs more people, so Peluso thought it would have been appropriate for them to have a seat at the table.  In a statement given to The Journal, LePage's press secretary said the upcoming workshops were meant only for private enterprises, which he believes are the primary sources of job creation in Maine.

Nonprofit Leaders Talk Change At United Front

Three years ago, nonprofits in Minnesota came to a realization: Government funding was disappearing as a result of the recession, and they were going to have to make significant changes.  The Greater Twin Cities United Way brought together nonprofit leaders from the state to come up with an answer.  What came out of that meeting was the United Front campaign.  It encouraged Minnesota nonprofits to work together so they could adequately address the problems facing their communities.  The annual meeting of this campaign took place last week in St. Paul, Minn.

According to the Star Tribune, the ultimate goal of these annual meetings is to create coordination among the agencies involved so they can help residents of the Twin Cities who have been affected by growing poverty and the economic downturn.  To help this effort, the Twin Cities United Way created a nonprofit merger fund.  This has helped support the mergers of more than 20 nonprofits over the last three years.  The organization has also funded programs like the Twin Cities Hunger Initiative and the Minnesota Coalition to End Violence.

You can read the full piece from The Star Tribune by visiting their website.  You can also visit The NonProfit Times to read an article about how Minnesota nonprofits were affected by their state's recent government shutdown.

2010 Nonprofit Salary Survey

The 2010 Nonprofit Salary Survey gives you details on a wide range of topics that involve salaries for nonprofits. In this survey you will find out the base salary and cash compensation data with percentile rankings for each position, bonus pay practices (including average payout), percentage receiving and organizations paying, annual salary increases (prior and current year; executive and non-executive), employee turnover and average tenure by position, and more!

If you are in charge of structuring nonprofit salaries for an organization, or someone who wishes to start a nonprofit, the 2010 Nonprofit Salary and Benefits Report is a must have for you and your organization.  Don’t let your organization become less competitive in the job market because you are not up-to-date on the current average salaries for a job: Get the 2010 Nonprofit Salary survey today and make sure you are as competitive as the next organization.

Why Are Nonprofit So Popular in Martha's Vineyard?

Even if you've never been there, you have surely heard of Martha's Vineyard.  Located south of Cape Cod, the island is a top vacation spot for tourists all over the country (and the world) in the summer.  Perhaps you are already planning on taking a vacation there this year.  Well here's something you might not know about this little island: It is home to a ton of nonprofit organizations.  They make up 13 percent of the island's GDP, a staggering number by any standard.

In a recent article in Martha's Vineyard Magazine, Peter Temple of Martha's Vineyard Donors Collaborative (MVDC) discusses why nonprofits are so popular on the island.  There are a number of reasons, but Temple highlights one in particular: There are many philanthropic issues that need attention there.  For such an idyllic location, there are many distressing statistics that hang over the Vineyard.  This includes an off-season unemployment rate of over 13 percent, median incomes that are 27 percent lower than the state average, and a major shortage of affordable housing.  This has been mainly a result of the huge population growth that the island has seen recently. 

With such troubling issues hitting Martha's Vineyard, it's no wonder that nonprofits have found a lot of important work to do there.  You can read the full article at MVMagazine.com to learn more about what MVDC does, and the relationship between not-for-profits and the island.