Getting Comfortable with Caring

How do I say write this without sounding like an old fuddy duddy?  With great difficulty and a low likelihood of success!

I think it is absolutely marvelous that the Red Cross has collected over $100 million from around the globe for the victims of the Haitian earthquake, predominantly through the texting of pledges.  (Well, actually, I think it is marvelous that $100 million has been raised; I am a little dubious about the Red Cross receiving all of that money as their recent track record Read more

Crucial time for charities

With the economic downturn staring us in the face, it’s hard to feel charitable even during this season of giving. But this has been a grim year for charities, just as it has for individuals and businesses. So charities are hopefully and anxiously anticipating this crucial period of year-end giving, traditionally fueled by goodwill and the promise of tax deductions.

If you’re wondering how you can afford to give to charity, I would ask how you can afford not to. Nonprofits enrich us with a wide Read more

A Tough Hybrid to Swallow – the L3C

My intent was to write about L3Cs—low-profit limited liability companies.    Five states already allow them, several more have legislation pending, and many are encouraging the congress to create such legislation.  Ever heard of them?

So I went looking for a simple, yet clear, definition of just what an L3C is.  In the process, I got sidetracked by a table comparing an LLC, an L3C and a nonprofit.

According to the design and intent of an L3C, it is a cross between a for-profit and nonprofit organization:  it Read more

Teach Your Children

One of the most important lessons of economic downturns gets lost in the panic of the moment, allowing too many to miss the lesson.  I don’t want that happening.  The lesson is quite simple:  prepare now for a healthy financial future.  If we are always preparing for the future, the present will be taken care of as well.  Instead, far too many organizations, and individuals, take care of the present, never thinking about the future. 

While many things go through my mind in thinking about the Read more

Teach Your Children October 24th, 2008 0 Comment

Take Heart

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  Unless this year is the exception to the rule, nonprofits should not be worrying about whether or from where their next dollar will be coming.  Relax; it will be coming.

According to the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University (the Center), philanthropy is stronger than the stock market, social upheaval Read more

Golden Fleece Redux

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In the mid-1970s, Senator William Proxmire, a Democrat from Wisconsin, created the Golden Fleece Award.  He would give this award to the organization which Read more