Posts Tagged ‘donations’

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Fund Scientific Research at 3AM

Wednesday, July 13th, 2011

cut-science-funding.jpg
(photo credit: Mark Ramsay)

Heard of Kickstarter? That new site where anyone with an idea and a plan to make it happen can raise money from the unwashed masses? Well until now it’s mostly been used to help bands record their breakout albums, help designers raise capital to manufacture life-improving products, and help slightly off do-gooders pay for various swing-installation projects.

But now scientists are getting in on the action. From the Kickstarter-funded Mexican quail research expedition to the new academics-only crowdfunding site Open Genius, the doors are open for promising researchers to avoid the pain of securing traditional government and foundation funding.

Which means that you have a unique opportunity to directly impact research you care about. It’s one thing to donate to a cancer research fund (which is a totally awesome thing to do, by the way), but it’s another thing entirely to choose the lab you want to support.

This is also a great opportunity to exercise your advocacy muscles. With just a little prodding and a link to a well-designed website, you can double, triple, or quadruple your donation by talking to friends or posting your pitch online.

Never underestimate the power of peer pressure and one-click donations.

Does An Increase In Donations Mean A Recovering Economy?

Wednesday, July 14th, 2010

In the first quarter of 2010, charitable donations rose sharply, which may indicate an economic recovery.

  • After donations to charity fell in 2009 due to the recession, first quarter reports indicate that 2010 looks much more promising.
  • Many charities are working on new fund-raising approaches in order to make donations seem more personal.
  • Even though things are looking up, it will still take a while for nonprofits to fully recover from the recession.

Facts and Figures

  • The median rate of growth for the 73 charities that The Chronicle of Philanthropy polled was 14%.
  • Donations decreased by about 12% in 2009.
  • The 73 organizations polled raised a total of $564.4 million more in the first quarter of 2010 than in the first quarter of 2009.

Best Quote

“The economy has certainly loosened up a bit, and that has loosened up how our donors feel and how we all feel.” – Joe Kender, Vice President for Advancement at Lehigh University

Rebuilding in Haiti?

Monday, July 12th, 2010

Six months after the disastrous earthquake, the rebuilding effort in Haiti is slow.

  • U.S. relief organizations have received $1.3 billion since the earthquake, but experts fear that it’s not enough to fund rebuilding.
  • Nonprofits have provided a lot of food and water, but may not be focused enough on providing shelter.
  • Hurricane season is imminent and aid experts emphasize the need for stable structures and shelters, especially in under-served rural areas.

Facts and Figures

  • An estimated 230,000 people were killed in the January 2010 earthquake.
  • Clearing rubble and establishing land rights are the two main obstacles to construction.
  • 3,722 transitional shelters have been built – each houses a family of 5.
  • Nonprofits aim to build 125,000 transitional shelters by mid-2011.

Best Quote

“I feel really good about what the donor community did in this first six months. I would feel even better if I knew that the donor community was poised to stay active over the long haul.” – Regine A. Webster, Senior Associate for Disaster Philanthropy at Arabella Advisors

Lower Charitable Tax Deductions Reduce Incentive To Give

Tuesday, July 6th, 2010

A proposal worries nonprofits as lower charitable tax deductions might keep donors from giving the big bucks.
  • Nonprofits in New York City are anxious that a state budget proposal will be implemented that greatly reduces tax deductions for charitable donations.
  • The proposal is meant to bolster New York’s sluggish economy by allowing the 3,500 New Yorkers who earn more than $10 million a year to deduct only 25% of their charitable contributions – instead of the 50% it is now.
  • If the proposal passes, it could generate up to $100 billion for the state, but it will also greatly decrease the incentive for high-income New Yorkers to donate to charities.

Best Quote

“Any proposal that could possibly decrease private giving is going to be a disaster for all nonprofits in New York City and throughout the state. The state cannot balance the budget on the backs of those in need.” – Michael Stoller, Executive Director, Human Services Council

Discount Philanthropy Doubles Your Donation

Friday, June 4th, 2010

Deal-of-the-day website Groupon.com makes good by making deals to donate.

  • Groupon, a website which offers no-strings-attached regional discounts on everything from restaurants to salons to cleaning services, has partnered with DonorsChoose.org to offer Groupon users half priced donations.
  • DonorsChoose.org allows public school teachers to describe materials they need or projects they’d like to do, and donors choose to support the ones they like.
  • The way it works is The Pershing Square Foundation matches what each Groupon donor contributes, making a $50 contribution worth $100.
  • DonorsChoose hopes to raise $1 million via the partnership with Groupon.

Best Quote

“I hope that what we’re doing with Groupon will show people that somebody who only has $10 to spare will be a philanthropist.” – Charles Best, Founder of DonorsChoose.org.

Philanthropic Committed Funds are…

Thursday, December 17th, 2009

Committed funds are money that a grantmaker has pledged to a nonprofit, but has yet to pay.

How much can you legally deduct on your taxes for charitable contributions?

Monday, October 5th, 2009

While tax laws are pretty complicated, there are still some general limits on charitable tax deductions. These limits only apply if you are donating a significant amount – more than 20% of your adjusted gross income (AGI). If you are not donating more than this amount in a year, then deduct away!

Once you reach the 20% threshold though, you should know the different limits on tax deductions that come into play. You can’t deduct more than 50% of your adjusted gross income (AGI) for cash donations, 30% for property, and 20% for assets. If you go over your limit for one year, you can roll the deductions out overthe next five years – and hopefully you’ll be able to deduct it all.

Battered Bonuses, Dropping Donations

Friday, September 25th, 2009

You may find it interesting which type of charities see the most decline during bad economic times. Just like certain industries might be hurting more than others, charities see uneven declines as well – this piece might help you when thinking about different donation strategies.

  • In 2008, charitable donations fell drastically as the effects of the recession were being fully realized.
  • Even with such a decline, total giving was still at at an historic level – higher than every previous year except 2007.
  • Charities are uncertain how the recession will continue to affect donations, but they are pretty sure that giving will keep declining for a while longer.

Facts & Figures

  • In 2008, gifts and pledges decreased 5.7% to $307.65 billion.
  • Charities that provide basic services (food banks and shelters) saw an estimated 15.95% decline in donations for 2008.

Best Quote

“We saw corporations begin rethinking their giving in greatly different ways, and we saw individuals begin to revisit their philanthropic priorities.” – Del Martin, Chairman of the Giving USA Foundation

A Letter of Inquiry is…

Monday, August 10th, 2009

A letter of inquiry (or LOI) is a one or two page description of what a nonprofit organization does and a request for financial support. Foundations and major donors often require them to be considered for funding.

A Donor is…

Monday, July 13th, 2009

A donor is someone who gives to charity. If you give money to your favorite nonprofit, then presto – you’re a donor!

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