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2004 Trends of the Week
December 19, 2004 - January 1, 2005
More than half of nonprofits say their donations increased
during the first nine months of the year, but seven in 10 say demand for their
services also rose. The results are part of the third annual nonprofit economic
survey conducted by GuideStar, a nonprofit that gathers and disseminates
information about charities. While the increase in donations was seen throughout
the U.S. and across focus areas, the study shows that nonprofits with annual
expenditures of $20 million or more are most likely to report an increase in
contributions. It also shows that nonprofits in the employment/job-related and
youth development fields were most likely to report an increase in demand for
their services.
Go to:
philanthropyjournal.org
December 12 - 18, 2004
The first-ever Nonprofit and Association E-learning Survey
shows wide and growing adoption of e-learning among nonprofit organizations and
associations, with more than 54 percent of total respondents either using
e-learning or planning to in the next 12 months. Sponsored by Isoph (http://www.isoph.com)
and N-TEN (http://www.nten.org),
the survey provides the first broad data on mission-based organizations' use of
e-learning technologies. From August 24 through September 15, 2004, 697
individuals responded to the Web-based survey, offering important insight into
how nonprofits and associations develop and use e-learning. Additional findings
include:
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High satisfaction: More than 88 percent of
respondents indicated they were very or somewhat satisfied with their
e-learning programs. Another 10 percent reported that they were somewhat
dissatisfied, while only 2 percent were very dissatisfied with their
e-learning programs. |
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Key benefits: convenience, access, and
cost-effectiveness. Almost 88 percent of respondents listed "convenience for
learners" as a key benefit of e-learning. "Cost effectiveness" and "ability
to reach more learners" were also chosen as key benefits by over 70 percent
of respondents. |
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Biggest barrier: staff time. When asked to
report the three biggest barriers in developing e-learning, "staff time" was
the only choice listed by a majority of respondents (54 percent). "Funding,"
"expertise," "concern about end users' technology," and "concern for
effectiveness" were all listed as barriers by at least 30 percent of
respondents. The full survey report, including key findings as well as
statistics, is available for download as a PDF file at
www.isoph.com.
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December 5
- 11, 2004
In the nonprofit sector a growing trend is the increase in
strategic restructuring. This often occurs when multiple nonprofits have
overlapping missions, serve the same community or offer similar services. Those
nonprofits unwilling to merge or be acquired could simply go out of existence.
Creating alliances is another alternative. For instance, an alliance of
shelters or food pantries for a metropolitan area or state could offer a
purchasing cooperative for common supplies. LaPiana Associates has compiled a
list contains references to articles in the popular press from 1997 to 2004 that
highlight examples of strategic restructuring. Go to:
www.lapiana.org
November 21
- December 4, 2004
Rising health costs in America are causing a crisis in the
nonprofit sector, according to a recent study conducted by The Center for Civil
Society Studies at the Johns Hopkins Institute for Policy Studies. The survey,
“The Health Benefits Squeeze: Implications for Nonprofit Organizations and Those
They Serve,” outlines the impact of increasing health care expenses in the U.S.
on the nonprofit sector.
Go to:
www.onphilanthropy.com November 14 - 20, 2004
Foundations for Success: Emerging Trends in Grantmakers' Use
of the Internet
Drawing on ten years of experience working with some of the
nation's most forward-thinking foundations, this research report discusses how
foundations are using new technology to support grant making. Foundations for
Success focuses on four major trends in grantmakers' use of the Internet:
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Transparency: Using the
Internet to heighten awareness of a foundation's purpose and programs,
priorities, recent grants and funding criteria, as well as the outcomes of
its grantmaking. |
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Network Building: Creating
an online workspace in which funders, grantees and other foundation
stakeholders collaborate and share timely information to maximize their
effectiveness. |
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Knowledge Management:
Implementing Web-based systems to capture, synthesize, manage and
disseminate knowledge gleaned from funders and grantees. |
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Integrated Grants
Management: Building Web-based systems to streamline the grants management
life cycle, from eligibility screening and online application submission to
proposal review and grantee reporting. |
Go to:
www.iapps.com/Resources
November 7 - 13, 2004
A new study from the Pew Hispanic Center in Washington, D.C., finds that the
wealth gap between Hispanic and white households is growing and far exceeds the
gap in household income between the two groups.
Based on an analysis of data from the U.S. Census Bureau,
the study, The Wealth of Hispanic Households: 1996 to 2002, found that while the
median income of Hispanic and African American households in 2002 was two-thirds
that of white households, the median net worth of Hispanic households was
$7,932, compared to $88,651 for white households and only $5,988 for African
American households.
According to the study, between 1999 and 2001 the net worth
of Hispanic and African-American households, which were especially hard hit by
the recession in 2001 and the jobless recovery that followed, fell by 27
percent, while the net worth of white households increased by 2 percent. Go to:
fdncenter.org
October 31 - November 6, 2004
Child Trends is a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization dedicated to
improving the lives of children by conducting research and providing
science-based information to improve the decisions, programs, and policies that
affect children and their families. In advancing its mission, Child Trends
collects and analyzes data; conducts, synthesizes, and disseminates research;
designs and evaluates programs; and develops and tests promising approaches to
research in the field. In keeping with its mission to improve the lives of
children, Child Trends shares the results of its research and analysis with
those who set policy, provide services, fund programs, launch studies, and shape
opinions related to children and their families Research areas include:
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Child Well-Being, including child abuse,
neglect, and family violence; early childhood development; education; foster
care/adoption; health; and youth development. |
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Marriage/Family, including adolescent sexual
behavior; family strengths; and fatherhood. |
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Research Methods. |
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Welfare and Poverty. |
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Public Information and Public Policy |
Go to:
www.childtrends.org
October 24 - 30, 2004
As some of the demands that have
commanded attention in mid-life recede, baby boomers will have the potential to
become a social resource of unprecedented proportions by actively participating
in the life of their communities. But will they participate? Compared to their
parents' generation, the so-called "Greatest Generation," boomers have done less
by every measure of civic engagement, including rates of voting and joining
community groups. This and related questions are examined in a report released t
by the Harvard School of Public Health-MetLife Foundation Initiative on
Retirement and Civic Engagement. The Report identifies strategies to expand the
contributions of boomers to civic life. MetLife Foundation provided $1 million
to fund the Initiative. Based in part on a national conference convened by the
Initiative, and commissioned background papers, the Report distills insights of
key thinkers on the implications of aging boomers on society and ways to channel
their skills and interests to strengthen local communities. Go to:
www.hsph.harvard.edu
October 17 -
23, 2004
This paper by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO),
prepared at the request of the Senate Finance Committee, examines the effect
that changing the estate tax would have on donations to charity. Because
charitable bequests lower the taxable amount of estates, the tax gives people an
incentive to contribute to charity at death rather than leave assets to heirs.
Furthermore, the estate tax provides an incentive to make charitable
contributions during life. The paper finds that increasing the amount exempted
from the estate tax from $675,000 to either $2 million or $3.5 million would
reduce charitable giving by less than 3 percent. However, repealing the tax
would have a larger impact, decreasing donations to charity by 6 percent to 12
percent. Go to:
www.cbo.gov
October 10 - 16, 2004
This article highlights trends in philanthropy in African American communities
and offers advice to professionals who want to tap into this under-recognized
field. The article includes advice to fundraising professionals wishing to
better understand black philanthropy as well as a number of other studies on the
subject. Go to:
www.onphilanthropy.com
October 3 -
9, 2004
A new RAND report, The Performing Arts in a New Era, by
Kevin McCarthy et al., addresses the question: What are the overall trends
affecting the performing arts in the last few decades, and what do they imply
about the future of arts in America? The study, supported by funds from The Pew
Charitable Trusts, is the first to provide a comprehensive overview of the
performing arts. It synthesizes available data on theater, opera, dance, and
music, in both their live and recorded forms. Although most of the existing data
are about the nonprofit performing arts--and those data have serious
limitations--the study also analyzes the commercial performing arts, such as the
recording industry and Broadway theater, as well as the volunteer sector, by
which the authors mean arts activities that are carried out primarily by amateur
and small community-oriented nonprofit groups. The research focuses on signs of
change in arts audiences, artists, arts organizations, and financing over the
past 20 years--both in the aggregate and, where the data allow, by discipline
and sector.
Go to:
www.rand.org/publications
September 26
- October 2, 2004
A survey by software provider Blackbaud, in Charleston, South Carolina, finds
that nonprofits are reporting increases in their budgets, funded staff
positions, donations made by individuals, and demand for services.According
to State of the Nonprofit Industry, 59 percent of nonprofits reported an
increase in their budgets for 2004; 96 percent expect either to maintain or add
to executive/management staffing levels; 57 percent reported growth in donations
from individuals; and 75 percent indicated a rise in demand for the services
they provide. "These results are good news for the nonprofit industry," said
Blackbaud CEO Robert J. Sywolski. "With more money and staff at their disposal,
organizations are better equipped to deliver on their missions. It is clear from
the growing demand for their services that nonprofits continue to play a vital
role in helping those in need." Go to:
www.blackbaud.com/resources
September
19 - 25, 2004
A report released in 2002 by INDEPENDENT SECTOR and the
National Council of Churches details the extraordinary philanthropy of America’s
givers to religion. Faith and Philanthropy: The Connection Between Charitable
Behavior and Giving to Religion reveals that households that give to religion
are the bedrock of giving to the nation’s nonprofit organizations. Households
that give to both religious and secular causes give more money and volunteer
more than households that give to only one type of organization. To
download a .pdf file, go to:
www.independentsector.org
September
12 - 18, 2004
On August 19, OMB Watch released a new report, "Recent Trends in Nonprofit
Employment and Earnings: 1990-2004," which examines the recent history of
employment and compensation trends in the nonprofit sector. It found that while
growth in nonprofit employment continued during the 2001 recession and
immediately after, it stalled over the past year, with significant declines in
average hours worked, weekly earnings, and hourly wages. Data on individual
states reflect this nationwide pattern.
According to government data, employment in the nonprofit sector has grown by
only about 0.5 percent in the year ending July 2004 -- which is well below its
average rate of 2.4 percent annual growth over the past 15 years. Average weekly
earnings dropped significantly over the past year, indicating a weak labor
market. This was due in part to declines in both hourly compensation and the
average number of hours worked weekly, which had been stable through early
2003. Go to:
www.ombwatch.org
September 5
- 11, 2004
Input from the 8th Third Sector New England Conference, May
13-14, 2002
On the first day of the Third Sector New England 's 8th
"Nonprofit Workout" conference, Ruth McCambridge asked the over 450 participants
to meet in small groups to discuss the following question: "What are the trends
that are affecting the health and well being of our organizations and
communities?"
The responses of the groups to this question were then
distilled into eight trends. These trends with some of the examples provided by
the groups are listed at:
www.nonprofitquarterly.org
August 29 -
September 4, 2004
The nation’s official poverty rate rose from 12.1 percent in 2002 to 12.5
percent in 2003, according to Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in
the United States: 2003, a report released by the U.S. Census Bureau. At the
same time, the number of people with health insurance increased by 1.0 million
to 243.3 million between 2002 and 2003, and the number without such coverage
rose by 1.4 million to 45.0 million. The percentage of the nation’s population
without coverage grew from 15.2 percent in 2002 to 15.6 percent in 2003.
Other main findings include:
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Real median household money
income did not change from 2002 to 2003. All historical income data are
expressed in 2003 dollars and were adjusted using the Consumer PriceIndex
Research Series, which measured inflation at 2.3 percent between 2002 and
2003. |
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The ratio of female-to-male earnings in
2003 for full-time, year-round workers was 76 percent, a decline from 77
percent in 2002, because of a decline in the earnings of female year-round
full-time workers. |
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The official poverty rate
rose, from 12.1 percent in 2002 to 12.5 percent in 2003. The number in
poverty increased also, by 1.3 million people, to 35.9 million in 2003. In
2003, the average poverty threshold for a family of four was $18,810; for a
family of three, $14,680. |
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The poverty rates for people
18 to 64 and those 65 and older remained unchanged, but the poverty rate for
children rose from 16.7 percent in 2002 to 17.6 percent in 2003. |
Go to:
www.census.gov
August 22 -
28, 2004
On June 22, 2004, the US Senate Committee on Finance issued
a white paper calling for major reforms and new regulations to be imposed on
nonprofits. Grant Thornton has developed a good summary of the key proposals
contained in the white paper. According to Grant Thornton, some or all of these
proposals might be enacted but many may not. For a copy of the summary, go to:
www.grantthornton.com August 15 -
21, 2004
Shrinking funds for nonprofits in a struggling and competitive economy call for
entrepreneurial thinking and innovative approaches to fundraising. According to
Campaign Consultation Inc, the following trends impact the survival of nonprofit
organizations: Go to:
epicenter.nationalserviceresources.org
August 8 -
14, 2004
The percentage of children in the United States who are
Hispanic doubled between 1980 and 2002, from 9 percent to 18 percent, and is
projected to increase to nearly one-quarter (24 percent) of the child population
by 2020. The United States has a long history of ethnic and racial diversity in
its population. That diversity has accelerated in recent decades, a trend which
is expected to continue into the future. To view a .pdf file, go to:
www.childtrendsdatabank.org
August 1 -
7, 2004
This research report published in 2003 by Independent
Sector provides data about the growth of employment in the nonprofit sector over
the last three decades. Nonprofits have consistently outpaced the for-profit and
public sectors in job growth. To download a .pdf file, go to:
www.independentsector.org
July 25 -
31, 2004
Blurred Boundaries and Muddled Motives: A World of Shifting Social
Responsibilities - This article, published by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation in
2003, explores the growing trend of the blurring of traditional boundaries
between the nonprofit and private business sectors. To download a .pdf file, go
to:
www.wkkf.org
July 18 -
24, 2004
A new report from Forbes Funds addresses some of the critical issues related to
how jobseekers perceive nonprofit work and what needs to be done to attract and
retain them. To download this report as a .pdf file, go to:
www.forbesfunds.org.
July 11 -
17, 2004
This article, appearing in E-Philanthropy Review, describes
five information technology trends that will have significant impact on
nonprofit fund development efforts. According to the author, Ephraim Feig, CTO
and Chief Marketing Officer for Kintera, nonprofits today must be aware of these
paradigm-changing trends so that they can make informed decisions regarding
their information technology investments. The five trends include:
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Evolution of customer relationship management
tools: |
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Application service providers software
solutions as leased services via the Internet. |
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On-demand computing-- buying software services
as a utility, paying for only what you use and when you use it;
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Evolution of Internet communities and the
software tools available to build and sustain online communities; and
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Advanced methods of data analysis becoming
accessible to non-experts. |
Go to:
www.charitychannel.com
July 4 - 10, 2004
The Child Trends DataBank is the one-stop-shop for the
latest national trends and research on over 80 key indicators of child and youth
well-being, with new indicators added each month! The database is provided by
Child Trends, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization dedicated to
improving the lives of children by conducting research and providing
science-based information to improve the decisions, programs, and policies that
affect children and their families. Go to:
www.childtrendsdatabank.org
June 27 -
July 3, 2004
This article states that recent trends in online organizing suggest that
organizations can galvanize large constituencies by empowering individuals to
take the lead, as recruiters, organizers and solo actors. It discusses the
recent successes of MoveOn.org and the Howard Dean campaign as examples of this
movement. To download a .pdf file, go to:
www.jedmiller.com
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June 20 -
26, 2004
In a groundbreaking study that collected information from
2,300 members of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) organizations in
Milwaukee, Philadelphia, and San Francisco, researchers M.V. Lee Badgett and
Nancy Cunningham set out to increase understanding of giving and volunteering by
GLBT people.
The principal investigators found that the GLBT individuals
surveyed in this study were as, or even more, generous than other populations.
The average GLBT donor gives 2.5 percent ($1,194) of personal income to
nonprofits compared to 2.2 percent ($1,017) of personal income by the average
American donor. This private donation rate is important to GLBT organizations
because of their relative lack of foundation funding. The average amount of GLBT
time volunteered in the previous month was also higher; 29 hours of volunteer
service versus 18 hours overall. The study not only helps to map the giving
patterns of GLBT people, but also provides recommendations to nonprofits about
how to structure appeals. Go to:
www.nonprofitresearch.org
To obtain a free copy of the printed report, contact the
Working Group on Funding Gay and Lesbian Issues at (212) 475-2930 or write them
at 116 E. 16th Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10003. A text version may
also be downloaded from the Institute for Gay and Lesbian Strategic Studies' Web
site at
www.iglss.org.
June 13 -
19, 2004
Published by BoardSource & Independent Sector, this report
discusses provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley corporate governance act. It examines
provisions of the law and makes recommendations for nonprofits to voluntarily
comply with certain provisions.
To download a .pdf file, go to:
www.boardsource.org
June 6 -
12, 2004
America’s nonprofit sector has significantly outpaced the for-profit and
government sectors in employment growth, reports a new study from INDEPENDENT
SECTOR. According to the latest measures available, nonprofit employment grew at
an annual rate of 2.5 percent between 1997 and 2001, adding over 1 million jobs
to the nation’s economy. During the same time period the business sector grew at
1.8 percent annually, and employment in the government sector grew at a rate of
1.6 percent.
Nonprofit employment, which has doubled in the past 25 years, encompasses
12.5 million workers—nearly 10 percent of total employment in the United States.
By 2010, this total should reach approximately 15 million, with growth forecast
specifically in the areas of health services and social/human services.
Organizations of the “independent sector” [501(c)(3), 501(c)(4) and religious
organizations] employ 11.7 million workers, or 9 percent of total employment.
To download a .pdf file, go to:
www.independentsector.org
May 30 -
June 5, 2004
The web site of the Kaiser Family Foundation contains an abundance of state and
national trends including data relating to health status, health coverage,
Medicaid and SCHIP, Medicare, health costs and budgets, providers and service
use, women's health, minority health, HIV/AIDS, and more. Go to:
www.kff.org
May 23 - 29, 2004
Raising the Barre: The Geographic, Financial, and Economic Trends of Nonprofit
Dance Companies was commissioned by the National Endowment for the Arts as part
of the agency’s ongoing effort to conduct and disseminate research findings on
arts organizations. The study draws on three databases containing information
related to nonprofit dance companies: (1) the Unified Database of Arts
Organizations (UDAO), a newly available database produced jointly by the
Endowment, the National Center for Charitable Statistics as part of the Urban
Institute, and the National Assembly of State
Arts Agencies; (2) the economic
census, a census of business establishments conducted every five years by the
U.S. Census Bureau; and (3) a database of dance company applicants, produced and
maintained by the NEA dance staff. To download a .pdf file, go to:
arts.endow.gov/pub/RaisingtheBarre.pdf
May 16 - 22, 2004
According to Lucy Bernholz, author of the study,
foundations are currently experiencing an unprecedented period of change.
Historically, change in the foundation sector has been created from within or in
response to legislative and regulatory changes. However, foundations face a
barrage of simultaneous external forces that are redefining the world in which
philanthropy operates. Never before in the history of the philanthropic sector
has so much change taken place, at such a rapid pace, outside of the control of
the foundations themselves.
This paper presents the societal trends that are affecting
philanthropy, analyzes the impact they are having on foundation programs and
operations, and discusses ways that foundations might reinvent themselves to
capitalize on the unique opportunities present in today’s environment. Here is
a sample:
Foundations of the future may be built from the Internet
down, rather than from the filing cabinet and community up.… If they are
designed “from the web down,” foundations should recognize that in gathering
information from potential partners, reports from past grantees, and research on
issues of interest, they have assembled an application process that is in turn a
virtual library of issue-specific information. The information a foundation
collects and produces can be as valuable a tool for social change as are the
foundation’s financial resources. Foundations that recognize the value of this
asset will place at least as mush emphasis on knowledge development, management
and dissemination as they do on grants processing. To download a .pdf file, go
to:
www.usc.edu/schools
May 9 - 15, 2004
Nonprofits experienced significant financial stress over the past year, but
still managed to increase their services and boost revenue, according to this
study from the Johns Hopkins Center for Civil Society Studies. “Focusing on a
nationwide sample of nonprofit organizations that belong to national umbrella
groups in five fields—children and family services, elderly services and
housing, community and economic development, museums, and theaters—this survey
is the most comprehensive effort to date to document the actual effects of
recent economic weakness and government budget cuts on a significant group of
the nation’s charitable organizations and those they serve, and to assess how
the organizations have responded. What this survey shows is that American
nonprofits have become, in many cases, highly entrepreneurial organizations,
responding actively and creatively to new fiscal pressures. At the same time,
however, the survey also makes clear that these pressures are exacting a toll.”
To download a .pdf file, go to:
www.jhu.edu/listeningpost
May 2 - 8, 2004
The American Baby Boom generation represents the largest untapped pool of
potential volunteers for the nonprofit community in recent history, according to
a new study entitled Experience at Work: Volunteering and Giving Among Americans
50 and Over, by INDEPENDENT SECTOR and AARP. As Baby Boomers begin to approach
retirement age, nonprofit organizations will be faced with unprecedented
opportunities and challenges to engage this population. This study gives an
analysis of the over-50 population in the United States by examining the current
giving and volunteering patterns of this age group and comparing the
philanthropic habits of Americans still in their working years, aged 50 to 64,
and those who are retired, aged 65 and over.
Key findings:
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The over-50 population is expected to grow by
18.3 million people over the next ten years; |
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Those in the 50 to 64 age group will show the
largest increase of 13.9 million people. These 50- to 64- year-olds will
still be employed, earn the most and become the most generous givers;
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Nonprofits can expect an increase in the
number of high givers from this age group; and |
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More of this population will be available to
volunteer more often.
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Go to:
www.independentsector.org
April 25 -
May 1, 2004
"Where We've Been and Where We're Going: Experts Reflect and Look Ahead"
published by the Harvard Family Research Project, features the opinions of six
evaluation experts who discuss how evaluation has changed in the last ten years
and where they see the field going. Go to:
www.gse.harvard.edu
April
18 - 24, 2004
This report examines changes in U.S. foundation support for arts and culture,
arts-related humanities, and the media through 2001. The report also places
foundation arts giving within the context of changes in public and private
support for the arts and in foundation funding overall. In addition, Arts
Funding IV provides estimates of total foundation giving for the arts in 2002
and suggests the direction of change in foundations’ arts giving over the next
few years. Go to:
fdncenter.org
April
11 - 17, 2004
Giving by the nation's nearly 65,000 grant making foundations declined an
estimated 2.5 percent last year to $29.7 billion, down from just over $30
billion in 2002 and 2001, according to the Foundation Center's new report,
Foundation Growth and Giving Estimates. Go to:
www.fdncenter.org
April 4 - 10, 2004
Human services nonprofit organizations are facing overwhelming changes that
they must learn to manage if they are to remain a vital component of the
community system. This trend summary, one of a series of Best Practice Briefs,
published by Outreach Partnerships @ Michigan State University, explores the
implication for human services nonprofits resulting from demographic changes;
globalization in the business sector; downsizing of government and
privatization; demand for greater accountability for the use of charitable and
public funds; and blurring of distinctions among the public, for-profit, and
nonprofit sectors. This BRIEF focuses on demographic, economic, technological,
and organizational trends affecting these human service organizations. Go to:
www.outreach.msu.edu
March 28 - April 3, 2004
Christina Drouin, Executive
Director for The Center for Strategic Planning in Boca Raton, Florida, has
identified the following trends that define to new shape of nonprofit boards:
- Old structures caused boards
to focus more on what activities the organization should be engaged in; new
structures cause boards to focus on the consumer results to be achieved.
- Old structures were about
power; new structures are about performance.
- Old structures were about
decision-making through political influence; new structures support
knowledge-based decision-making.
- Succession in old structures
was about whom do we know? Succession in new structures is about what skills
do we need?
- Old structures were about
command; new structures are about collaboration.
- Old structures were about
silos; new structures are about teams.
- Old structures were about
maintenance; new structures try to deliver sustainability through strategic
thinking, planning, and implementation of knowledge-based decision-making.
- Old structures focused more on
how money is being spent; new structures focus more on outcomes that result
from time and effort. Clearly stated outcomes increase board effectiveness.
- Old structures focused on
requirements, activities, and hierarchical accountabilities; new structures
focus on purpose, core values, and outcomes.
- Old structures focused on
programs; new structures focus on building high performance organizations.
Christina Drouin, Executive
Director, Center for Strategic Planning, FL. Go to
www.planonline.org
March
21 - March 27, 2004
Foundation Giving Trends 2003 Edition, published by The Foundation Center,
examines the grant making patterns of a sample of larger US foundations from
1980 through 2001. The report explores changes in giving interests by subject
focus, recipient types, type of support, population group served and
geographic focus. Go to:
www.fdncenter.org
March 14
- March 20, 2004
This article, published by the Clemson University Extension and South
Carolina Association of Nonprofit Organizations, describes a number of trends
that are having impact on nonprofit board governance. Go to:
www.clemson.edu
March 7
- March 13, 2004
As new nonprofits replace bygone government programs, corporate America is also
setting up new foundations and increasing their corporate giving programs. At
the same time, competition for the same grant money is increasing. GrantStation
has prepared several articles on the latest fundraising developments and trends
that “will help you understand how to keep your organization's funding strategy
flexible and successful in the ever-evolving philanthropic world.” Topics
covered include:
Social Venture Philanthropy,
Satisfying Public Disclosure Requirements Online,
Cause-Related Marketing – Growing Trends,
Types of Money Available,
Project-Funding Trends, and more. Go to:
www.grantstation.com
February 29 - March 6, 2004
This article by the Nonprofit Risk
Management Center discusses emerging trends in nonprofit liability risks.
Sources of liability risk include employment practices, donors, the Internet,
and intermediate sanctions. The article also touches upon trends in liability
insurance coverage for nonprofit organizations. Go to:
www.nonprofitrisk.org
February
22 - 28, 2004
This article poses five technology
trends that nonprofits will encounter in the years to come including customer
relationship management tools, application service providers, on-demand
computing, Internet communities, and data analysis. Go to
www.charitychannel.com
February 15 - 21, 2004
According to a recent study to evaluate the impact of the economic downturn
on leading health and human service organizations in Massachusetts, five
cost-cutting trends are are emerging. According to Stacey Zelbow, a management
advisory services senior associate with Grant Thornton who administered the
study, “While the findings are specific to the greater Boston area, the trends
may be indicative of what’s happening nationally within the social and human
services sector.” Key findings include:
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Reductions are not limited to a particular human service sector. |
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Staff salaries and benefits are expected to take the biggest hit. |
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Large and small organizations are coping with budget cuts in different
ways. |
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A significant number of not-for-profits have already reduced services. |
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Mergers are on the rise. |
For more information on the survey, go to
www.grantthornton.com or contact Stacey Zelbow at
617.848.4919
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