Where Most Needed

Acorn: Where's the Oak?

Pulled down by an embezzlement scandal and a lightning rod for right-wing attacks, the deeper tragedy at Acorn is how Wade Rathke turned community organizing into a personality cult that prevented the emergence of a new generation of leadership. 

Private Philanthropy Puts Yale in the Drivers Seat in New Haven

Gleaming new campus buildings arise while the city's infrastructure crumbles around them. 

Doors Closing for Small Scale Advocacy Organizations

Changing priorities at two foundations affect funding for hundreds of small scale advocacy groups across the US.  It looks as though free lance advocacy is losing out to the broader strategic objectives of political campaigning.

Indicted Orange County Sheriff's Charity Fiasco

His foundation's inability to keep up with annual filing requirements turned out to be symptomatic of larger troubles. 

Philadelphians Dare to Question WHYY Executive Salaries

Staff, a newspaper columnist, and a local magazine take on the CEO of the local public broadcasting outlet for excessive compensation and poor performance. 

Discounting Social Capital

Robert Putnam's latest research begins to show the limits of the social capital concept, to put it kindly. 

US S-l-o-w to Complete 2-1-1 Information Network

Social service charities still struggle with a spotty system of  referral networks for social service needs and inconsistent adoption of the 2-1-1 phone number.  But United Way is pushing for a major increase in funding for the system.    

Night Out Leader Says Salary Caps Can't Touch Him

Senator Arlen Specter questions Matt Peskin's pay, which exceeds his own as a US Senator, in the face of caps set on  salaries paid under Federal grants.  But Mr. Peskin says it's none of the government's business, because it's paid for by T-shirt sales, not government grants.

Oregon Nonprofit Association Enters with a Whimper

Anemic dues structure will hamstring the new 140-member association.  My analysis suggests that the members have much more capacity than they are willing to commit to the organization. 

Catholic & Jewish Charities Consume the Most Pork

An analysis of the New York Times' data on religious earmarks reveals details that confound stereotypes about faith-based lobbying.