Where Most Needed

A Peek into United Way's Hidden Restructuring Program

Large and small mergers are steadily cutting the number of United Way organizations in the US, but community fears of losing out in funding allocations are the chief obstacle to administrative streamlining.

Ford Foundation Still Driving a Fairmont

The new president of the Ford Foundation commits to continuity, while the organization remains best known for projects it sponsored a over a generation ago. 

Autism Speaks, but Not with One Voice

The Autism Speaks organization has merged several advocacy organizations under its umbrella to become a dominant fundraiser in a crowded field.  But controversial theories about the cause of the condition present a challenge to the founders even from their own daughter. 

How Charities and Nonprofits Jump the Strategic Planning Hurdle

Strategic planning, a management technique long ago rejected by for profit businesses, thrives in the charity industry mostly because funders insist on it.  And the exercise has drifted from both strategy and planning to emphasize consensus-building instead. 

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. 

Save Darfur Coaltion: Advocacy Ads Aggravate, Director Fired

Executive director fired—it might be due to complaints from groups on the ground or from a financial company targeted in a divestment campaign.  Competing rationales pit the New York Times against the Boston Globe.