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. 

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.    

Detroit Zoo Director Survives Bull Charge

He confesses that an anonymous accusation that he fibbed on his résumé was correct and loses a month's pay as punishment.  But the nonprofit organization that took over the zoo from the city remains in a fight for its life without an assured funding source. 

Conservative Rabbis to Certify Labor Conditions at Kosher Slaugherhouses

After an exposé of the kosher "Jungle" of processing plants with substandard working conditions, two Conservative jewish associations work jointly to draft rules and enforceable standards for inspection. 

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. 

Smithsonian Fundraising Now Relies on Big Money

There was an abrupt transition in the late 1990s to an emphasis on blockbuster capital campaigns, and now extremely large gifts are the single largest source of funds for the museum.  The present board structure is ill-suited both to this kind of fundraising and to the kind of media deals that the organization now must engage in.  I offer a radical solution to bring the Smithsonian into the current century. 

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. 

Michigan Nonprofit Association Folds into Volunteering Organization

The state embraces a model where nonprofit support is a joint responsibility of corporations, donors, and government—but working human service nonprofits have their own, separate organization.