Giving is Good
The most recent tax law passed by Congress and signed by President Obama, included the reinstatement of the charitable IRA rollover. To recap the context of this rule, people who are 70.5 years old and have traditional IRAs must take required distributions and pay tax on the withdrawals. This law reinstates the ability for…
As the U.S. federal government approaches the January 1 “fiscal cliff” deadline, there continues to be discussion around closing tax “loopholes” in an effort to increase tax receipts. As has been discussed previously, the charitable gift deduction has gotten swept up into this conversation. It would appear that there are 4 ways in which the…
Why have you chosen a career in development, constituent relations, communications, advancement, or non-profit leadership? Why are you here? What is your purpose? Heavy questions, I know. But do you wrestle with these questions every once in a while? If not, you should. This past Friday at lunch, I wrestled with these questions. I was…
As a consultant, I’m regularly asked by clients and prospective clients a version of the question, “what would you suggest we do?” And while a satisfying answer to that question might seem sufficient or even helpful at the time, it really is neither in the long-term. It’s really the wrong question. Instead, the better question…
You know the song “Hey Ya!” by OutKast – that funky, hip-hop/big band swing sounding song that earned a Grammy and sold 5.5 million albums. You probably have caught yourself humming the tune or even singing, “Hey Yaaaaaa.” But did you know that “Hey Ya!” was a flop at first? If you’re a Target shopper,…
I’m not sure what exactly will happen on January 1, 2013, should our esteemed elected officials in Washington, D.C., fail to pass some sort of legislation to avoid the “fiscal cliff.” We are told that taxes will be increased, at least for those making over $250,000 per year. We are told that large spending cuts…
In 2011, Americans spent almost $500 billion on entertainment – sports, movies, games, music, books, internet access, etc. By 2016, that amount is projected to be almost $600 billion. Meanwhile, our friends at Giving USA, tell us that charitable giving totaled just under $300 billion in 2011. What if we saw it as part of…
Our friends in the engineering fields have a saying: Don’t dig before you know what size shovel you need. Most folks like to do things. They like to get results. It doesn’t really matter what industry or profession you are in, most good folk want to make something positive happen. Engineers may want to start…
Canada’s Athabasca University is a world leader in providing on-line education. Because they are a comprehensive university specializing in distance learning, technology plays a large role in their teaching, research, and day-to-day operations. Most everyone associated with AU is comfortable with a range of technologies and computer applications. It’s a neat place. Advanced technology oozes from…
What is the truth at your institution? Is it what you believe about your institution and its work? Or is it what your donors and constituents believe about your institution? If you are like many advancement pros, you spend a good amount of time and energy strategizing on how best to tell your institution’s story….