What's new in Philanthropy

Articles of interest in philanthropy and nonprofits published in the last 10 days:

1. Federal security funds granted to hundreds of N.Y. nonprofits from 2006-2009 total in millions;NY Daily News, October 16,2011
Brief Introduction: Hundreds of New York nonprofit groups have gotten a slice of nearly $2 billion in national Homeland Security grants this year by claiming they face a "high risk" of a terror attack.

2. Infographic: How the top 50 nonprofits do social media; Huffington Post, October 15,2011
Brief Introduction: I get asked a lot if nonprofits are using social media effectively. After taking a look at the Nonprofit Times list of 100 top nonprofits based on income, the craigconnects team decided to look at who was proactively and effectively utilizing social media in August and September of 2011. Do the highest earning nonprofits use social media the most effectively? How are people responding and interacting? The deal is, with social media use on the rise, we decided to check this out and created an infographic to show the results.

3. A quest for hybrid companies that profit, but can tap charity; The New York Times, October 12,2011
Brief Introduction: A new type of company intended to put social goals ahead of making profits is taking root around the country, as more states adopt laws to bridge the divide between nonprofits and businesses. California is the latest state to adopt a statute permitting what is called flexible-purpose corporations, new companies that are part social benefit and part low-profit entities. The companies are now allowed under laws in more than a dozen states and two Indian tribes.

4. Job's wife backs education causes; Wall Street Journal, October 10,2011
Brief Introduction: Ms. Powell Jobs has become a leader in education policy, advising nonprofits and politicians, says Ted Mitchell, chief executive of NewSchools Venture Fund, whose board Ms. Powell Jobs joined five years ago. The Jobs family has donated millions of dollars to the group, he says, and her work "is even more effective because she does this work quietly, constantly, with incredible integrity and great insight."