What's new in Philanthropy

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

1. For job hunters, digital merit badges; Nytimes.com, November 19, 2011
Brief Introduction: Now the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is putting millions of dollars into a competition to spur interest in a new type of badge — one that people can display not on their clothing but on a Web site, blog or Facebook page while they are looking for a job.

2. St. Paul Library gets $165,000 technology planning grant; StarTribune.com, November 17, 2011
Brief Introduction: The St. Paul Public Library will begin designing a digital learning lab for middle and high school students, thanks to a $165,000 planning grant it received on Thursday. When the plan is completed, the library will have to apply for a separate grant this spring to build the lab. The planning process will be funded by a $100,000 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation . The library was one of 12 organizations in the nation to receive that grant.

3. Study: cyberbullying associated with greater psychological distress than bullying at high school; Boston.com, November 17, 2011
Brief Introduction: High school students who are bullied online are more likely to report symptoms of depression and suicide attempts than students who were bullied only at school, according to a survey of students in the communities west of Boston published today. The survey, funded by the MetroWest Health Foundation, was distributed at 22 high schools west of Boston in the fall of 2008. Researchers surveyed more than 20,000 students using written questionairres.

4. Middle-class areas shrink as income gap grows, new report finds; Nytimes.com, November 15, 2011
Brief Introduction: The portion of American families living in middle-income neighborhoods has declined significantly since 1970, according to a new study, as rising income inequality left a growing share of families in neighborhoods that are mostly low-income or mostly affluent. The study, conducted by Stanford University and scheduled for release on Wednesday by the Russel Sage Foundation and Brown University, uses census data to examine family income at the neighborhood level in the country’s 117 biggest metropolitan areas.