NPQ is proud to highlight this important letter from GuideStar, Charity Navigator and the Wise Giving Alliance calling for an end to the obsession many have had with nonprofit overhead costs as a proxy for measuring effectiveness BUT for the letter to be effective it is important that people share it in every way they can. 

The passion with which many hate accounting measures as proxies for effectiveness is often matched by their ardent belief in the promise of impact-based performance measurement. At the risk of sounding like an accounting apologist, Brian Mittendorf believes the nonprofit sector should be careful what it wishes for.

By its own admission, between 2010 and 2012, the IRS subjected groups to extra scrutiny based on buzzwords like “tea party” and “patriot” in their names. We would love to hear from you on this turn of events. What should be the nonprofit sector’s response?

Nonprofit Quarterly continues its coverage of the Sanford Health/Fairview Health Services merger attempt, investigating the potentially improper linkage between Sanford and the entity that bears his name.

GoBank says that you can choose the price of your checking account. Is it innovation or a cynical marketing strategy?

UK’s New Philanthropy Group CEO predicts recession-related closures of mid-sized charities, but will the shakeout help or hurt the nonprofit sector?

The President’s FY2014 budget proposal is out!  What does it say to the nonprofit sector?  Rick Cohen does a deep dive into the budget to find implications for nonprofits—much more than the charitable deduction.  Read Part I here, Part II next week.  

Tim Delaney, president and CEO of the National Council of Nonprofits, calls on the sector to join together and speak up against the government “using [nonprofits] as an ATM.

The 2012 elections showed that politicians ignore the changing demographics of our nation at their own peril. The same is true for philanthropy.

Does the reaction to major events on Twitter generally reflect public opinion overall? Not according to a recent Pew report.

The nonprofit sector reacted with parochial panic about proposed changes to the charitable deduction, but shouldn’t it have paid more mind to the devastating blow dealt by sequestration budget cuts? Were we tricked?

In Colorado and Washington, voters have outright legalized marijuana for recreational use, enabling what could be a lucrative market—if the federal government doesn’t nix it.

In Philadelphia, many parents are not pleased about an anonymous flow of private money into the public school system, contending donations may have purchased undue influence.

Structural, operational and cultural barriers can derail the adoption of technological engagement tools, so nonprofits looking to foster engagement must focus on strategy prior to technology.

Social enterprise is attracting people who can point to achievements in a variety of fields, but we must realize that our “merits” in one field may not necessarily help in others.

After participating in an online roundtable discussion on nonprofit capacity building, the author was inspired to extend the ideas to nonprofit branding.

The Office of Management and Budget has announced proposed changes to OMB Circular A-133, which includes the requirements of audits on government grants and contracts.

Facing a decision that may come with implications for healthcare reform across the U.S., tomorrow Montana will consider a pitch for the acquisition of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana by a large out-of-state corporation.

Some suggest that charitable giving fuels inequality by making it seem more acceptable.

When people talk about organizations having to do more with less, they’re typically not referring to the Internal Revenue Service, though it appears that dilemma may be the case at the IRS, too.

A recent report from the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform offers a scathing critique of New York’s administration of the Medicaid program.

How will the GOP handle the support of fringe groups with questionable attitudes on race?  

A recent analysis takes nonprofit and public leaders to task for sitting on the boards of major soda companies. Is it a conflict of missions?

Job creation is high and unemployment filings are dropping. Good news, right? We don’t take pleasure in being a gloomy Gus, but we’re still waiting for surefire signs of improvement.

In a recent article, Forbes ponders whether a $1 million salary is too high for a nonprofit CEO. What measures should we use to address this question in a meaningful way?

A report prepared for the World Economic Forum titled “The Future Role of Civil Society” contains some interesting ideas, but why must it entail a strong dose of for-profit ethos?

In a farewell memo after 40 years of service on the board of the Public Welfare Foundation, including 12 years as board chair, Thomas Scanlon addresses concerns with “strategic philanthropy.”

Economists can argue about its impact in dollars and cents, but as Joseph Stiglitz points out and as anti-poverty advocates know, economic inequality tears at the very social fabric of our nation.

The uncertainty around the fate of the charitable deduction, tax rates and the fiscal cliff may have helped to provide a significant boost to the major national donor-advised fund managers.

The tax-exempt NFL’s minority recruitment and hiring process seems to have stumbled, having been tackled for a loss measured not in yards, but in the diversity of the NFL’s coaches.