The Cohen Report

Whither the Nonprofit Sector in the State of the Union Address?

The Cohen Report
January 26, 2012
rick cohen

altPresident Obama’s 2012 State of the Union speech has received plaudits for taking on the nation’s class and wealth inequities and criticism for fomenting “class warfare.” We might also have liked to see the president foment the important role of the nonprofit sector.

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Foreclosure Fighters: Where Is the Funding for Nonprofit Housing Counseling?

The Cohen Report
January 19, 2012
rick cohen

The recent Countrywide discriminatory lending settlement may provide a degree of relief to some victims, but nonprofit housing counseling can often stop the foreclosure train before it leaves the station. Why, then, has Congress been so intent on zeroing out funding for housing counseling?

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Time to Revive Democracy in the U.S.: Tell Shareholders How Their Dollars Are Used in Politics

The Cohen Report
January 11, 2012
rick cohen

Congress and the Federal Election Commission have floundered in their meager attempts to rein in ever-increasing amounts of money flooding into campaign politics in the wake of Citizens United. Money in politics is worse than ever, and nonprofits—501(c)(4) social welfare organizations and 501(c)(6) trade associations—are used as vehicles for undisclosed political expenditures by corporations and other special interests. It's time for the nonprofit sector to do something about this, and it might start with aligning nonprofits with corporate shareholders to rein in the corrupting influence of corporate money in the electoral process. 

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Anonymous: Busy Hacktivists with a Political Change Agenda

The Cohen Report
January 05, 2012
rick cohen

altOver the holidays, Anonymous, or something akin to Anonymous, struck again. With a history of challenging the Church of Scientology, attacking those who erected financial blockades against Wikileaks, protesting against the San Francisco BART system's cellphone policies, and supporting the Arab Spring protests, these anonymous Internet "hacktivists" are pursuing an eclectic agenda of political and social change. But the Christmas Eve action on the Stratfor security group that many are attributing to Anonymous had many quirks and particularly interesting nonprofit implications.

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Seven Predictions for Philanthropy in 2012

The Cohen Report
December 15, 2011
rick cohen

With great trepidation, the Cohen Report ventures forth with on-the-ledge predictions for 2012 concerning mostly the behaviors of and context for foundation grantmakers. We remind readers to take these ideas appropriately, remembering Albert Einstein's observation, "When the number of factors coming into play in a phenomenological complex is too large scientific method in most cases fails. One need only think of the weather, in which case the prediction even for a few days ahead is impossible."

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A Nonprofit-Friendly Government Languishes with Bills Stuck in Committees

The Cohen Report
December 01, 2011
rick cohen

Nonprofit advocacy on Capitol Hill ought to focus on more than the charitable deduction and other charitable giving incentives. How about taking a look at pending legislation proposed by members of Congress who actually "get" the nonprofit sector and proposed legislation that plays to what nonprofits do best-legislators such as Menendez, Sires, Kaptur, Serrano, Velazquez, Mikulski, and Sanders? Their bills, likely to languish and die in Congressional committees, would help make a nonprofit-friendly federal government.

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