We Forgive You Mr. Madoff: Love, Advisors, Nonprofits, & Jewish Community

Dear Mr. Madoff,
We in the Investment Advisory, Nonprofit, and Jewish community forgive you (well maybe not EVERYONE) Let me explain:
About a week ago, I asked people if you could ever be forgiven for the crimes you have committed against charities who help to make others lives better, your own people in the Jewish community, and [...]

Can Bernard Madoff Earn Forgiveness?

For months now, we’ve taken great comfort in reminiscing and sharing in our disgust of Bernard Madoff, and as Rabbi Marc Gellman of “The God Squad” put it in his “Open Letter to Madoff” in Newsweek, his “financial terrorism” against his own, and against charities who do good for others is “an abomination”.
Earlier today, I [...]

Nonprofit Recession Survival Guide to Getting Donations

First the markets, then Madoff, now the Obama administration is proposing reductions in the charitable tax deduction for your biggest donors. What else could possibly go wrong? Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the snow day and nobody came to work. One thing is for certain; raising funds in the current environment is much more [...]

Council on Foundations Report: 28% Decline in Assets, Changing Investment Managers

A February 2, 2009 report published by the Council on Foundations showed that foundation assets had declined by 28% in 2008 among the 127 respondents who completed the survey. While the report points out that the decline included both grants and losses due to investment performance, questions remain about how foundations should invest money in [...]