News/Stats/Studies

(Press release, Jan. 12, 2015) — The Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) board of trustees announced that Sister Donna Markham OP, Ph.D., president of the Behavioral Health Institute for Mercy Health, has been selected as its new president. Sister Donna, the first female president to lead CCUSA in the organization's 105-year history, has a doctorate in clinical psychology and a proven track record in organizational leadership. She succeeds Rev. Larry Snyder, who served as CCUSA's president since 2005, and will officially be seated as CCUSA's 10th president on June 1, 2015.

(Press release, Jan. 9, 2015) — The younger generation of millionaires is less concerned with just making profits when it comes to investing and is more likely to have ethical or social investments, according to research released by the Charities Aid Foundation.

Sen. Charles Grassley has asked the American Red Cross to explain how it calculates figures showing how much of a donated dollar goes to services after recent media reports uncovered apparent discrepancies in how the organization portrays its overhead costs.

A joint investigation by ProPublica and NPR said that while the organization regularly says it puts 91 cents of every donated dollar into services, that figure is inaccurate. The news organizations said that the Red Cross failed to provide an accurate estimate when questioned.

Cari Tuna and her future husband, Dustin Moskovitz, a Facebook co-founder, are emblematic of a new generation of millennial philanthropists seeking to give far beyond their own communities and experiences. Americans have traditionally focused their donations on organizations such as schools, churches and cultural centers close to home. But with the rise of social networks that connect people the world over instantaneously, many millennials have a broader view of charity.

(Press release, Jan. 8, 2015) — The Association for Healthcare Philanthropy's Report on Giving finds that nonprofit hospitals, health systems and related facilities in the U.S. and Canada who are able to invest the most in staff and operations raise the most money at the highest rates of effectiveness.

(Press release, Jan. 6, 2015) — Jamaica is set to host the first Nexus Caribbean Youth Summit in Montego Bay Feb. 5-7, 2015. The Summit aims to connect philanthropists, next-generation wealth holders, investors, social entrepreneurs and allies to learn, cross-examine and debate relevant social issues and explore innovative ways to make an impact on philanthropy throughout the region. Targeting individuals in the Caribbean and the Diaspora, the Nexus Global Youth Summit will be held at Half Moon, A RockResort.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is making up for lost time. Years after potential rivals for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination began building political operations, Bush and his supporters are moving swiftly to establish a nationwide fundraising network, hire staff and engage in policy debates.

The latest sign of his accelerated timetable was the dual launch on Tuesday of both a political committee and a super PAC that mark a major step toward a likely campaign.

Working to benefit a good cause increases productivity by up to 30 percent, according to the findings of a new study from the University of Southampton. When workers are given a social incentive such as a charitable donation linked to their job, performance increases by an average of 13 percent, rising to 30 percent among those who are initially the least productive.

Performance was most improved (increasing by 26 percent overall) when workers could decide how much of their pay they wanted contribute.

(Press release, Jan. 8, 2015) — To recognize young professionals age 40 and under who have maintained a strong record of giving back through education and mentoring while achieving a high level of corporate success, Marketing EDGE, a nonprofit organization formerly known as the Direct Marketing Educational Foundation, announces its call for nominations for the 2015 Rising Stars and Corporate Commitment Awards.

Giving Children Hope, a nonprofit that delivers aid to children and families in need around the world, had its website hacked by a group identifying itself as Team System Dz, an Islamic State sympathizer. One possible reason for the attack, representatives for the Buena Park, Calif. nonprofit said, is that it has been giving supplies to Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan since 2012.