American Civil Liberties Union

The American Civil Liberties Union laid off 23 employees, about 7 percent of the organization’s national staff. The cuts affected employees in New York, D.C., California and Wyoming. ACLU Executive Director Anthony Romero announced the impending reductions internally in a March 26 email to employees, and the affected staffers were notified Monday.

In the email, which was obtained by The Washington Post, Romero cited the need for the ACLU to cut costs.

(Press release, Feb. 18, 2015) — CrowdDefend, a crowdfunding platform for the legal space, launches its service to the public this week. The platform seeks to expand access to justice for individuals, organizations and businesses that can't otherwise afford to pay for legal representation, court fees and associated trial costs. CrowdDefend can be accessed at www.crowddefend.com.

The number of foundation grants and the total amount given to support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning issues set new records in 2013, according to a report released this month by Funders for LGBTQ Issues. The report found that U.S. foundations in 2013 awarded 4,152 grants to organizations and programs focused on LGBTQ issues, totaling $129 million, a 6.3 percent increase over 2012.

Here is a mobile and social fundraising success checklist excerpted from "Mobile for Good: A How-To Fundraising Guide for Nonprofits" by Heather Mansfield, founder and principal blogger at Nonprofit Tech for Good. By reading the book and implementing the steps necessary to launch a comprehensive mobile and social fundraixsing plan — and checking off the must-do items as you go along — your nonprofit will have in place mobile and social fundraising plan flexible enough to adjust to rapid changes in fundraising and communication technology that will occur over the next decade.

Here are some well-tested guidelines for crafting bios that help audiences connect with your organization, illustrated by some useful models.

In a recent LinkedIn discussion group for fundraisers, many people shared their observations about whether commitment to the mission was essential to a fundraiser’s success. There were two sides: people who believe "it's all about technique" and people who believe that "belief in the mission is essential." I find myself on the “commitment to the mission matters” side of the argument. Technical mastery is important, or course, but it will only get you so far. Here are some of the benefits of being in a job you are passionate about.

Nonprofits need a single organization to spearhead a national advocacy network to champion public policies that help charities and foundations, especially as Washington seems poised to consider an overhaul of the federal tax code, says a new report.

A two-year study involving more than 100 interviews with experts and studies of 500 advocacy efforts was released Wednesday by Independent Sector, a coalition of charities and foundations. The report estimated that it would cost $20 million over four years to establish a national organization to push a nonprofit agenda.

This year, five leading non-profits at the forefront of health and drug policy reform will benefit from a generous bequest of approximately $10 million from the estate of software pioneer Ashawna (Shawn) Hailey.

Women teasingly taking off lingerie; obscene language flying left and right; graphic violence both bloody and disturbing. Is this the content of some R-rated film? Could be. But these days, eye-opening scenes like this can also be found in charity marketing campaigns.

Marketing consultant John J. Burnett understands that in these tough economic times, charities are trying harder than ever to get attention.

However, he cautions, “the risks are greater than the level of awareness they are going to create. You could end up trivializing the cause or diminishing the actual problem.”

Recipients of the 2011 Jefferson Awards accepted their honors Tuesday evening at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. Others honorees accepted theirs Wednesday in New York City. The recipients of most of the 18 awards include the founder of a nonprofit that works to end childhood hunger and a brother and sister who have distributed phone cards to U.S. troops overseas.