American Heart Association

Senior Obama administration officials invited nonprofit leaders to the White House this week to enlist them to push for increased taxes on the wealthy, a request that went unheeded as charity officials from across the country spent Wednesday lobbying Congress to preserve the charitable tax deduction during deficit-reduction negotiations.

The White House request put new attention on a rift that has emerged in recent weeks among charity and foundation leaders deciding how best to harness their collective advocacy as Congress and President Obama negotiate steps to avoid going off the so-called fiscal cliff.

Charitable giving by America’s biggest businesses rose slowly last year and shows little sign of gaining in 2012, according to a Chronicle of Philanthropy study of 166 large companies.

(See an interactive table that pinpoints how much each company gave in cash and products and the causes they supported.)

Donations grew by 4 percent in 2011, according to the 115 companies that provided two years’ worth of data. That’s far less than the 13 percent rise from 2009 to 2010, when companies saw a sharp rebound in profits after the recession.

Heller Consulting, a consulting firm that helps nonprofit organizations streamline their operations and maximize their use of software for fundraising and mission management, announced the findings of its recent study about how nonprofits are approaching constituent relationship management (CRM).

The study involved in-depth interviews with executives at 30 large nonprofits, and uncovered how nonprofit organizations are approaching CRM to overcome challenges and meet goals. The resulting report shows that while nonprofits' definitions of CRM vary, many are approaching some form of CRM to consolidate scattered data, improve processes, and support strategic goals.

Blackbaud, Inc. (Nasdaq: BLKB) today announced enhancements to Blackbaud CRM™, including new membership features, a simplified user interface accessible on mobile devices and intuitive duplicate management options.

Last month, YouTube announced YouTube Next Cause: a program designed to help nonprofits already changing the world better use online video to drive action.

Twenty organizations were introduced for the first class:

• Autism Speaks
• Children's Hospital Boston
• IFAW - International Fund for Animal Welfare
• Sunlight Foundation
• BuildOn
• American Heart Association
• CARE
• American Foundation for Equal Rights
• Malaria No More
• The Humane Society of the United States
• The Pablove Foundation
• COTS - Committee on the Shelterless
• Durango Discovery Museum
• Save Mount Diablo
• Art Resources in Teaching
• breakthrough
• Per Scholas
• The Supply
• Born Free USA
• The Lazarex Cancer Foundation

Exercising for a good cause continued to grow in popularity and in the sums it raises for charity in 2011, according to figures revealed at the annual conference of the Run Walk Ride Fundraising Council.     The top 30 “thon” fundraising programs generated $1.69 billion in gross revenue for charity last year, up $40.8 million or 2.46 percent from 2010 levels and the second straight year of fundraising growth, the council’s sixth annual “Run Walk Ride Thirty” study reports.

In his book, "Shift & Reset: Strategies for Addressing Serious Issues in a Connected Society," Brian Reich lays out his take on what nonprofits and fundraisers must do to help reverse the course of the world's ills.

Wells Fargo & Co. announced that its team members donated a record $41.6 million to more than 28,000 nonprofits and schools as part of the company’s annual Community Support and United Way Campaign. All donations were funded personally by team members.

In addition to a 13 percent year-over-year increase in donations, the one-month campaign also resulted in 122,000 volunteer hours contributed by team members to a variety of nonprofits and other causes in local communities across the country.

In spite of the economy, two-thirds of America’s leading nonprofits engaged in cause marketing expect to form more business alliances in 2012, a survey by the Cause Marketing Forum reveals.

Of the nine past nonprofit winners of CMF’s highest honor, the Cause Marketing Golden Halo Award, 67 percent expect to be involved in more cause marketing campaigns in 2012, the CMF survey revealed. Twenty-two percent expect to field the same number of corporate partner programs in 2012 that they did this year.

Convio announced the winners of its sixth annual Innovator Awards as revealed at the Convio Summit. The Innovator Awards recognize clients who have shown innovation and achievement through the use of Convio’s constituent engagement solutions.

The seven winners are Project On Government Oversight, Trust for Public Land, National Partnership for Women & Families, All Hands Volunteers, United Way of Lake County, American Heart Association, and Human Rights Campaign.

For more information visit www.convio.com/2011innovators.