Nordstrom

Listen in as some of fundraising's freshest thinkers take on some of the sector's toughest topics — the things that should be top of mind in the new year.

Nordstrom is opening a full-priced store in Manhattan called Treasure&Bond, with all profits of the store committed to charity.

Nordstrom says its charity efforts will go further than competitors who team up with nonprofit groups for campaigns. And all proceeds from the rather expensive merchandise go to children’s charities, Nordstrom says.

In addition, there are no plans to make it a for-profit store, said Peter E. Nordstrom, executive vice president and president of merchandising at Nordstrom. But he added that the company remained committed to opening a department store in New York City.

The combination of holiday spirit and the last chance to snag a tax write-off means donors of all levels open their wallets. This year, experts say, people plan to open them a little wider.

Rick Dunham, a Dallas-based authority on charitable giving, names the performance of the stock market as the most important indicator of how much individuals and companies give each year. Slight economic recovery in 2010 should translate to dollar signs for nonprofits.

Causes, which helps donors link up with charities online, has teamed up with gift card marketer Blackhawk Network to sell $25 and $50 prepaid gift cards in 800 Safeway and Vons supermarkets in California. Givers get a tax write-off. Recipients log on to Causes.com/giftcard to choose from more than 1 million nonprofits.

PHILADELPHIA, April 21, 2009 — The Philadelphia Music Project (PMP), a program of The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, has awarded $1,179,675 to 19 local music organizations in support of 118 concerts and residency programs spanning traditional and contemporary forms of classical, jazz, and world music. This year's grants will make possible world premiere performances of 15 new compositions and Philadelphia premieres of 61 additional works. In all, nearly 1,000 instrumentalists, conductors, vocalists, and composers will participate in these funded projects; 12 ensembles and soloists will make their Philadelphia debuts.

With just the click of a mouse, shoppers can buy nearly any product online — from groceries to cars, from insurance policies to home loans. And potential donors can form intimate relationships with the nonprofit organizations of their choices — getting information, registering for events and responding to other calls to action, and, ultimately, making donations or, better yet, signing up for automatically deducted monthly giving programs.