News/Stats/Studies

BBC1 limbered up for Friday's Sport Relief 2012 charity bash on Thursday night with a John Bishop documentary about the comedian's fundraising efforts, attracting more than 5 million viewers.

John Bishop's Sport Relief Hell, chronicling the scouser's five day endurance test involving cycling, rowing and running from Paris to London, averaged 5.2 million viewers and a 22.5 percent share, winning the 9 p.m. ratings battle on a relatively low scoring night for the main terrestrial networks in the U.K.

In November, 2011, Ipsos Reid, on behalf of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, conducted a Canadian survey on “What Donors Want.” The good news for the sector is that most Canadians consider charities to be important in filling a gap of needs not being addressed by the public and private sector. However, a challenge remains in communicating and educating donors about fund allocation. Many donors fail to make the connection between investing in administration and effective operations, despite having high standards for how charities operate.

Wealthy Indians are learning the art of giving — fast. In 2011, they gave 3.1 percent (2.3 percent in the previous year) of their income for charitable purposes, with more than half pledging to give even more in 2012.

Two-thirds of all surveyed expected to increase donations in the next five years, with two in five saying they would increase giving by more than 20 percent in that period, according to the Bain & Co.'s India Philanthropy Report 2012.

The Big Lottery Fund has given out grants totalling almost $46 million to 788 organizations affected by public funding cuts or facing an increase in demand for their services in the U.K.

It announced that it had handed out an extra year’s funding, worth between about $48,000 and $634,000, to 214 organizations as part of its Supporting Change & Impact program.

Another 574 organizations have received small grants of up to $16,000 to help them review their work and find ways of becoming more sustainable.

imATHLETE has been named a preferred fundraising platform and registration partner for Down Syndrome Affiliates in Action (DSAIA), composed of 75 affiliates nationwide whose premiere fundraising walks and events raised over $11.2 million in 2011, benefitting local programs and services as well as the national advocacy initiatives that impact all individuals with Down syndrome. 

Reeher LLC announced that Wellesley College has joined the Reeher Platform, the first shared management system dedicated to higher-education fundraising in which features and tools added for one customer benefit all.

"Social impact bonds," which raise private investment capital to fund prevention and early-intervention social programs, with government repaying investors only if the work improves social outcomes, represent a "promising new product" that could become a multi-billion-dollar source of growth capital to fund effective social programs, a new white paper says.

"Social impact bonds offer an innovative way to scale what works," says the white paper, prepared by Social Finance Inc. and supported by the Rockefeller Foundation.

The Investigative News Network (INN) has received approval of nonprofit 501(c)(3) status from the IRS, allowing the organization to directly receive grants from foundations and donations from individuals and continue its mission of supporting investigative journalism.

The approval was granted last week on Friday, March 16, 19 months after INN applied for 501(c)(3) status and following numerous discussions with the IRS over INN's mission and goals. Over the past two years, the IRS has, in general, increased its scrutiny of journalism-related applicants.

The chief executive of GuideStar, a nonprofit that puts online a wealth of data about charities, will step down from his post later this year, the organization announced.

Bob Ottenhoff, who has led GuideStar for a decade, will leave once his successor is in place. The organization is now conducting a search for a new leader.

The University of California, Los Angeles endowment has grown the fastest among U.S. colleges since 2008 as markets recovered and gifts from philanthropists such as casino mogul Kirk Kerkorian surged.

UCLA’s endowment size increased an average 12.3 percent annually to $1.49 billion in the three years through 2011, almost double the 6.5 percent growth of Washington and Lee University, the next best performer, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. By contrast, the endowment at Harvard University, the world’s richest college, shrank 3.7 percent to $31.7 billion.