American Express

American Express released findings from a "Perspectives on Nonprofits" survey, which shows that while seven in ten Americans (71%) trust nonprofits more than they trust government or industry to address some of the most pressing issues of our time, more than eight in ten Americans (83%) believe that nonprofits do not always have the resources they need to invest in the growth and development of their employees.

Blame hard times, the spread of social media or the incentives created by a competition, but things have gotten ugly in an online contest among cultural organizations to win a $200,000 grant from American Express.

On Thursday night Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, one of nine nonprofit groups competing for the grant, posted a Twitter message saying: “I know we’ve asked before, but we really need to beat StoryCorps. We NEED your HELP. Show some love & vote for the arts.”

An effective sponsorship program can help a nonprofit organization quickly turn chaos, like our country’s current recession, into a creative opportunity for success. To do so, a nonprofit must be able to articulate and demonstrate how aligning the mission of its organization or cause-related effort with the dollars and brand of a corporate partner will generate awareness, increase revenue and drive loyalty for both parties in a jaded marketplace.

Check out any nonprofit Web site these days, and in addition to an About Us page, you're likely to see icons for Facebook, Twitter and MySpace. These social-media widgets have fast become wallpaper on almost all charitable sites. But does social media really work for fundraising?

NEW YORK, October 26, 2009 — American Express kicked off the third American Express Nonprofit Leadership Academy today, its nation-wide program to develop the next generation of leaders in the nonprofit sector. The Nonprofit Leadership Academy is a week-long training program created in partnership with the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) that immerses participants in a series of leadership training and development courses. Through the Academy, participants gain a better awareness of their own strengths and weaknesses as managers and hone the skills necessary for effective leadership.

Independent Sector is calling all young nonprofit leaders looking to magnify their impact through dynamic collaboration with their peers to apply for the American Express NGen Fellows Program. Twelve young professionals under age 40 from Independent Sector member organizations will be selected to the fellows program and receive complimentary registration and lodging for the 2009 Annual Conference held in Detroit Nov. 3 to 6.

BOSTON, May 20, 2009 — The Bridgespan Group’s recent report, “Finding Leaders for America’s Nonprofits,” which predicts a deficit of sector leadership of more than 20,000 for 2009, has spurred vigorous dialogue among nonprofit leaders and the foundations that support them.

NEW YORK, April 28, 2009 — American Express (NYSE:AXP) today kicked off the second American Express Nonprofit Leadership Academy, its nation-wide program to develop the next generation of leaders in the nonprofit sector and has announced that it will be holding another Academy in the Fall. The Nonprofit Leadership Academy is a week-long training program created in partnership with the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) that immerses participants in leadership training and development courses through sessions with American Express senior executives, including the company’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Kenneth I. Chenault. This week’s Leadership Academy will include guest speakers Reynold Levy, president of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and Marie Wilson, founder and president of The White House Project.

BOSTON, MA, April 20, 2009 — A newly released Bridgespan Group survey of U.S. nonprofit executive directors shows that a leadership deficit forecast in 2006 may have widened last year. Meanwhile, in 2009, despite tightening budgets, nonprofits already foresee a need to fill 24,000 vacant or new roles in areas like finance and fundraising, amid increasing management complexity and baby boomer retirements. Developing leaders within the sector remains critical. In addition, three quarters of respondents saw value in “bridging” talent in from outside the sector to fill the gap, but underscored the need for cultural adaptation. Study findings will be presented at the American Express Nonprofit Leadership Academy taking place from April 27th-May 1st in New York.

This April, the ASPCA(R) (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals(R)) will once again commemorate Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month - an extremely important month for animals. From its beginnings three years ago as a small grassroots adoption event in New York City, the ASPCA's April celebrations have mushroomed into a nationwide celebration of the human-animal bond and the organization's victories on behalf of animals.