Home Depot

In what is the largest, single philanthropic gift in the institution’s history, Boca Raton Regional Hospital has received a $25 million grant from the Marcus Foundation to create the Marcus Neuroscience Institute on the Hospital’s main campus. The facility will serve as a new, state-of-the-art nexus of care for neurologic and neurosurgical patients and transform the landscape of clinical capabilities available in the region.

Becoming an environmentally responsible business isn’t an overnight process. It can take weeks of research and data analysis to make wise decisions that help both the environment and the bottom line — time many business owners don’t have to spare.

To cope with this challenge, more nonprofit programs are springing up to help businesses achieve their green goals.

More environmental nonprofits are now focusing on specific green business initiatives, whether it’s disposing of old equipment, finding environmentally and socially responsible suppliers or reducing water use.

Ottawa is conducting a sweeping overhaul of the way it finances charities and non-profit organizations, pledging a new era of accountability in which businesses and citizens shoulder more of the cost of giving.

The government’s lead minister for the changes said financing will come with more strings attached in an effort to ensure that organizations deliver promised social gains.

As part of its “Celebration of Service” initiative to honor U.S. military veterans, The Home Depot Foundation announced $1 million in grants to human service charity Volunteers of America to address the critical need for housing and services for U.S. military veterans.

Grants announced include $750,000 for 11 Volunteers of America homeless veterans programs in 10 cities. These grants will be used to build or refurbish transitional housing for 242 veterans, and to provide eight single-family homes for lease or lease-purchase by veterans with families.

Fundly, a leader in social fundraising for nonprofits, announced a $5 million round of financing led by Morgenthaler Ventures, bringing the total investment in Fundly to $7.5 million. Existing seed investors, Kapor Capital, Correlation Ventures, Seraph Group, and Accelerator Ventures also participated in the round. Mark Goines, a partner at Morgenthaler Ventures, has joined the Fundly board of directors.

The Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs and Good360, formerly Gifts In Kind International, have completed the first year of a unique, ongoing collaboration designed to measure the impacts of corporate gifts-in-kind to non-profit organizations.

The collaborators have focused on evaluating the effects on community nonprofits of Framing Hope, a partnership between Good360 and The Home Depot Foundation in which unsold merchandise from Home Depot stores is donated to participating nonprofit organizations. More information and preliminary research results may be seen at http://www.indiana.edu/~spea/research/interdisciplinary_research/index.shtml.

The Home Depot Foundation announced a pledge of $30 million over three years to address veterans’ housing issues. The Foundation’s financial commitment will be amplified by associates from The Home Depot, who will volunteer their time and home improvement know-how skills to projects across the country.

The initiative will kick off immediately by providing a total of $3.1 million to Fisher House Foundation, The Mission Continues and Volunteers of America to repair and rehabilitate facilities and homes serving veterans of all ages.

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.

August 4, 2009, The Chronicle of Philanthropy — The home-repair and construction company Home Depot is pledging $30-million to help Habitat for Humanity International build affordable housing that is environmentally friendly.

April 17, 2009, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution — One of Atlanta’s most powerful business leaders is turning his attention — and formidable resources — to cash-strapped Grady Memorial Hospital.