The New York Times

HONG KONG, September 22, 2009, The New York Times — As the 10th anniversary of his company approached this month, Jack Ma sat down and penned a note to his 15,000 employees at Alibaba Group. The chief executive reflected briefly on the success of his enterprise, which in a decade has become an e-commerce juggernaut with more than 100 million users and has vaulted him into the ranks of China’s ultrarich. But the bulk of his message concerned another theme: philanthropy.

WASHINGTON, September 22, 2009, The New York Times — The White House on Tuesday instructed government agencies to keep politics away from the awarding of federal grants, a step taken as the administration sought to minimize the fallout after an official at the National Endowment for the Arts urged artists to advance President Obama’s agenda.

September 18, 2009, The New York Times — WITH the economic downturn kindling a longing for less volatile eras, many companies have turned to nostalgia marketing. Examples are Volkswagen, featuring a 1964 Beetle in advertisements, General Mills, selling Cheerios and other cereals in retro boxes, and Nationwide Insurance, resurrecting its “Nationwide is on your side” catchphrase.

Cary, NC, September 15, 2009 — Brand-X-Press (BXP) Walk for the Cause games and animated Public Service Announcements (PSA) are distributed virally through social media networks such as Facebook, MySpace, Bebo, Twitter and YouTube as well as the nonprofit organization's website. BXP customized Walk for the Cause games teach players about the nonprofit's mission by incorporating multiple choice questions before players can advance to the next level of play. Mission branding is sprinkled throughout the game and PSA.

LONDON, September 8, 2009, The New York Times — Freya Hogan would love to return to her school in Ashford, near London, this month after her summer break, but Freya, 16, and about 240 fellow students from St. David’s School for girls have been forced to find another school.

LOS ANGELES, September 4, 2009, The New York Times — When Michael Jackson was memorialized at the Staples Center here in July, celebrities sang, eulogized and openly wept. What they did not do was offer to pick up the city’s $1.4 million tab.

September 6, 2009, The New York Times — There are a few things about Richard R. Buery Jr. that made him a novel choice to lead the Children’s Aid Society. He is 37, almost 30 years younger than the man he will replace. He is the first black person to run Children’s Aid. And he has spent much of his professional life building organizations from scratch, not taking over established ones with venerable, 150-year-old reputations.

Burlingame, CA, August 31, 2009 — Tactical Philanthropy Advisors, an advisory firm working with wealthy individuals and families, launched today. It is headed by Sean Stannard-Stockton, co-founder of a wealth advisory firm focused on philanthropists, a columnist for the Chronicle of Philanthropy and author of the industry leading blog Tactical Philanthropy.

August 26, 2009, The New York Times — The tech industry has been perplexed by the fact that Twitter has grown extraordinarily quickly even though young people do not tweet nearly as much as their elders do.

CENTER CITY, Minn., August 25, 2009 — Hazelden, a national nonprofit organization that helps people reclaim their lives from addiction, has appointed William C. Moyers as Vice President of Foundation Relations.