A CEO Plans to Update and ‘Professionalize’ a Venerable Youth Charity
Felix A. Urrutia Jr. points to a large gold-framed canvas hanging on one wall of his office as head of the ALSO SEE: Biographical Information: About Felix A. Urrutia Jr., executive director of the Police Athletic League Police Athletic League. The painting, which shows a 1940s-era police officer…
By Caroline Preston
Contributor
A New Chapter for a Leader of the National-Service Movement
In the fall of 1986, Alan Khazei huddled over one of the earliest Apple Macintosh computers with a college pal, Michael Brown, and drafted a plan for a grass-roots effort that could become a model for a national-service effort. Their hope was to show that young people who devoted a year of their…
By Caroline Preston
Contributor
An International-Aid Leader Takes Over as Head of a Big Foundation
When Kathryn Wolford visits Nicaraguan coffee farmers or tsunami-weary Indonesians, she is rarely the ALSO SEE: Bio: About Kathryn Wolford, President, the McKnight Foundation sort of person those grantees might expect. For one thing, Ms. Wolford, who last week left her job as head of Lutheran World…
By Caroline Preston
Contributor
A Business Executive Takes the Helm at a Breast-Cancer Charity
When Hala Moddelmog was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2001, she encountered a medical landscape far different from that faced by patients 20 years ago. Thanks in part to organizations like the Susan G. Komen ALSO SEE: TEXT: About Hala Moddelmog, chief executive officer, the Susan G. Komen Breast…
By Caroline Preston
Contributor
Changing American Attitudes: the Pull of Advertising
McGruff the Crime Dog, Rosie the Riveter, and Smokey Bear have become American icons. They also show how creative advertising can help charities communicate their message and change people’s behavior, according to the organizers of “Ads Matter: Celebrating Advertising & Social Impact,” an exhibit…
By Caroline Preston
Contributor
A Former Reporter Spans the Globe to Aid Small-Business Owners
ENTRY LEVEL When I was 13 years old, my mother recognized I didn’t have any athletic ability, and, because my two older brothers were jocks, she said, “You should go get on the school newspaper. I think you’ll enjoy that.” So that started me on a path to journalism. I worked as a reporter for The…
By Caroline Preston
Contributor
‘Washington Monthly’: College-Rankings Twist
For a second year, Washington Monthly seeks to turn the industry of college rankings on its head with its September guide to the top “patriotic” colleges. Instead of rating universities based on freshmen SAT scores or alumni giving, the magazine ranks institutions of higher education according to…
By Caroline Preston
Contributor
Mayor Bloomberg Donates $125-Million to Fight Smoking Around the World
Michael R. Bloomberg, the mayor of New York, has announced a $125-million donation to fight tobacco use worldwide, a rare public gift from a philanthropist who has preferred to keep his giving anonymous during the time he has held public office. While Mr. Bloomberg is widely believed to be the…
By Caroline Preston
Contributor
More Than $125-Million Raised for Humanitarian Aid in Middle East
By Caroline PrestonMore than a month into the fighting between Israel and the militant Lebanese group Hezbollah, some donors are stepping up their giving to help victims of the fighting. But while a few nonprofit groups have reported that the pace of contributions is accelerating, they say the…
By Caroline Preston
Contributor
Israel-Lebanon War Sparks Gifts to Relief Groups
Amid growing fears of a humanitarian catastrophe in the Middle East, aid organizations, religious groups, and other charities are raising money to help victims of the fighting in Lebanon, Israel, and Gaza. While some nonprofit organizations have received strong financial support from Jewish donors…
By Caroline Preston
Contributor