The Daily Tell

In an effort to combat the number of Americans who experience food insecurity nationwide, Bank of America has extended a $1.5 million endowment to to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and Feeding America via the bank's "Gift for Opportunity" fund. Consumers and associates made charitable contributions to the fund for six weeks, beginning December 2010, to aid more than 40 million children, individuals and families throughout the nation. The fund is a new program that nationally aims to encourage charitable giving among the bank's customers and associates, which it will then...

Despite the fact that religion ranks fourth in terms of what causes Americans believed needed the most financial help at present – behind education, health and civic organizations – more than half of the funds given to charity go to religious causes and organizations, according to a national survey conducted by The Nonprofit Times and infogroup/Nonprofit. Although Americans claim that education is the most deserving of financial support, they fail to back it with the necessary funding. In 1992, the same question was asked and religion ranked third behind education and health groups....

Atlanta-based Emory University has seen a boost in financial aid funding to students through Emory Advantage, thanks to a $14.4 million endowment from the estate of James E. Varner, Jr., an alumnus of the college who died March 6, 2010. The aid will benefit qualifying students within the college of arts and sciences. Varner graduated from Emory in 1943 with a degree in economics and left the majority of his estate to Emory in support of its students. "Emory Advantage grows out of the core belief that we simply cannot succeed unless we retain the ability to recruit to Emory the sort of vibrant,...

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has teamed up with the UK's Department for International Development, announcing a $102 million, five-year initiative to combat hunger and poverty within developing countries. The partnership will support agricultural research projects, aiming to help boost the profit and yield of small farms within regions that receive funding. It will address the threats that are most serious to the areas, such as food production, crop disease, pests, poor soil quality and extreme weather. "For many of the poorest people in Africa and Southern Asia, the crops they...

In the wake of General Motors' collapse, the auto industry pulled its funding to arts institutions via its charitable General Motors Foundation. However, now that the industry is back on its feet again, it has resumed giving, recently extending grants to artistic organizations, including $125,000 to Michigan Opera Theatre, $75,000 to Mosaic Youth Theatre and $25,000 to the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. These groups have faced challenges such as increasing deficits, layoffs and artistic cuts throughout the recession. Several Detroit-based artistic organizations, including...

Thanks to recent economic improvements, many foundations within Ohio's Miami Valley region have upped their charitable giving, with many more expecting to do so within the year. This is good news for local agencies and nonprofit organizations, which have relied on these grantmaking foundations to survive, the Dayton Daily News reported. The recession played a major role in these foundation's ability to give over the past several years. The Kettering Family Foundation, based in Dayton, saw its assets and revenue dip between 2007 and 2008 – falling from $22.6 million to $15.7 million....

The Salvation Army set a new record for the sixth year in a row with its Red Kettle Campaign, held during 2010's holiday season. The campaign raised $142 million, an increase of more than 2 percent over 2009's record. The Salvation Army posted Red Kettles nationally in 25,000 locations. Additionally, it adopted new technology including credit card swiping machines, social media campaigns, mobile applications and virtual bell ringers – all tactics that likely helped the nonprofit organization see an increase in its donations. It also launched its first ever text-to-give initiative,...

Complete College America has launched a $10 million competitive grant program, Completion Innovation Challenge. The initiative aims to boost the number of students completing college nationally and to close educational-attainment gaps. Through the support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Completion Innovation Challenge invites governors across the country to submit proposals to improve college completion rates within their states via innovative stategies. Winning proposals will receieve one of 10 available $1 million, 18-month implementation grants. Those states that best produce plans...

The United Nations has worked with the government of Zambia, the World Bank, UNICEF and the Stanbic Bank Zambia in order to distribute more than 800,000 anti-malaria bed nets three months earlier than anticipated – before the rainy season peaks. Anti-malaria bed nets will be delivered to 1.6 million people in Zambia and will have the ability to stem thousands of malaria cases within the country thanks to $4.8 million from the groups. In addition, it may help thousands of children, who prove to be at greater risk of contracting malaria during the rainy season. This deal marks the first use...

The United Nations has worked with the government of Zambia, the World Bank, UNICEF and the Stanbic Bank Zambia in order to distribute more than 800,000 anti-malaria bed nets three months earlier than anticipated – before the rainy season peaks. Anti-malaria bed nets will be delivered to 1.6 million people in Zambia and will have the ability to stem thousands of malaria cases within the country thanks to $4.8 million from the groups. In addition, it may help thousands of children, who prove to be at greater risk of contracting malaria during the rainy season. This deal marks the first use...