Help Us Honor a Local Leader with a 

Lifetime Achievement Award

The nonprofit sector is only as strong as the dedicated individuals who lead it. So each year, as part of the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network's annual conference, we honor a nonprofit leader for decades of innovation, spirit, and proven impact. 

New this year, we are opening the process to the public. If you know a passionate and committed nonprofit leader in Massachusetts with a track record of major and meaningful contributions to the sector and community they serve, we encourage you to recommend them for a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Past Lifetime Achievement Award winners hail from various regions and illustrate the diverse array of subsectors. We are honored to include Charles Rucks, Bill Walczak, Rev. Ray A. Hammond and Rev. Gloria White-Hammond, Fran Froelich, Kip Tiernan, and Paul Grogen as past recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Recommend a local leader for the Lifetime Achievement Award by August 8.

Boston Marathon Charity Runners Raise $38.4m  The Boston Globe recently reported that runners in the 2014 Boston Marathon raised $38.4 million for charity, nearly double last year's total. This year, 3,150 runners were given slots because they were running for charity, compared with the 2,600 the year before. You can read more about the historic amount raised from the BAA here.

Nonprofit Trade Secrets

An attorney from the New York law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher appealed ProPublica's request to the attorney general, calling for an exemption from the Freedom of Information Act.

As included in the Slate article on the topic:

The documents include "internal and proprietary methodology and procedures for fundraising, confidential information about its internal operations, and confidential financial information," wrote Gabrielle Levin of Gibson Dunn in a letter to the [New York] attorney general's office.

If those details were disclosed, "the American Red Cross would suffer competitive harm because its competitors would be able to mimic the American Red Cross's business model for an increased competitive advantage," Levin wrote.

Read more... 

Charitable Giving Up 0.9%

Charitable giving has increased for the second consecutive month. According to the Blackbaud Index, charitable giving increased 0.9 percent overall compared to the same period last year. The increase in overall and online giving was driven by large nonprofits, which saw an overall giving increase of 1.9 percent and an increase in online giving of 8.5 percent. The sectors that saw drops in overall giving were Arts & Culture, Healthcare, Human Services, International Affairs, and K-12 Education. Read more.