Pew Report: How internet and social media have transformed the arts

How internet and social media have transformed the arts
By: Peggy McGlone/The Star-Ledger

Social media has become a new way for arts organizations to promote their work, attract new audiences, as well as advertise themselves. Audiences have become more diverse, attracting younger people to the organizations.

For the full story click here

We TV, Goodwill partner for volunteer push

DMNews reported that We TV has launched its “Pledge 24 in 2010” campaign with Goodwill as a partner. The effort targets women and encourages them to pledge 24 hours of volunteer work in the coming year.

The initiative runs through January 31, 2010. Participants can visit WEVolunteer.tv to pledge. Users who enter are required to submit name, mailing and e-mail address, birthday, gender, phone number and the organization for which they plan on volunteering.

After submitting the personal data, users have the option to opt-in to any of four e-mail newsletters from We TV. The network distributes the We TV, We Love Pets, We Go Bridal and We Are Singles newsletters. We TV has more than 310,000 users in its e-mail database.

Kenetta Bailey, SVP of marketing for We TV, said that building the network's e-mail database is not a primary goal of the campaign. “But if people are interested in more information on We TV, we want to give it to them,” she said.

We TV's “We Treat” community newsletter goes out twice a week and has content including advice, recipes, TV show schedules, announcements and updates.

After users sign the pledge, they are automatically entered into We's “Chic in the City” sweepstakes, in which they can win a trip for two to New York to attend a movie premiere and after party, two nights in a boutique hotel, dinner and a $200 shopping spree at Saks Fifth Avenue.

There are also perks for the nonprofit partners. The organization that receives the most pledges will receive a PSA package from We TV, including 60 PSA spots to run on sister network Wedding Central during April 2010, national volunteer month. The winning nonprofit will get a one-month spotlight as “Charity of the Month” on WEVolunteer.tv with a banner that links to a full-page profile.

Actress Cynthia Nixon of Sex and the City will appear in a series of We TV PSAs in 2010 encouraging consumers to volunteer with the tagline “What a difference a day makes.”

We TV is also reaching out to more than 150 nonprofits to urge their volunteers and members to pledge 24 in 2010. Read more here.

Bloomberg Announces Package of Media Initiatives for Economic Development

New York Future Initiative (NYFI) related the following announcement from Mayor Michael Bloomberg about a package of initiatives designed to strengthen New York's media sector, part of a broader push to diversify the city's economy and trigger some economic gains to make up for what's been lost on Wall Street.

The initiatives include a research center for media companies and universities, a tax-exempt bond program to help companies purchase new facilities, a media and tech fellowship, and a city affiliated co-working space for freelancers. Read the full details here.

Nonprofit Coverage in the Media

The Minnesota Council of Foundations offers the following roundup of how media outlets are covering the world of philanthropy and nonprofits.

Economy:
How the Recession Affects Donors’ Decisions on Giving
The Chronicle of Philanthropy: More than 52 percent of people who support charities say they will give the same amount this year as they did in 2008, while just 17.5 percent plan to give less.

National:
Foundations oppose Obama tax plan for deductions
Wall Street Journal: Private foundations plan to oppose Obama’s proposed cap on itemized deductions for top earners, and will ask lawmakers to overhaul other tax policies that affect big grant makers.

Staff cuts loom for non-profits
Philantrophy Journal: More than one in four nonprofits say they plan to downsize or lay off staff next year, compared to the 7.6 percent than foresaw reductions last year.

Public education in U.S. falls short, Obama says
Los Angeles Times: President Barack Obama strongly condemned the state of public education Tuesday, calling for more charter schools, higher salaries for effective teachers and the faster firing of bad ones.

Newly Jobless Swell Volunteer Ranks at Charities
The Chronicle of Philanthropy: Nonprofit organizations are seeing a tide of new volunteers from the ranks of recently laid-off white-collar workers.

Media Roundup

The Minnesota Council on Foundations featured the following roundup of how the media is covering nonprofits and philanthropy.

Economy:

• The Upside to a Down Economy: Volunteer Numbers Are Up KARE11
• Giving in Bear Times Forbes
• Charities See Donations Drop as Need Spikes CNN
• Raising Money for Nonprofits in Terrible Times Forbes
• CSR is Still Good for Business Washington Post
• Where Stimulus Funds Can Make a Difference Letter from Independent Sector president Diana Aviv
• Downturn Spurs Some Foundations to Give More Boston Globe
• Nonprofits Seek Approval to Tap Endowments Philanthropy News Digest
  

National:

• Dramatic IRS Shift for Nonprofits Philadelphia Inquirer: Nonprofits, which don’t pay federal taxes, but still must report their income, are confronted with a new, more complicated public-reporting form, called form 990, that demands a deeper look at how organizations operate. It now delves into questions such as how top officers are compensated and what potential safeguards exist to prevent corruption.
• Twitter Followers Raise Thousands of Dollars for Charity Chronicle of Philanthropy: Twestival, which took place in more than 175 cities around the world from Banaglore to Baton Rouge, brought together people who use the social networking site, Twitter, to meet in person and raise money for charity.

Poughkeepsie Journal advocates for all of upstate

Early next year, Hillary Rodham Clinton will vacate her Senate position to become U.S. Secretary of State in the Obama administration. Gov. David Paterson will then appoint a Senate replacement. Upstate communities are rightly adamant the new senator pay attention to their concerns, which often are overshadowed by the political power of New York City and other downstate regions.

The Poughkeepsie Journal editorial board reached out to editorialists across upstate, as well as to Journal readers and online posters, to get their thoughts on these issues - and to find out what the new senator needs to know about upstate. Here are those views.