E-bay demands ticket resellers donate 20% of sale price to charity event

There are several remarkable events are going on today to celebrate Earth Day. But the issue of global warming is going to get even more attention in the next several months leading up to Live Earth concerts on July 7th.

Live Earth will bring together more than 150 of the world's top musicians for 24-hours of music from 7 concerts across all 7 continents. Live Earth will bring together an audience of more than 2 billion at the concerts and through television, radio, film, and the Internet. That audience, and the proceeds from the event, will create the foundation for a new, multi-year global effort to combat the climate crisis led by Vice President Al Gore. Kevin Wall, Worldwide Executive Producer of Live 8, is producing Live Earth.

Tickets went on sale this past Monday and the demand was huge. The Wembley Live Earth concert had some 203,000 fans registered for the 60,000-odd tickets.

It did not take long for tickets to go up on eBay for 5 or 6 times the face price. On Thursday, eBay confirmed it will carry tickets for the UK and US Live Earth concerts, however they will impose a mandatory requirement that 20% of the price be donated to charity.

An eBay spokesman told the BBC:

"Although the charity will have benefited from the original sale of the ticket, we think it makes sense to use our charity fundraising programme to ensure that good causes benefit from the resale of any spare tickets on the site.

As a result, users who decide to resell their tickets will be required to donate at least 20% of the final sale price to good causes through our charity fundraising platform."

In 2005 eBay banned Live 8 tickets, after organizer Bob Geldof called the attempted sale of the free tickets "sick profiteering".

Donors respond to VA Tech shooting

The Washington Post ran another story today on the response of donors from around world who turned to fundraising in response to the tragedy.

People want to do something. For most, that means giving money.

"It really has been amazing, the number of people who have been calling from all over the world asking how they can make a donation," said Chuck Lionberger, a volunteer at the emergency phone center set up by Virginia Tech's university relations office. "Many that I have personally spoken to have been in tears. There's been such an outpouring of emotion and effort on behalf of the university."

The article cites Jane Stringer, the director of gift accounting for the school, as saying the priority is providing help to the victims and their families. The article also says the school hasn't decided whether that will mean financial support or medical or funeral assistance.

Stamp's charity criminal of the week

Trent Stamp has started what I hope will be a regular feature on his blog called, the "Charity Criminal of the Week."

This week's charity criminal is Selvyn A. McMillan of Columbia, Missouri. Mr. McMillan was arrested last week for breaking into the local Big Brothers Big Sisters. As Stamp points out, there are too many stories about people stealing from charities... but what makes this story so crazy is that fact that McMillan is believed to have broken in on 3 times within a four consecutive night period.

City asks police to fold their charity poker tournaments

Last summer the Virginia Fraternal Order of Police charitable foundation began sponsoring Texas Hold ' em poker tournaments. In less than a year, organizers say they've raised about $88,000 for Portsmouth Catholic Elementary School and the state FOP's charitable foundation.

Apparently, the FOP didn't think they were doing anything wrong. But, under Virginia law illegal gambling is defined as:

"the making of any bet... of money or other thing of value made in exchange for a chance to win a prize, stake or thing of value... the outcome of which is uncertain, or a matter of chance."

Officials in Portsmouth and in the state legislature can't agree whether poker tournaments are a game of skill or chance. After months of emails, organizers have said that when their lease with the Boulevard Bingo hall expires on June 10th, they will fold their game.

(Thanks to Reed over at the AFP news blog for the tip.)

VA Tech establishes Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund

While much of the country was stunned by the tragedy at Virginia Tech on Monday, the development office moved quickly to provide an opportunity for grieving donors.

The university created the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund, which will raise money to aid with grief counseling, memorial costs, and communication expenses for the families of the victims.

Any memorial gifts, payable to the “Virginia Tech Foundation,” designated specifically for the “Virginia Tech Family Fund,” should be mailed to University Development, 902 Prices Fork Road (0336), Blacksburg, VA 24061.

Agassi busts Graf's lip with racket during fundraising event

Steffi Graf required three stitches Sunday after husband Andre Agassi inadvertently hit her in the face with his racket during a fundraiser that followed the final of the U.S. Clay Court Championships according to Associated Press reports.

Agassi and Graf were in Houston because Agassi is part of a reality show called 'The Big Give,' an upcoming Oprah Winfrey production.

Here's the part of the story that caught my eye:

At least the incident gave one fan a thrill. Stefan Krenzer had just donated $70,000 to the fundraising effort on behalf of a rundown school in the Texan town of La Marque, in return for a tennis lesson from Agassi and Graf.

In the end, his credentials as a doctor found him giving Graf three stitches to the lip, giving him rather closer exposure to the star couple than he had bid for or intended.

How funny is that a doctor was the one who won the auction to play with the superstar couple? I guess it would have been funnier if the auction winner was a personal injury attorney. (Thanks to loyal reader JBJ for pointing us toward this story.)

Smithsonian: Reeves wheelchair not enough

The New York Post reported last week that Deborah Morosini, the sister of Reeve's late wife, Dana, had offered the beloved actor's chair to the Smithsonian so his gallant struggle to survive against the odds will be remembered for generations.

But the deal fell through when the organization said thanks, but no thanks.

Katherine Ott, a curator at the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., which is run by the Smithsonian, confirmed to The Post's Marianne Garvey that officials wanted much more than the wheelchair. She said the museum wants an entire collection of Reeve's possessions - but once the family learned of the demand, they cut off the contract.

"We want more than the wheelchair," Ott said. "We need the whole history of his experience, not just one piece. We want the fuller story, not just the chair. What if people look at only the chair 50 years from now? It won't tell the whole story."

Among other items requested were Reeve's medications, his exercise equipment, a special bike he used, a tiltboard, literature he collected and letters he wrote about his condition. "We made a list and we never heard back," Ott said.

Despite the fact that the Smithsonian looks like the bad guy for rejecting Superman's wheelchair... I actually respect nonprofit staff that place restrictions on what they will accept instead of being forced to take every in-kind 'donation' someone wants to give.

Future of Imus Ranch in question?

Be sure to check out two new pieces on the future of the Imus Ranch: the first one over at Where Most Needed questions the amount of oversight provided by the Board and the second at ABC News interviews Trent Stamp on the potential impact on fundraising.

The annual two-day fundraising radiothon, benefiting the ranch and two charities that refer children to it, had raised more than $2.3 million as of Friday, according to Deirdre Imus, who hosted Friday's show... you have to think that some of the donors who gave this year did it mainly because they thought Imus was getting a raw deal.

Fake donor gets 42 months in prison

Do you remember Hakan Yalincak? Yalincak was a senior history major at New York University when he was indicted on numerous fraud counts in 2005.

This blog wrote about him back in December because in a related part of the story, he fooled NYU into thinking he would donate $21 million to build a lecture hall and create a scholarship fund and an Ottoman Studies professorship.

With that history in mind, U.S. District Judge Janet Arterton Wednesday sentenced Yalincak, now 23, to 3½ years in federal prison, in part to find and develop the moral compass she said "is either not present or not functioning.

Will 'scandals' hurt universities' fundraising?

This June, University of Illinois President Joseph White will start an ambitious campaign to raise $2 billion.

In interviews with The Associated Press this week, White and James Gobberdiel of the University of Illinois Foundation (the university's fundraising arm) discussed whether they thought the school's recent decision to scrap its controversial American Indian mascot and the arrests of several athletes would impact fundraising.

One would-be donor, upset about the loss of the mascot, backed out of a donation that would have topped $100,000, Gobberdiel said. But few other benefactors have spoken up, he said.

Similarly, White said troubles in the athletic department on the Champaign-Urbana campus shouldn't affect his ability to raise money. They are a bigger problem for the students involved than for the university.

Yeah, I guess he's right. A good fundraiser should be able to get you around these kinds of troubles... unless of course you find yourself like Toledo University and you're mired in an alleged point shaving betting scandal... now I'd imagine that can't make fundraising easy.

Imus suspension delayed for charity fundraiser

Last Wednesday Don Imus made his repugnant and racist comments about the young women who play for the Rutgers basketball team. Many are calling for him to be fired.

Earlier today MSNBC announced that they would suspend Imus for two weeks as punishment for his remarks, but not until next Monday, April 16th. Minutes ago, CBS Radio issued an identical punishment.

Why are they waiting until next Monday? Perhaps this is the answer:

Both MSNBC and CBS Radio said they would go ahead and air the previously scheduled Imus radiothon in support of the Tomorrow's Children's Fund, the CJ Foundation for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome research and the Imus Ranch planned for Thursday and Friday.

Yes, that's right, everyone loves the Imus Ranch, right? We are led to believe doing it immediately wouldn't be fair for the poor sick kids.

I mean... it's not as if his charity hasn't been the subject of criticism in the past. This review on the Charity Governance Blog from two years ago gives us a good place to start.

A closer look at McCain's fundraising miss

Many people were surprised by Sen. McCain's low first quarter fundraising numbers. But as Jill Lawrence at the USA Today reports: they didn't do enough asking.

The numbers bear that out. McCain had 31 fundraising events in the first quarter and raised $12.5 million. Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani had 57 fundraisers, 36 of them in March, and raised $15 million.

Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney - the Republicans' first-place finisher in the first quarter with $23 million - spent 33 days in February and March raising money. Some days his schedule had several events. Romney raised more than $6.5 million on Jan. 9, when he assembled 400 well-connected supporters to make calls from the Boston convention center.

The McCain campaign "saw this coming" and restructured, chief strategist John Weaver says. He says the pace set in March - 27 events - will continue, and a new finance chief, Texan and former Bush fundraiser Tom Loeffler, will oversee expanded fundraising with better tracking of progress.Weaver said McCain's total of 60,000 donors is evidence that "there was no political problem. It was a structural problem."

It seems a little too early to be restructuring your fundraising chief out of his job. In fact, the last time I heard a candidate complain about low fundraising because they started too late... and then shook up the fundraising staff... well... it was Bob Graham and he dropped out of the Presidential Primary race shortly thereafter.

Donors raise money while wearing kilts

The Rock Trust works to provide opportunities for young vulnerable homeless and socially excluded people in Edinburgh and other areas of Scotland.

To raise funds for the important work, they help organize The Rock Trust Kilt Walk where every entrant is asked to raise a minimum sponsorship target of just £50 and where a kilt. The money raised goes directly to The Rock Trust.

Its a new sponsored walk with a difference for all the family where you can proudly wear your kilt, along with hundreds of other kilted walkers, on a 5km route around some of Scotland's most famous sights.

The event this year was on Sunday. Organizers claimed before the walk they would have more than 250 walkers. Not only will walkers receive a commemorative kiltpin, everybody who completes the route can enjoy a post-walk concert at the Ross Theatre, featuring Scottish band Scocha.

The organizer Gerard McCauley even told one reporter he received a phone call from a group of vacation planners in Brazil who were really keen to be involved.

Is the kilt walk the offline equivalent of an online community space bringing together diversity people from all over the world to take part in a charity fundraising event?

''We seek him here, we seek him there,

Those Frenchies seek him everywhere.
Is he in heaven?

—Is he in hell?

That demmed, elusive Pimpernel.''

—Sir Percy Blakeney

For those of you who have read The Scarlet Pimpernel, you know the best part doesn't happen until Sir Percy leaves for France and Marguerite realizes that he is the Pimpernel. He had created the persona of a witless fop in order to deceive the world as to his true activities.

Happy April Fools Day folks.

Sorry for getting your hopes up. Maybe "a fundraiser" will reveal his/her identity next year.

Romney fundraisers can keep 10%

We all know that the first quarter closes this weekend for all presidential candidates... and now the game of managing expectations has begun.

Mitt Romney's campaign chief counsel Ben Ginsberg sent an internal memo to top fundraisers yesterday with a warning to examine the first quarter fundraising numbers raised by his opponents.

First, Governor Romney's totals will be indicative of our extraordinary success in building an organization and stirring excitement among grassroots activists. The number will be quite a tribute to Governor Romney and all of you since the other leading candidates enjoy universal name identification, existing networks of contributors and clear advantages in the national polls.

Second, be aware that some campaigns' totals will include monies raised for the general election. This money will artificially inflate totals, but it is meaningless in gauging current strength since not one penny of a campaign's general election funds can be used in the primary. Reports that don't separate primary and general election contributions will be misleading. As you know, Romney for President has raised only primary funds, but the McCain, Giuliani, Clinton and Obama campaigns have raised both. (While there may be some advantages in raising both kinds of money now, know there are also disadvantages – for example, 100 percent of general election monies raised must be returned if the candidate is not the nominee. This means that all the costs of general election fundraising, including fundraisers' commissions and event costs must be paid for with primary funds.)

Me thinks the Governor doth protest too much.

Sen. John McCain has already warned that he would not meet the campaign's fundraising goals this quarter. McCain's camp seems to acknowledge that Mitt Romney may wind up raising more.

But a loyal reader (and personal friend) of this blog sent in a tip last week from Forbes which reports Romney is allowing students to keep 10% of the money they raise for his campaign.

Participants in "Students for Mitt" will get 10 percent of the money they raise for the campaign beyond the first $1,000. While candidates often offer professional fundraisers commissions up to 8 percent, campaign experts believe the Massachusetts Republican is the first to do so with the legion of college students who have historically served as campaign volunteers.

"For the kids that want to get involved in a political campaign and they don't want to spend their summer painting houses, they can help the campaign and themselves at the same time," said Romney spokesman Kevin Madden.

For the "kids"?

Are they joking? Not only does it seem condescending, I'm not sure the AFP would be thrilled to learn about this.

I guess that's old news...

Imagine my surprise when I posted my last article about Independent Sector’s comment period only to then see that Ian Wilhelm had written the exact same article on Give and Take two days ago.

Maybe there's just too many fundraising blogs now... maybe there is no room for the little guy now that such well staffed publications are getting into the blog business... or maybe we need to return to our core competency.

Today is last day for comment period

I like it when smart bloggers take different sides on an issue, but I flat out love it when the debate pits Trent Stamp from Charity Navigator on one side and "underalms" from Where Most Needed on the other.

The two of them recently squared off after Trent posted an article, indicting that he was "flip-flopping" and decided to support the self-regulations drafted by a group called, the Independent Sector. He writes that in the past he thought the self-regulation was way too lenient. However, when he looked around at who joined him in opposition, he didn't like the company he was keeping.

The list of company was long: The Direct Marketing Association, Association of Fundraising Professionals, Alliance of Nonprofit Mailers, American Charities for Reasonable Fundraising Regulation, Direct Mail Fundraisers Association, and the Association of Direct Response Fundraising Counsel.

So, if we’re drawing up sides, and the choice is between a) the Independent Sector, who I believe to be too protectionist and slow to adapt, but are undoubtedly smart people with good intentions representing some excellent charities, and b) the DC insiders who lobby on behalf of protecting the right to send your grandmother 843 pieces of unsolicited junk mail from sound-alike charities in an effort to trick her into supporting their groups, I’m with the former.

This prompted a strong response over at Where Most Needed:

Heaven knows, few really care about the Nonprofit Panel or its principles: the first draft received all of 125 comments from 300 million Americans who support a million charities. The underlying problem is reflected in the Form 990 for Independent Sector—it wants to speak for the nonprofit sector, but its members pay for only about a third of the expenses for the organization. The bulk of the income is from contributions. In effect, a handful of well-heeled foundations pay the bills and call the shots at IS. That's how you can have the odd situation of what is supposedly an industry group proposing a raft of regulation for its own industry.

Say what you will about the DMA, at least its members pay the freight. You can be assured that its positions represent those of its constituency. Independent Sector does not represent the views of US charities or nonprofits. It speaks about the independent sector, but not for the independent sector.

Personally, I haven't studied at IS's 990 - and since "underalms" is an anonymous blogger... readers are advised to due their own due diligence. But the debate is a good one. And every fundraiser should scan these guidelines and know what is being drafted because it might very well become law some day.

From IS's own website:

The Principles for Effective Practice is a continuation of the Panel’s work begun in 2004. The Panel’s Final and Supplemental Reports released in 2005 and 2006 detailed more than 150 recommendations for action by Congress, the Internal Revenue Service, and the charitable community to strengthen the transparency, governance and accountability of charitable organizations. Many of the Panel’s recommendations helped to shape nonprofit reforms included in the Pension Protection Act enacted in August 2006.

You can comment today by clicking here.

"A fundraiser" to reveal secret identity on Sunday

My post last week "In Defense of Anonymity" generated quite a bit of chatter through posted comments and emails. I honestly had no idea that some readers were so troubled by the fact that I used an online persona.

...so... in six days I will remove the mask, step out from behind the curtain, and reveal the real name of the writer behind the alter ego known as "a fundraiser."

Any guesses so far?

Donors are freezin' for a reason

Ludington, MI sits on the chilly shores of Lake Michigan almost 100 miles north of Grand Rapids. This past Saturday morning, about 200 people woke up early and participated in the 7th annual Lake Jump by running into the frigid water.

The event is a fundraiser. This year's event raised money for the Ludington Skate Park. According to a local radio station more than $60,000 in pledges had been raised. The Ludington Daily News reported that a $25,000 donation from Hardman construction ensured that the Ludington Skate Park will receive a matching grant from Dow.

The Lake Jump started as a hoax in 2000 - a dare between two disc jockeys at WMOM - which generated a crowd of about 50 spectators. In 2001, the Lake Jump became an event in the Harbor Master campaign and proceeds raised were donated to the Region IV Women's Shelter. From that point forward, WMOM has donated annual Lake Jump proceeds to a charitable organization and has had over 150 participants "jump in" the frigid waters of Lake Michigan for a good cause in recent years.

In case you were interested, a Google search using the keywords "jump in a cold lake fundraiser" returned more than 500,000 responses - including the article that gave me the idea for this article's title.

In defense of Anonymity

I am a big fan of Tom Belford and Roger Craver because of their work at The Agitator. They write about relevant news with expert insight combined with uncany access to some of the country's best fundraising experts and professionals.

So, imagine my horror to read Tom's new post: Anonymity Sucks.

Whether in the context of ...

* Posting a "Big Sister" Hillary video.
* Writing an blog "evaluating" charities.
* Making a "Comment" on someone's website or blog.
* Sneaking a contribution to a political candidate.
* Faking "grassroots support" for a legislative goal.
* Hiding behind an e-mail nom de plume.

Anonymity used to attack or manipulate springs from cowardice and/or malice.

It is the antithesis of integrity.

It is the enemy of authentic discourse.

Whatever merit the message might hold.

-Tom

I added the emphasis myself on lines that hit close to home for me.

Sure, I'm an anonymous fundraiser who works at a charity and is reluctant to use my real name and professional affiliation online. However, in my defense, it was always my hope that readers of my blog understand that the online identity of "a fundraiser" has an honest point of view, shared without malice. If anything I often regret that my online reputation as "a fundraiser" may be wider known than my real identity because "a fundraiser's" ethics and integrity (not to mention brilliant sense of humor) is solid... with the hundreds of regular readers.

I would go one step further. I think Tom is wrong.

I believe users of "Web 2.0" need to be granted the ability to create online identities protect their real names while still ensuring an authentic discourse backed by the reputation of that identity.

People who play online virtual world games like The Sims and Second Life understand this important distinction... so do people who use online chatrooms and message boards.

Using my identity as "a fundraiser" translates into a reputation. I've worked hard to build and protect this reputation.

Tom could never convince me that online reputations are the antithesis of integrity... I believe it is one of the essential core tenants of a successful and thriving web community.

Post office rejects request for rate hike delay

I just heard that the Governors of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) today approved an increase in the price of a First-Class stamp to 41 cents.

...but more important for fundraisers - they rejected a request for a year-long delay in the Not Flat-Machinable rates... which means direct mail is going to get a lot more expensive starting on May 14th. If you go to their website, it will say:

The Governors have concluded that three issues -- Standard Mail flats, the Nonmachinable Surcharge for First-Class Mail letters, and the Priority Mail Flat Rate Box -- would benefit from further consideration. In order to allow the Postal Service to seek reconsideration of the three matters which merit such treatment, as provided under the former provisions of 39 U.S.C. § 3625(c)(2), we approve the Recommended Decision and return those three matters to the Commission. The technical term for our decision is “allow under protest.” We ask the Commission to move as expeditiously as possible to give mailers a practical opportunity to plan effectively for future mailings.

Allow under protest, eh? I'm going to remember that the next time I need to deliver bad news to someone... and yes, while this is wonky stuff... make no mistake... this is bad news for direct mail fundraisers.

When direct mail fundraising steals your face

Last summer, the people of Scranton, PA passed several aggressive measures against illegal immigrants. The ordinances imposes fines on landlords who rent to illegal immigrants and denies business permits to companies that employ them.

But now some citizens are starting to ask if the town has gone too far. Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta had to testify last week to defend the ordinance against claims that it is unconstitutional... and now there are questions about the Mayor's role in fundraising for Mountain States Legal Foundation, a Colorado-based group giving free legal advice to the city to defend its illegal immigration ordinance.

Residents recently received a fundraising letter from the Foundation which has been described in detail by the Time Tribune in this article:

The mayor’s face and “Hazleton, Pa.” appear in the return address portion of the envelope. Under his name is this message: “The ACLU is suing my town for adopting a tough anti-illegal immigration law. Your help is needed.”

Inside the envelope, it becomes more clear that this is not a note sent from Hazleton or the mayor. It’s a fundraising effort from Mountain States Legal Foundation, a Colorado-based group giving free legal advice to the city to defend its illegal immigration ordinance. The money raised from the mailing does not go into Hazleton’s coffers, though.

Some of the messages it sends are not statements Mr. Barletta particularly wants to be associated with, he said Friday after reading the mailer for the first time. Among other assertions, the letter predicts the fall of America because of an influx of illegal immigrants, specifically, Mexicans.

So... when asked for his reaction to the letter, he said, “That’s not a statement I would make." He also was quoted as saying, “I have no control over what they do to solicit donations.”

I've heard of stories like this before when someone has a picture used to misappropriate comments to a person who claims they would not say anything like that.

But I didn't hear Berletta's comments actually denouncing the person and group that made the hateful comments within the fundraising package. Unless he denounces the entire package won't donors be left with the impression that Berletta supports the the overall message?

Raccoon back on menu for fundraiser

Donors to the Hibernia Community Building in Indiana learned today that raccoon will once again be served at the annual fundraising dinner. Eighty six year old LaVeran Lorenz announced she will resume cooking duties for the March 24 event - provided that her neighbor help with the cleaning.

The Journal and Courier Online from West Lafayette, Indiana reported that Allus Franklin and other hunters in the town on Hibernia Road off Indiana 62 about 20 miles north of Louisville, Ky., have bagged 103 raccoons for the event.

Lorenz, who had handled much of the raccoon cooking duty for every fundraiser since the early 1950s, begged off after the 2002 event.

The 21 members of the Owen Township Homemakers since have prepared chili and ham and beans for fundraisers, but people have pleaded with the cook to bring raccoon back to the table.

Helen Sue Sneed, a daughter of Lorenz's, said she wasn't surprised her mother agreed."It's what keeps her going," Sneed told the AP. "She enjoys being around people. That's a big part of it."

For those who don't have a taste for the "wild meat," a much calmer meat - turkey - will be served along with dressing and gravy, parsley potatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans and rolls.

Bears shut down fundraisers

This past week the Chicago Bears sent cease-and-desist letters to the organizer of as many as 16 spring fundraisers for Chicago-area schools.

The fundraising events were to involve Chicago Bears football players in charity basketball games playing against local school teachers and faculty.

The football team told the company that arranged the games--Bears on Court, owned by Tony Gagliardo--that it was using the team's name without permission and using players in violation of their contracts.

In an interview with the Chicago Tribune, Gagliardo said, "I've been doing this for 30 years, and everybody loved us, what we did for the community. They own the team, and I understand where they don't want the players injured."

Jacobs High School in Algonquin hoped to use money from a game next week to buy books for a new media center and library. Tickets totaling $5,000 had been sold.

...as if their loss in the Super Bowl wasn't painful enough for the city... now they go and cut off these fundraisers for the schools?

Professor challenges donor's "naming rights"

Here's a juicy little story from Cal State Fullerton where a donor who pledged $4.5 million is being challenged by a professor who does not want the donor's name on a new $87.5 million building.

The Orange County Register reported that Steven G. Mihaylo, a 1969 graduate of Cal State Fullerton, signed a guilty plea admitting his company, Inter-Tel Inc., committed federal mail fraud and antitrust violations.

Mihaylo was not personally accused of wrongdoing, but his company paid $8.7 million in fines. The company's guilty plea came seven months after Mihaylo made his pledge to put his name on the building – and five months before he received an honorary doctorate from the school.

Mihaylo blamed his company's troubles on rogue employees. Earl Nelson, who headed Inter-Tel's branch in Emeryville, faces federal trial in April on charges of conspiracy, bid rigging and mail fraud in contracts with school districts in San Francisco, West Fresno and Highland Park, Mich.

The university has no plans to remove Mihaylo's name. Hamid Tavakolian, the professor whose students uncovered the Inter-Tel settlement, met Tuesday with Cal State Fullerton President Milton Gordon to discuss the controversy.

Tavakolian has threatened legal action against administrators, whom he accuses of using the university's e-mail to impugn his motives.

Are you a Libby donor?

You've probably heard by now that former adviser to Vice President Dick Cheney, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby was convicted Tuesday of lying and obstructing a leak investigation. The four guilty verdicts ended a seven-week CIA leak trial that focused new attention on the Bush administration's much-criticized handling of intelligence reports about weapons of mass destruction in the run-up to the Iraq war. (Go here for full AP story)

The same day Libby was convicted, it was announced that former Senator Fred Thompson, a member of the Advisory Committee for the Libby Legal Defense Trust has offered to host another fundraiser for the Libby Legal Defense Trust.

Are there really Scooter Libby donors out there?

If the former senator (and current Law & Order television star) is really concerned about his buddy Scooter, perhaps he should host a fundraiser for the Human Rights Watch's Sentencing Project. As a convicted felon living in Virgina - Libby will be barred from voting in upcoming elections.

In forty-six states and the District of Columbia, criminal disenfranchisement laws deny the vote to all convicted adults in prison. Thirty-two states also disenfranchise felons on parole; twenty-nine disenfranchise those on probation. And, due to laws that may be unique in the world, in fourteen states even ex-offenders who have fully served their sentences remain barred for life from voting.

That doesn't sound like a democracy to me... but this is a blog about donors and fundraising... so let me say this: it seems to me if you are donating to the Libby Defense Fund you are either wasting your money or paying a scape goat for keeping his mouth closed.

Seeing Red... one year later

It's been a year since the first Red T-shirts hit Gap shelves in London and Mya Frazier over at Advertising Age reports the much publicized campaign has only raised $18 million worldwide.

The article also he collective marketing outlay by Gap, Apple and Motorola has been enormous, with some estimates as high as $100 million. Mya also interviewed Trent Stamp.

Trent Stamp, president of Charity Navigator, which rates the spending practices of 5,000 nonprofits, said he's concerned about the campaign's impact on the next generation. "The Red campaign can be a good start or it can be a colossal waste of money, and it all depends on whether this edgy, innovative campaign inspires young people to be better citizens or just gives them an excuse to feel good about themselves while they buy an overpriced item they don't really need."

In their defense:

Julie Cordua, VP-marketing at Red and a former Motorola marketing exec and director-buzz marketing at Helio, said the outlay by the program's partners must be understood within the context of the campaign's goal: sustainability. "It's not a charity program of them writing a one-time check. It has to make good business sense for the company so the money will continue to flow to the Global Fund over time." She added that since many of Red's partners haven't closed their books yet on 2006, more funds likely will be added to the $18 million.

Ok... perhaps this one isn't all about the return on investment (ROI) from the sales of jeans, iPods, and cell phones. Don't get me wrong. Measuring ROI on these programs is essential. But consider this:

The U.S. Congress just approved a $724 million pledge to the Global Fund, on top of $1.9 billion already given and $650 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

I think the real question is whether or not the Red campaign helped a little bit to secure this additional funding... and if so, shouldn't it be seen as a PR campaign instead of a retail program?

Widow rejects club's donation

Last week, Sgt. Howard Plouff was shot and killed outside a nightclub in Winston-Salem while trying to break up a fight. The Red Roster club had offered to donate proceeds from two nights to Plouff's family.

However, the North Carolina Police Benevolent Association has said the family of Sgt. Plouff won't accept any of the money raised by the club.

Meanwhile, the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office Friday arrested a club bouncer who's accused of firing a gun in the air while deputies were trying to break up the fight.

Donations can be made at area Wachovia Bank locations or mailed to the Police Benevolent Foundation (write Plouff Trust on the memo line), 1900 Brannan Road, McConough, Ga., 30253.

Give and Take

Following up on their article last month about the rise in nonprofit blogs, The Chronicle of Philanthropy created "Give and Take" as a site to pull together the best on the web.

In a way, you can consider us your nonprofit-blog butler — offering you a complete menu of blogs about philanthropy while also recommending posts and comments that deserve your attention.

The right column on your Web browser includes a list of notable blogs about the nonprofit world. Some talk about issues facing charities and foundations, others focus on how to become a better fund raiser or manager, while others focus on specific topics such as technology.

Nice work Peter.

Donor withholds $12 million over chapel cross dispute

The Associated Press reported yesterday that a longtime donor to the College of William & Mary will withhold a $12 million pledge to the public university because of the removal of a cross from a campus chapel.

In a letter dated Feb 16, former Board of Visitors member James W. McGlothlin wrote another former board member that school President Gene Nichol's decision to remove an 18-inch-high brass cross from the chapel's altar was "unbelievable."

It's unknown whether McGlothlin is the donor. Asked on Wednesday whether McGlothlin was the donor, officials said the school didn't discuss individual donors.

The student newspaper, The Flat Hat, published an editorial today describing the donor's decision to withhold a pledge as setting "a dangerous and troubling precedent of alumni using financial donations as a tool to influence or buy College policy."

In December, The Flat Hat printed a staff editorial questioning Nichol’s methods and the secretive way in which he removed the cross, and called for more open dialogue. Nichol has since acknowledged that he should have sought the opinion of students and alumni before making his decision. Regardless, neither he nor any other member of the school’s administration should compromise what they feel is best for the College for the sake of alumni or dollars.

Leave it to the students to represent the moral voice of reason. It remains to be seen if the school President will listen.

Kerry confronts 'swift boat' donor

On Tuesday, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee held hearings to consider Sam Fox as Bush's nominee to be the new U.S. Ambassador to Belgium.

Senator John Kerry is on the Committee and during the hearings he questioned Fox about his $50,000 donation to the partisan group behind the "swift boat" smear ads in the 2004 election.

The GOP mega donor squirmed and gave this as part of his defense:

I heard someone mention here that we gave to 250 charities. I also went back and had my staff count in '05 and '06, we've made more than 1,000 contributions. More than 100 of those were political, 900 and some odd were charitable and to institutions of learning and so forth. A great deal of those had to do with basic human needs. I think it was Senator Danforth who mentioned every time he got a letter that had Harbour Group on it, he shuddered because it was going to cost him money. Marilyn and I both raise a lot of money from a lot of people.

The point I'm making is this: We ask a lot of people for money and people ask us for money. And very fortunately, we've been blessed with being successful financially and when we're asked, we generally give -- particularly if we know who gave it.

I'm not posting this because I think the appointment of a big donor to an ambassador is gross. And I'm not writing because I like seeing someone confront a political funder who fueled the politics of personal destruction... I am writing about this because I think it's important for fundraisers to see inside this donor's mind.

I honestly don't think that Fox is lying by saying he doesn't remember. Even though your donors might not be as rich as Fox and give 1,000 different contributions every two years... they may share a similar thought process. Perhaps the lesson is that donors know the general direction they want their money to go, but they don't keep specific tabs on when they give or even to who.

I was once working for a nonprofit that gathered a group of current monthly donors for a focus group without telling them what they all had in common. When the participants were given a list of charities and asked which ones they have supported in the last two years... sometimes only 6 in 10 actually remembered they had been giving to the nonprofit.

What do you think?

Mobile fundraising predicted to leapfrog direct mail

Alex Donohue at Brand Republic reported yesterday on a new report from Think Consulting Solutions which predicts that a "mobile phone revolution" is contributing to a sea change in countries which do not have highly developed traditional fundraising infrastructure such as mail-based communications.

Jason Potts, director of digital activities at Think Consulting Solutions, said: "The Asian tsunami put SMS giving on the global map. It went from nothing to 21% of the total money donated globally via new media channels to one large emergency organisation.

"Countries such as Greece, Slovenia, Pakistan, Singapore, South Africa and Malaysia all raised comparatively significant funds via SMS."

The report added that lack of or inefficient fundraising infrastructure was often the biggest barrier to growing fundraising revenues, and it could also "stop fundraising in its tracks" unless stringent measures to prevent illegal, unsolicited transfers and the selling of personal data were adopted.

All of that sounds good, as long as they don't make mistakes like this group in Malta.

Tommy Chong to help raise money for 'Ganja Guru' defense

Tommy Chong, of the Cheech and Chong comedy duo renowned for stoner movie classics such as "Up in Smoke" and "Nice Dreams," will appear at a $125-per-head event March 4 at the home of the self proclaimed 'Ganja Guru' Ed Rosenthal.

Famed for his marijuana cultivation books and the "Ask Ed" column he wrote for High Times magazine, Rosenthal was convicted of three marijuana-growing felonies in 2003, more than a year after federal agents raided sites including his Oakland home, an Oakland warehouse in which he was growing marijuana, and a San Francisco medical marijuana club he supplied.

Oakland Tribune staff writer Josh Richman reported that Rosenthal is scheduled to appear in federal court March 19, and he estimates his trial and related expenses could cost more than $300,000. Tommy Chong has a personal reason for being involved in the fundraiser.

He was prosecuted, convicted and served nine months in federal prison a few years ago as part of a federal crackdown on purveyors of drug paraphernalia. He had financed and promoted a line of glass water pipes often used for smoking marijuana, and he said he pleaded guilty to prevent charges from being filed against his wife and son. The case made Chong, already beloved for his comedy act, a poster boy among marijuana advocates.

You can read more at Rosenthal's legal defense fund's Web site, http://www.green-aid.com.

Perry's fundraising prowess

Controversy continues to stir around the timing of Texas Governor Rick Perry's acceptance of donations from Merck before he issued an executive order for mandatory HPV vaccines.

On Monday, Gov. Perry will be lauded for his fundraising prowess after raising more than $9.4 million for the Republican Governors Association meeting with President Bush. (You may still be able to go if you are in Washington, DC and you have $1,000.)

Of the donors to the Republican group, the top giver last year was Houston homebuilder Bob Perry, no relation to the governor. He gave $2.05 million, according to PoliticalMoneyLine, which tracks fundraising and spending.

Bob Perry was the largest political donor in Texas in 2006 and gave $380,000 to Perry's campaign, according to Texans for Public Justice, a political watchdog group.

You may remember Bob Perry from earlier posts on this blog.

Go here, if you want to see a little case study from the fundraising consulting group that helped get Rick Perry elected Lt. Governor.

UPDATE: The annual event raised a record $10.4 million for GOP gubernatorial candidates.

Questions over Merck's donation to Governor

Andrew Pollack and Stephanie Saul at the New York Times reported earlier this week that Merck would halt lobbying states to require the use of its new cervical cancer vaccine, which is aimed at the sexually transmitted virus, HPV.

On February 2nd, Texas Governor Rick Perry ordered the vaccine for all girls entering sixth grade beginning in fall 2008. The Executive Order would have made it easier for insurance coverage of the vaccine, but social conservatives immediately worried that a vaccine against an STD would send the wrong message to children. Other critics were wary of Merck’s perceived strong influence in pushing for the mandatory immunization.

The Associated Press introduced a fresh layer of controversy by reporting the governor's chief of staff met with key aides about the vaccine the same day its manufacturer donated money to his campaign.

Chief of Staff Deirdre Delisi’s calendar shows she met with the governor’s budget director and three members of his office for an “HPV Vaccine for ChildrenBriefing” on Oct. 16.

That day, New Jersey-based Merck & Co.’s political action committee donated $5,000 to Perry and $5,000 total to eight state lawmakers.

The timing would indicate that these meetings took place before conservatives helped Perry win his election... and even before the FDA cleared the drug for legal use.

According to Perry's spokesman Robert Black - the timing of the meeting and the donation was just a coincidence.

Prison for man who stole $5 donation

How about this story by Jim Suhr for the Associated Press... a man in Illinois was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison for taking a $5 bill from a charity collection jar at the Community Kindness Resale Shoppe.

Richard Hedger II, was sentenced Tuesday after pleading guilty to felony theft for stealing from the jar, placed on a thrift-store counter. Money in the jar was meant for Belleville police Sgt. Jon Brough, 48, who was shot in the face and permanently blinded in November by a double-slaying suspect who later killed
himself.

A cashier said she saw Hedger with the jar just before she noticed a $5 bill missing. The shop's general manager also said Hedger apologized before he was taken away in handcuffs.

Hedger was charged with a felony because of a prior felony conviction. He received a two-year sentence in 2004 after pleading guilty to aggravated battery, for spitting on another Belleville police officer.

Are you kidding me? 2 1/2 years in prison?

Be careful when calling your donors liars

Before declaring their candidacy for federal offices, politicians can use less regulated "exploratory committees" to fundraise and cover expenses. These accounts are not allowed for candidates seeking state office.

Steve Henry's campaign for Governor in Kentucky has been hit with controversy over the subject of these exploratory committees. According to WTVQ, Henry apparently still has a fund raising committee open for his failed senate race back in 1997.

An Associated Press story explains that as late as last summer donors gave Henry money for what they thought was his run for Governor only to be surprised when they learned their donation went to his US Senate exploratory committee.

On June 30, 2006 the Federal Election Commission ordered Henry to either run again for US Senate or stop taking contributions. Henry was ordered to respond by July 31, but never did, according to FEC Spokeswoman Michelle Ryan.

When confronted with questions about why his donors might have thought they were supporting his run for Governor, Henry called his donors "mistaken."

Be careful Steve. When you start calling your donors liars it may impact future fundraising efforts.

Welcoming the Raiser's Razor

Emily at the Nonprofit Blog Exchange pointed me in the direction of Jeremy Gregg's relatively new fundraising blog The Raiser's Razor.

The site was launched on February 4th and seems to aggregate headlines from several fundraising news sources. You might want to check this one out and consider adding it to your RSS feed.

Foxwoods to celebrate 15th anniversary tonight with $150,000 donation to local charities

The Norwich Bulletin reported this story on Thursday:

MASHANTUCKET — Foxwoods Resort Casino is celebrating its 15th anniversary tonight with a $150,000 donation to 15 local charities.

Part of the celebration includes an evening VIP reception featuring governmental officials and dignitaries.

“Anniversaries are so often about pomp and circumstance,” said John O’Brien, Foxwoods president, in a prepared statement. “While that is certainly fun to be part of a festive celebration, we at Foxwoods wanted to be sure to recognize this milestone with something of substance that would also be lasting, meaningful and supportive of the communities that surround us.”

I guess I don't feel as stupid about the money I've lost playing blackjack at those casinos in Connecticut if there is a chance my money is going toward one of these grants. Has anyone heard which group are going to get the money?

Religious TV station's fundraising questioned

The Miracle Channel is a cable station which is carried across Canada. Owners of the station have applied for the right to set up transmitters in Calgary and Edmonton that would broadcast the channel over the air for free.

As a result, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) will have jurisdiction. The CRTC plans to question the TV station's fundraising methods when it appears.

At the heart of the debate are statements by on-air hosts during past fundraising drives. In one of the most controversial examples, a host told viewers in 2004 to cash in their Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSP) for donations.

“There is somebody right now watching, and God is speaking to them about RRSPs. They've got RRSPs, and they've got a sizable amount, and it's a security thing. Well, it's not a security thing; your security is in God. And God's speaking to you to cash those in. And I dare you to do it,” the host said.

The Globe and Mail reported on its website the Miracle Channel Association received a letter last week from the CRTC that said its “approach to solicitation of funds” will be discussed at the Calgary hearings.

In a letter to the CRTC, Gordon Klassen, vice-president of broadcasting for the station, said the channel's on-air hosts have been “instructed to qualify their statements to ensure that viewers understand clearly the theological principles of giving in such a way as to prevent miscommunication or exaggeration of what a gift will or will not accomplish.”

Breast cancer group rejects donation from strippers

Last Thursday, the website Huffington Post posted a story from the CBC that the Breast Cancer Society of Canada had rejected the offer of thousands of dollars from a fundraising group of exotic dancers in Vancouver.

According to the CBC, the Exotic Dancers for Cancer holds an annual charity event in memory of a former dancer who lost her life to the disease. The next day, another blog ran a story with this email text rejecting the donation:

“Unfortunately we will have to decline your kind offer as we have certain major donors that are not in favor of this connection. This decision came as a result of donor disgruntlement and together with the board of directors we have decided not to accept any donations from what donors consider controversial sources.”

If this sounds familiar, it might be because you remember this story in the Nonprofit Times from March of 2006. It seems like a great marketing strategy to me. Stories like these drive big site traffic numbers - the story on Huffington Post had over 8 pages of comments. I wouldn't be surprised if the group tried to get their pledge rejected on purpose in order to generate buzz.

In fact, if I was the Development Director at the Breast Cancer Society of Canada this is what I would do. I would pick up the phone and call these "certain major donors" who object to the donation. I would ask them to increase the amount of their own personal giving to offset the rejected donation. Then I would call the Exotic Dancers for Cancer and tell them that while I could not accept money from them, I had a group of donors who doubted the strippers importance in the fight against cancer.

This would probably motivate the Exotic Dancers for Cancer to go ahead and hold their benefit anyway and explain the situation to their fans and donors... I bet the publicity could help raise an easy $20,000 in pledges. The group could still donate the money to another group, but my "certain major donors" would step up.

Is that unethical to play two groups of donors off each other?

O'Reilly dropped as fundraising speaker

The National Center for Missing Children has uninvited Bill O'Reilly to speak at a fundraising event after the Fox News host blamed a teenage boy for his abduction.

During Bill O'Reilly's show on January 15th, he hinted that Shawn Hornbeck might not have escaped his captor because he enjoyed his new situation.

Desite the uproar from across the country, the National Center for Missing Children initially tried to defend their decision to have O'Reilly give the keynote address at a March 9th fundraising gala at the Ritz-Carlton in Naples, Florida.

Yesterday, the Collier County Florida Branch issued this statement cancelling O'Reilly's participation.

Racing Industry Establishes Barbaro Fund

Despite the fact that Barbaro was undefeated prior to the 2006 Kentucky Derby, the majestic horse stunned many with his commanding victory. Barbaro created an overnight fan base and a buzz was heard, "this horse has a shot to win the Triple Crown."

Two weeks later Barbaro burst through his starting gate at the Preakness. He ran so hard at the start of the race he shattered his right hind leg. The injuries were so severe that some initially thought Barbaro would be euthanized on the race track. But he lived.

Barbaro had six surgeries in 2006. His right leg eventually healed, but he soon developed further laminitis in both front legs. His veterinarians and owners concluded that he could not be saved, and Barbaro was euthanized on January 29th.

The racing industry reacted quickly to the death of Barbaro with the creation of the Barbaro Memorial Fund, an initiative to raise money for research into laminitis and other equine health and safety issues. Forbes reports the funds raised will go into existing equine health charities such as the Laminitis Fund, established by the University of Pennsylvania and the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation.

Will Mitt Romney forfeit $1.9 million?

Prior to officially running for President, candidates can use state committees to accept donations in excess of federal limits. The state money can't be spent directly on presidential campaigning, but it can be used to lay the groundwork by hiring staff, renting offices and building goodwill by contributing to state and local politicians. As soon as they officially declare - the money is off limits.

Kenneth P. Vogel at The Politico examined the impact of this rule on Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney :

Other candidates have used the strategy but none as effectively as Romney, who raised nearly $7.1 million through committees set up in seven states before Jan. 3. That's when he declared his presidential intentions with the Federal Election Commission and established a presidential fundraising committee. Those filings brought him under federal campaign finance laws and essentially put off limits the $1.9 million left over in his state committees.
...
Romney's state committees continued to bring in big, apparently coordinated checks from out-of-state donors right up to Election Day and processed more than $550,000 after that. But his campaign rejected the notion that leaving money on the table reflected poorly on its stewardship of donations.

Technically, Romney has three options. He can let the money sit idle while he runs for President (like Bill Richardson did), another person can take control of the money and give it to other candidates, or he can donate it to charity.

Any guess which option he will pick?

Salvation Army tries to cut Greenpeace from donor's $260 million trust

One of the dirtiest secrets nonprofit fundraisers may try to keep from donors is the extent to which planned giving officers and lawyers will fight over a deceased donor's estate.

Doris Margaret Di Stefano passed away in June 2005 at the age of 90. Her husband, H. Guy Di Stefano, died a little over a year later. The quiet couple had an estate of more than $260 million (mostly from UPS stock from Doris' dad) and no heirs.

Last fall, eight charities were notified that would each receive roughly $33 million:

* Direct Relief International
* Salvation Army
* Santa Barbara Hospice Foundation
* Santa Barbara Visiting Nurse Association
* American Humane Society
* Disabled American Veterans Charitable Service Trust
* Greenpeace International Inc.
* World Wildlife Fund

But there was a catch. Technically, the legal entity "Greenpeace International Inc." does not exist anymore and the Western Terrority Salvation Army has gone to court in Seattle to challenge the Di Stefano trust.

According to the New York Times:

Greenpeace has several different nonprofit incarnations. Greenpeace International was created in 1978... and Greenpeace Fund was created in 1980. They shared the same central phone number and offices in Washington, D.C., and many employees. During an I.R.S. audit that affirmed the organization’s tax-exempt status, an auditor suggested that Greenpeace reduce the number of its units.

In response, it dissolved Greenpeace International in December 2005. That organization’s board named the Greenpeace Fund as its successor-in-interest.

The same Times article mentions "internal friction" at the Salvation Army stemming from the fact that the Western Territory filed its objection without telling national headquarters in Virginia. If the Salvation Army succeeds in cutting Greenpeace out of the will, each of the remaining seven charities would split the $33 million.

What do you think - will this come down to a legal question of trying to decide "donor intent" in the court room or will this one be fought in the court of public opinion? Vote now.

How will this lawsuit be settled?
	Greenpeace will win its share of trust
	Salvation Army will withdraw lawsuit
	Greenpeace will lose legal fight
pollcode.com free polls

WTC Memorial rejects donation from coin maker

The World Trade Center Memorial Foundation rejected a donation of more than $30,000 from a company that marketed 9/11 commemorative coins.

The company described the coins as minted from silver recovered at Ground Zero. It also claimed that "$5 of every commemorative order is donated to official 9/11 family charities and memorials."

However, according to David Seifman at the New York Post, it might not be so easy:

Joseph Daniels, the foundation's president and CEO, said the National Collector's Mint (NCM) in Port Chester sent in the contributions as part of a campaign to peddle a "Freedom Tower Silver Dollar" in late 2004.

"We weren't comfortable because of the history," said Daniels. "They were investigated by the Attorney General's Office and ended up settling."

While still Attorney General, Eliot Spitzer obtained this order in October 2005:

Supreme Court Justice Thomas McNamara has ordered Port Chester-based National Collectors Mint (NCM) to pay civil penalties totaling $369,510 in connection with its marketing and sale of its "Freedom Tower Silver Dollar."

In a subsequent legal decision, Justice Cannizzaro ordered the NCM to send corrective letters offering refunds to all their consumers who had purchased or ordered the coin. Consumers received $2.2 million as a result of refunds and cancellations pursuant to that order.

We all know how hard it has been to fundraise at the WTC Memorial. Seeing them reject this donation is admirable. If their stance against accepting donations from the vultures at the National Collector's Mint has motivated you to make your own donation - you can donate here.

GOP Rep.'s wife earns $224,000 as his fundraiser

During his reelection campaign, GOP Rep. John Doolittle's wife worked as a fundraiser for the campaign. Rather than earning a flat fee, she got a 15 percent commission on every donation raised - creating the impression that campaign donations given to John Doolittle directly benefited his household.

The Associated Press reports:

Julie Doolittle's fundraising for Doolittle's campaign became so controversial during his campaign that he announced last month she would no longer be doing it, though she might continue to work for his political action committee, a separate committee that Doolittle uses to raise money for other candidates.

Julie's company helped raise close to $2.5 million for the campaign and she was owed $224,000 in fundraising commissions during the 2005-06 campaign cycle. Unfortunately, the Representative's campaign in hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt and only hs $44,000 on hand.

The Mercury News reports that spokesman Richard Robinson said Doolittle has a fundraiser planned for this month and has been mailing letters to supporters asking for contributions.

Did Hillary Tell Donors "No Money To Anybody Else"?

According to the Huffington Post:

Hillary Clinton is personally putting out the word that she has no intention of sharing the wealth: "She's calling all the big-hitter fundraisers and saying, 'I want you to understand: NO money to anybody else. You cannot play both sides of the street,'" in the '08 presidential race, says a longtime Democratic operative who has worked for the Clintons in the past but turned down a role in the current campaign, and is so far sitting this one out.

And what's the reaction been? "People don't like it, but they're afraid of her." Yet the far more palpable fear for Democrats, discussed constantly, is that she'll have so much money she'll sail to the nomination.

Sounds like a smear job from an anonymous source... but then again, I'm anonymous - so I really can't talk, right?

Jerry Rice Roast Cancelled

Superbowls have a tendency to high light existing economic inequality in the host city. Last year the NFL tried to avoid images of million dollar celebrity events juxtaposed next to the urban neglect of inner-city Detroit. This year's host Miami is the third-poorest city in America. As the New York Times writes today:

For a couple of years, the N.F.L attempted a blue-collar outreach program of sorts as it whisked through Jacksonville or Detroit, only to discover its corporate partners and celebrity posse preferred balmy breezes to wind chills.

Amidst this disparity, the Jerry Rice Roast was supposed to raise money to benefit the Otis Wilson Foundation, a local homeless shelter, and Rice's own foundation. Yet, late yesterday the event website posted this announcement:

Due to circumstances beyond our control, we regret to inform you this event has been canceled.

I wonder if organizers were having a hard time selling the 1,500 tickets at $800 apiece at the Westin Diplomat. Here's a lesson for nonprofit event planners... when you see that your promoter advertising your event on Craig's List... you know he/she is having trouble selling tickets.