Clear all

7 results found

reorder grid_view

Immigrant Legal-Aid Organizations in the United states

October 17, 2013

An immigration reform bill has passed the US Senate and is being deliberated in the House of Representatives. Any enacted immigration reform that is comprehensive will include a path to legalization for the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants. The Congressional Budget Office projects about 8 million of these individuals will be eligible and apply for regularization of status. This brief gives a snapshot of nonprofits that provide legal-aid services to immigrants and their families. These organizations will be at the forefront of immigration reform, guiding millions of unauthorized immigrants through the path to legalization.

Who Helps Public Schools? Public Education Support Organizations in 2010 (Research Summary)

May 26, 2011

A presentation of findings from the 2010 report Who Helps Public Schools? Public Education Support Organizations in 2010.

Who Helps Public Schools? Public Education Support Organizations in 2010

June 3, 2010

There were more than 19,000 nonprofit organizations devoted to supporting public education in the United States in 2007. These organizations include booster clubs, parent-teacher groups, public education funds, scholarship funds, high school alumni associations, and others. While most of these organizations are small, together they spent roughly $4.3 billion in support of public education in 2007.This report assesses the current status of education support organizations in the United States; provides details on the activities, capacities, and resources of public education funds; and compares Public Education Network (PEN) member organizations with other types of education funds. On the basis of a survey of public education funds and an analysis of the latest data available from the National Center for Charitable Statistics, the report identifies key similarities and differences among the groups.Public education funds are dedicated to assisting public schools and school districts by raising money to support programs for teacher training and support, after-school programs, and school supplies and by promoting community support for public schools. The project was commissioned by PEN in Washington, D.C.

Building a Common Outcome Framework to Measure Nonprofit Performance

December 1, 2006

The work described in this report first provides suggested core indicators for 14 categories of nonprofit organizations and then expands the notion of common core indicators to a much wider variety of programs by suggesting a common framework of outcome indicators for all nonprofit programs. This can provide guidance to nonprofits as they figure out what to measure and how to do it.

The Quality of Financial Reporting By Nonprofits: Findings and Implications

August 20, 2004

Financial information has become a popular ingredient in assessing the performance of charities. Donors, funders, and watchdog agencies make extensive use of audited financial statements and publicly available IRS Forms 990 as part of their assessments. Many users pay particular attention to the proportion of total expenditures used for administration and fundraising. They also look to annual surpluses and deficits as measures of the quality of financial management, or in some cases, financial need. But how good are the numbers on which these assessments are based? When we examine them closely, do we find serious errors? What are the sources of inaccuracy? Do nonprofits face unique issues that ordinary accounting principles do not address? Will users who analyze the more readily available Form 990 data reach the same conclusions about an organization as those who review audited financial statements? To study these issues in depth, we conducted detailed discussions with nine organizations. The organizations ranged in size from under $1 million to over $40 million in annual expenditures. They represented various fields of work, such as health, education, and the arts. This brief highlights five groups of findings relating to financial reporting that emerged from these case studies.

Getting What We Pay For: Low Overhead Limits Nonprofit Effectiveness

January 1, 2004

Nonprofit organizations feel pressures to conform to expectations to keep overhead expenses down, and thus maximize the proportion of resources that can be devoted to programs. Yet recent years have witnessed a countervailing trend: significant investment in organizational capacity building, including areas properly considered overhead. These different approaches raise important questions.How adequate are the administrative and fundraising capabilities of nonprofit organizations? How does strength or weakness in these areas relate to the overall effectiveness and efficiency of the organization? And to the extent that weaknesses exist, what appears to be their cause?To study these issues in depth, we conducted detailed discussions with nine organizations. The organizations ranged in size from under $1 million to over $40 million in annual expenditures. They represented various fields of work, such as health, education, and the arts. This brief highlights three groups of findings relating to organizational effectiveness that emerged from these case studies.

Who Helps Public Schools: A Portrait of Local Education Funds, 1991-2001

November 1, 2003

This study was commissioned by PEN with the goals of building awareness about the vital role and characteristics of LEFs and educating policymakers, the media and the public. Through the provision of data on the financial, programmatic and functional aspects of this relatively new movement, this research intends to more clearly define LEFs and distinguish them from other nonprofit organizations involved in K-12 public education at the local level.This report was written by Linda M. Lampkin and David D. Stern, with assistance from Sheryl Romeo, all at the Urban Institute's Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy based in Washington, DC. The project was commissioned by the Public Education Network in Washington, DC.