Nonprofit Organizations

MANY organizations sound as if they are doing good. People who give them money want to know they really are.But many nonprofit organizations burst into life on zeal, not sophistication.Enter the Maryland Association of Nonprofit Organizations, with some 915 members statewide.The association has hammered out 55 "Standards for Excellence" in eight categories against which organizations can judge themselves.The standards have to do with defining the mission and making the program effective; board oversight; conflicts of interest; human resource policies; honest and prudent financial management; openness to fund-raising integrity; and public education.

The Maryland Association of Nonprofit Organizations became the first state organization of its kind yesterday to certify that a select group of its member charities are particularly well-run and worthy of public trust -- stamping each with a newly developed seal of approval.The certification program, called "Standards for Excellence," requires organizations to go through a rigorous application process in which fellow nonprofit executives scrutinize financial records, seek documentation of difficult-to-define results, and examine how much information charities provide to the public.

The Maryland Association of Nonprofit Organizations became the first state organization of its kind yesterday to certify that a select group of its member charities are particularly well-run and worthy of public trust -- stamping each with a newly developed seal of approval.The certification program, called "Standards for Excellence," requires organizations to go through a rigorous application process in which fellow nonprofit executives scrutinize financial records, seek documentation of difficult-to-define results, and examine how much information charities provide to the public.

Planners have changed the date of the Linthicum Community Fair to Oct. 9. The activities will begin with a parade at 9 a.m. The fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The rain date is Sunday, Oct. 10. The event will begin with a parade at 1 p.m. and the fair from 2 p.m. until dusk. The fairgrounds are at St. John's field, Hammonds Ferry and Maple roads.The planning committee is looking for "fun facts" about people who live in Linthicum. They are trying to find the person who has lived in Linthicum the longest, the oldest man, the oldest woman, the couple married the longest, and the family with the most children.

Employment by nonprofit agencies in much of the world is growing faster than in the general economy, partly because of growing doubts that governments can solve problems, says a Johns Hopkins University-led study released today.In 22 countries studied from 1990 to 1995, employment by nonprofit organizations increased 23 percent, compared to 6 percent for employment growth in the economies as a whole.Almost 19 million people work in an industry worth $1.1 trillion, "a massive economic as well as social force," the study says.

OFFICIALS WHO ARE negotiating a merger for Howard County General Hospital with another medical institution brought relief to the community by announcing the elimination of a for-profit company from the sweepstakes.Apparently, the growing hospital will be acquired by one of three nonprofit organizations. Nonprofit groups do not have to answer to stockholders and therefore are more likely than their profit-making counterparts to place a premium on community needs. The 25-year-old west Columbia medical center has drawn interest from 16 for-profit and nonprofit organizations.

Maryland nonprofit groups employed one out of every 12 Maryland workers last year -- 10,000 more than worked for manufacturers. And that sector gained 35,000 jobs while manufacturers lost 30,175 during the period from 1989 to 1996, according to a study released today.Maryland's 12,981 private, tax-exempt nonprofits, ranging from soup kitchens to universities, were described as "a major economic force" by the author of the study, Lester M. Salamon of Johns Hopkins University.He also concluded that the organizations are "facing serious challenges" and deserve support such as tax credits for donors, annual monitoring and study by a gubernatorial commission.

Leaders of area religious organizations are wondering how to reach out to the poor in their communities in the wake of recent state and federal welfare reforms.Pastors, priests and rabbis throughout Maryland and Washington say they are optimistic about filling gaps left by changes in welfare programs, but they worry about meeting needs if and when government aid expires."It's a radical shift in the burden on churches. Our church is in the process of figuring out how to shift things in the budget to have more funds available for outreach," said Reginald Lee, pastor of Allen African Methodist Episcopal Church in Hillsboro.

Charitable giving has barely kept pace with inflation, voluntarism is declining and government doesn't keep up with the demands on social programs, says the Maryland Association of Nonprofits, citing local and national surveys.Private donors may contend they are squeezed enough and the association says, "Private charity can't do it all." But that isn't keeping the association, some nonprofit organizations and some businesses from this conclusion: Maryland needs more giving.The association helped push a bill through the General Assembly this year, creating "The Maryland Gives!

Leadership Howard County twice asked Peter and Elizabeth Horowitz to join the elite corps of volunteers it trains to serve local nonprofit organizations. Both times, the Ellicott City couple said no -- citing the demands of running EVI Inc., their fast-growing Columbia company.But the local leadership-skills training organization -- celebrating its 10th anniversary this month -- eventually persuaded the Horowitzes to spend $2,500 each for tuition and commit 11 days to learning about Howard County's needs and how they might help meet them.

Speaking to Congress recently, President Barack Obama praised "the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their jobs." His sentiments need to be echoed and acted upon by community leaders everywhere. Some have already heeded the call. In early February, Montgomery County teachers accepted school administrators' proposal that they forgo raises they were expecting in order to avert layoffs. Last year, Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank voluntarily cut his salary from $500,000 to $26,000, saying he should be paid according to his Baltimore-based company's performance.

Maryland nonprofits are warning that state budget cuts could force them to trim programs as funding is squeezed. And the situation would be even more severe if the recently passed tax on computer services is rescinded or the slots initiative fails, the Maryland Association of Nonprofit Organizations said yesterday at its annual legislative preview in Annapolis. Members of the trade group said nonprofits likely will feel some impact from an additional $240 million in state spending cuts expected as part of Gov. Martin O'Malley's budget proposal as the state struggles to bring a structural deficit under control.

FAITHFUL READERS know about a $2 billion federal boondoggle called the Javits-Wagner- O'Day program, which pays peanuts to disabled people working on no-bid government contracts, enriches nonprofit executives and operates with little oversight or control. Last year, the government showed signs of seeing the problem and reacting. Responding to articles in The Sun and nationwide efforts to improve corporate governance, the little agency that runs Javits-Wagner proposed strict executive salary limits for nonprofit organizations getting the contracts as well as requirements for the groups to name audit committees, disclose business relationships with trustees, change trustees regularly and publish board minutes.

Baltimore's health commissioner is asking the FBI to examine the finances of a local AIDS organization whose executive director received large bonuses, paid for a personal trainer with charity funds and authorized a loan to another nonprofit organization whose board he leads. Dr. Peter L. Beilenson said last night that he is seeking the investigation because Health Education Resource Organization, known as HERO, receives federal money through the city to provide services to its 3,500 clients with HIV and AIDS.

The executive director of an embattled AIDS organization denied yesterday allegations that he had misused the group's money, and blamed the furor on "misinterpretation and a lack of communication." Dr. Leonardo R. Ortega, executive director of Health Education Resource Organization (HERO), said his contract allows him to bill the organization for a personal trainer, to make loans to other nonprofit organizations and to receive monthly bonuses even during tight financial times. Ortega made his comments in an interview yesterday as HERO's treasurer released a statement that said an internal review had found Ortega did nothing wrong.

Maryland's nonprofit sector accounted for all of the state's private employment growth from 2000 to 2001, a new study says -- a conclusion nonprofit groups plan to use in Annapolis today to argue against state budget cuts. The report by researchers at the Johns Hopkins University's Institute for Policy Studies found that nonprofit employment grew by 2.5 percent in Maryland during that period -- adding 5,000 jobs -- while for-profit employment fell by 1.1 percent and total employment dipped negligibly.

Next month, a new organization will begin a task that business and charity leaders say the troubled economy has made especially timely: training and matching professionals to strengthen the leadership of nonprofit boards, from domestic violence shelters to food programs and arts groups. The group, to be called Business Volunteers Unlimited Maryland, will take the place of Volunteer Central, a 9-year-old organization that matched volunteers with projects that piqued their interest. Business Volunteers Unlimited, modeled after a Cleveland program, plans a much more targeted approach than its predecessor.

The plunge in the stock market means foundations in Baltimore and around the country will give less money to nonprofit organizations next year, forcing groups that provide everything from job training to cultural activities to scramble for other ways to pay for programs. Assets of most local foundations and corporate givers have fallen this year by as little as 1 percent to as much as half, according to a survey under way by the Association of Baltimore Area Grantmakers. Twenty-nine grant-makers have responded - nearly a third of the group's membership.

In Baltimore City Unidentified man killed by group of 5 on Clifton Avenue A 40-year-old man was stabbed to death by a group of men shortly before 3 a.m. yesterday in the 3300 block of Clifton Ave. Police said they didn't know why the group of five men assaulted the unidentified victim, who was stabbed multiple times in the back and upper torso. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene at 2:43 a.m. In Howard County Death of Columbia man is under investigation COLUMBIA - Howard County police were investigating the death of a 29-year-old Columbia man yesterday.

Maryland's nonprofit sector continues to grow faster than any other part of the state's economy, according to a study to be released today. The study by Lester M. Salamon and Sarah Dewees of the Center for Civil Society Studies at the Johns Hopkins University finds that nonprofit organizations still outpace for-profit companies in generating jobs. "I continue to be surprised at the scale of the sector," said Salamon, the center's director. Between 1998 and 1999 - the last year for which data is available - nonprofit employment grew by 3.7 percent, out-performing the for-profit and government sectors, even during a time when the economy was strong.