October 1996
VOLUME 4, ISSUE 2/ $5.00
PhilantbropyJournal
A nonprofit newspaper for the nonprofit community H A /
OF NORTH CAROLINA
Rising confidence
United Way focuses on bigger gifts, new donors
Most North Carolina United Way
affiliates are upping their cam
paign goals this year. Their self-
assurance reflects a relatively
stable state economy and
fundraising strategies aimed at
attracting new donors.
By Barbara Solow
North Carolina United Way affili
ates are heading into this fall’s fund
drives with more confidence than
they have shown in the past few
years.
FUNDRAISING
A combination of a generally
steady economic climate and rising
community needs has led many affili
ates to set higher fundraising targets.
A September survey by the United
Way of North Carolina showed that
many of the state’s 73 United Way
affiliates were planning increases in
their 1996 campaign goals (see chart,
page 22). For those planning increas
es, goals will rise by an average of 4.5
percent over last year.
The sui-vey showed 81 percent of
Supporters of the Randolph County United Way took part in a
i 950s campaign kickoff event that featured everything
from hoola hoops to bobby sox.
the 32 local affiliates that had report
ed campaign goals when the Journal
went to press were raising their
goals, while 15 percent of those had
lowered their fundraising targets.
State United Way affiliates raised
a total of $106.6 million last year - an
increase of about 4 percent over the
$102.2 million raised during the pre-
\ious year’s campaigns.
NEW DONORS
In addition to setting hi^er goals,
many North Carolina United Way
affiliates are launching new fundrais-
Look for UNITED WAY, page 21
Making choices
North Carolina Zoo shifts program focus
Under Executive Director David
Jones, the North Carolina
Zoological Park is putting on
hold the construction of exhibits
for additional continents and
directing its energy to develop
ing interactive resources and a
hotel and convention complex.
By Katherine Noble
Asheboro
In 1973, the North Carolina
Zoological Park set out to build the
world’s largest zoo, displaying the
wildlife, flora and fauna of the earth’s
continents on a 1,443-acre site in
rural Randolph County.
Bigger was better in the zoo when
the Africa exhibit was built, and it
was still better when construction
began on North America in the 1980s.
But with the opening this summer
of the final North American exhibits,
making Asheboro home to one of the
world’s largest zoos, bigger isn’t bet
ter anymore.
^ENVIRONMENT
David Jones, the zoo’s executive
director, says he knows what is bet
ter.
His vision includes an Earth
Resources Center full of interactive
technology and a high-tech MAX the
ater, and an environmentally friendly
hotel and convention center designed
to be especially attractive for meet
ings focused on agriculture, natural
resources and the environment.
The mission of the Earth
Resources Center wUl be to teach the
pubUc about the diversity of Earth’s
natural resources, how this diversity
has evolved and the impact that peo
ple have on that diversity, says Jones.
He hopes the center wiU challenge its
visitors to do their part to save the
environment.
“If we are going to keep that diver
sity, then you, the onlooker, have
some choices to make in the coming
years,” says Jones, who has headed
the zoo since 1994.
“Now sit down, in our center, and
see if you can meet
that chailenge.”
The hotel and
convention center
will be designed as
models of how to
build and maintain
such facilities
without harming
the environment,
says Jones, and
will be part of the
total perception
and message of a
trip to the zoo.
“We know that
people at the
moment do not see
natural resources
stewardship as a
critical part of their
lives,” says Jones.
“Our job is to show
everybody the connection between
them and the rest of the world.”
Educating the public about plant
and animal species preservation is
the moral reason for not budding the
remaining four continents. The
N.C. Zoo Director David Jones
wants to make the facility a
center for environmental
learning.
practical reason is
money
The original con
cept for the zoo
anticipated total
costs of less than
what already has
been spent just to
build the North
America and
Africa exhibits.
And this year, zoo
officials asked
state lawmakers
for $800,000 to
refurbish and
upgrade Africa.
But the zoo isn’t
asking lawmakers
for money to build
the Earth
Resources Center,
or the hotel and
convention center, and planners say
the new facdities will aOow the zoo to
pay for more of its own operating
expenses.
Look for ZOO, page 7
Pocket change
Solicitors keep most dollars they raise
Donors may not be aware that
professional solicitors may keep
as much money as they want
from funds they raise for chari
ties.
By Stephanie Greer
Charitable funds raised in the last
two years by professional solicitors
in North Carolina have increased by
REGULATION
nearly half - but solicitors still keep
for themselves more than 60 cents of
every dollar they raise, a state report
says.
In 1995-96, soliciting companies
raised more than $100 million, up
from approximately $68 million two
years earlier. State law sets no limit
on how much solicitors may keep
from the money they raise. In 1996,
charities received only about $35.8
million of the $100 million raised by
solicitors.
The report, a summary of profes
sional solicitor activity between May
1, 1995, and April 30, 1996, also
shows that 57 soliciting companies
are operating now, up from 47 two
years ago.
More charities - mostly small,
local nonprofits like Jaycees clubs
and volunteer fire departments - are
getting money from solicitors. But the
solicitors are getting most of the
money raised on behalf of charities.
In many cases, says Lionel
Randolph, chief of the state solicita
tion and licensing division, donors
may not realize that solicitors pocket
most of the dollars they raise for
Look for SOLICITORS, page 9
Nonprofit models
Planned
Parenthood
affiliates
to combine
Two Planned Parenthood chapters
in North Carolina are planning a
merger, echoing a growing
national trend as the organiza
tion tries to keep up with
changes in health care.
By Stephanie Greer
Planned Parenthood affiliates in
Charlotte and the Triad have begun to
prepare for a meiger, with leaders
hoping a larger organization will
allow for more efficient service deliv
ery and increased fundraising power.
The boards of both affOiates have
approved a prehminary resolution of
intent to merge by Jan. 1, 1997. A
final vote on the merger is expected
this fall.
MERGERS
The proposed merger reflects a
growing national trend among
Planned Parenthood affiliates seeking
the best ways to cope with competi
tion for private funding, a declining
patient base and rising insurance
costs.
“It’s something that is almost
inevitable, whether it happens now or
five years from now,” says Ellen
Olson, who since Ftebmary has been
serving as executive director for both
Look for PARENTHOOD, page 9
INSIDE
Grants & Gifts 16
In October 16
Job Opportunities 20
Opinion 10
People 17
Professional Services...!8
NONPROFITS
Former professor
fights medio violence
A Greensboro woman - gal
vanized by an attack on her
is heading up a nation-
son
al nonprofit that wants to root
out media violence.
Page 4
FOUNDATIONS
Foundations fund
right-wing politics
Conservative foundations are
few in number, but their dol
lars have a big impact on
politics, a new study says.
• Page 6
; VOLUNTEERS
Internet a tool to
recruit volunteers
North Carolina nonprofits say
the Internet can be a means
to boost volunteer recruit
ment. First, however, more
organizations need to go
online.
Page 8
Corporations eye
charitable giving
A national study shows giv
ing by U.S. companies has
grown little since the 1980s.
A corporate giving official at
Sara Lee Corp. in Winston-
Salem responds.
Page 12
Jackie Onassis legacy
lives on
Estate planning by the late
Jackie Onassis shows just
how effective philanthropy
can be for both giver and
receiver.
Page 14