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In this issue
Two new Tzedakah Reports profiles
Toward more transparency for Israeli nonprofits
The charity of John McCain
The Good People Fund: Picking up where Ziv left off


We added two new profiles to our Tzedakah Reports database
We have recently added profiles for two organizations. The first is American ORT which is affiliated with world ORT. ORT provides training and MesorahDC logoeducation for Jews and supports economic and social development in under-developed parts of the world with vocational ORT America logo training and technical assistance. Click here to see the ORT America profile. The second, MessorahDC, provides Jewish educational opportunities for unaffiliated Jews on college campuses as well as the young single professionals in the greater Washington, DC area. Click here to see the MessorahDC profile.


Putting Israeli nonprofits under the microscope: Toward more transparency.
Donors to Israeli nonprofits often know too little about the organizations they help fund. The Israeli government does not require the same kind of public disclosure for nonprofit organizations as does the US. In the last little while there's been some movement to encourage more opennes by Israeli charities. According to the Jewish Daily Forward Israeli philanthropists, Avner Stepak, Zvika Arran, and Jacob Burak have formed an organization called Midot that hopes to do in-depth reports on Israeli nonprofits that are willing to share information. Tzedakah, Inc. has had a similar objective for several years. As a second initiative, we have seen a report that Raanan Dinur, Director-General of the Prime Minister’s Office promised that the government is adopting a new policy on nonprofits which includes a data bank on all philanthropic organizations to encourage transparency. If these initiatives are successful they will help advance the Tzedakah, Inc. mission of more transparent nonprofit organizations, more informed donors, and more effective tzedakah. >>>more>>>

The charity of John McCain
In my April 10 memo I included information about charitable contributions made by Senators Clinton and Obama. At that time Senator McCain had not yet released his tax returns. He has now. Senator McCain's contribution data are not comparable to those of the Democratic candidates. That's because he and his wife file separate tax returns so we don't know much about the McCain household's total charitable giving and total income. Mrs. McCain is heir to a beer distribution fortune estimated to be worth as much as $100 million. According to the McCain campaign website:
In 2006, Senator and Mrs. McCain donated $129,390 from community assets to charity, of which Senator McCain's one-half allocation was $64,695. This is 19% of his adjusted gross income. In 2007, Senator and Mrs. McCain donated $210,933 from communityJohn McCain assets to charity, of which Senator McCain's one-half allocation is $105,467. This is 27.2% of his adjusted gross income for the year.
A significant share of the McCains' charitable contributions over the years have gone to schools attended by their children. For example, in 2006, the McCain Family Foundation contributed a total of $187,639 to charitable causes. The two largest recipients were Brophy College Prep ($50,500) and Christ Lutheran School ($42,000), both attended by McCain kids. Among other major recipients of McCain contributions have been the Halo Trust (clearing of mines) and organizations dedicated to relieving craneofacial abnormalities. >>>more>>> and >>>and more>>>



The Good People Fund : Picking up where the Ziv Tzedakah Fund left off.
Naomi Eisenberger is hoping to fill the gap left by the closing of Good People Fund logo Danny Seigel's Ziv Tzedakah Fund. Naomi had served as Ziv's managing director. Now she's spearheading the Good People Fund whose mission is to find and help fund small, little-known but effective nonprofits. Naomi hopes that the IRS will soon qualify the Good People Fund to accept tax deductible contributions. Click here to visit the fund's website which is under construction We wish the Good People Fund hatzlacha rabba.


Tizku l'mitzvot

Ira Kaminow