Items relevant to more than one category may appear more than once in this summary. From the issue dated January 12, 2006 About Executive Transitions EXECUTIVE TURNOVER will soon be commonplace in the nonprofit world, as baby boomers begin to retire in large numbers, but few, if any, charities are prepared for change at the top. FOUNDERS OF CHARITIES, who often have a hard time letting go, present a special problem in planning for succession to new leadership. WITH SO MANY VACANCIES LOOMING, charities and foundations are working to ensure a supply of qualified candidates to meet the demand for new chief executives. EXPERTS OFFER ADVICE to charities for managing a smooth transition from one executive director to another. About Managing Nonprofit Groups THE AMERICAN RED CROSS heads into 2006 facing increased Congressional scrutiny, public doubts about its ability to respond to disasters, and the prospect of finding yet another chief executive. NONPROFIT LEADERS offer their prescriptions for restoring the Red Cross to health and finding the right person to lead it out of its current problems. THE BUSH-CLINTON KATRINA FUND, the hurricane-relief charity founded by the former presidents, faces continuing questions about how the $106-million it has raised will be spent. MANY CHARITIES have violated federal tax law by providing improper benefits or excessive pay to top officials, according to a review of nonprofit organizations by the Internal Revenue Service (Tax Watch). AT THE WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE on Aging, delegates struggled with a host of issues facing the United States, and many of its charities, as the number of older Americans grows. CONGRESS HAS PUT OFF FOR SEVERAL WEEKS a final decision on key tax legislation affecting charities and donors (Tax Watch). THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE is trying to stop charities from providing incorrect receipts for donations of automobiles and other vehicles, in an attempt to prevent taxpayers from taking overly generous deductions (Tax Watch). THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT revised its guidelines aimed at helping charities keep their money out of terrorists' hands. THE J. PAUL GETTY TRUST, facing charges of fiscal misconduct, has been placed on probation by the Council on Foundations, the first time the council has ever invoked such a sanction against a member. THE NATURE CONSERVANCY, despite blows to its reputation in recent years, is the advocacy group deemed most trustworthy by respondents to a new Harris Interactive poll. AS THE NEW PRESIDENT of CARE, Helene D. Gayle, a top official at the Gates Foundation, will have to shift gears from grant maker to fund raiser (New on the Job). HOTLINE: Answers to readers' questions on landing a first fund-raising job, the pros and cons of registering a charity, and where to find training in philanthropy. A ZIGZAG PATH through a variety of degree programs and corporate positions brought an Asian-American woman to a job supporting the rights of workers around the globe (Entry Level). NEW YORK'S ATTORNEY GENERAL has accused a high-profile philanthropist of cheating the Starr Foundation out of hundreds of millions of dollars. WRITE-OFFS: Lawmakers are questioning the IRS about its reviews of religious institutions; a community college gets fined for a political donation; and the IRS has named a new head of its division that oversees tax-exempt groups (Tax Watch). About Giving and Grant Making OLDER WEALTHY PEOPLE tend to be more generous than their younger counterparts, according to a study by NewTithing, a group that encourages increased giving to charity. ANGRY DONORS who are suing Princeton University for failing to use their family's gift as they wished commissioned a national poll that shows Americans agree that a donor's intent should be honored. THE AMOUNT OF TIME Americans spend volunteering has fallen off some, according to a government survey. AN ARIZONA DEVELOPER and his wife have pledged $100-million to Arizona State University; other recent gifts to nonprofit organizations and institutions. BIGGEST GIFTS and pledges announced by individuals in 2005. BIGGEST GRANTS announced in 2005. FACE OF PHILANTHROPY: Fifty Lanterns International, a nonprofit group in St. Paul, raises money to help poor people in developing countries obtain solar lanterns. RECENT GRANTS by foundations, corporations, and other grant makers. SUMMARIES OF ANNUAL REPORTS from the Community Foundation for Southeastern Michigan, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation. About Fund Raising CHARITIES OFTEN SEIZE ON ANNIVERSARIES as an opportunity to raise money and attract publicity, but it doesn't always work. ENLISTING A LOCAL COMPANY in publicity efforts was one way the YMCA of Central Ohio made the most of its 150th anniversary last year. UPDATE ON CAMPAIGNS for endowments, capital improvements, and other needs. INTEREST RATES for planned gifts, issued by the Internal Revenue Service. About Technology D.C. CENTRAL KITCHEN, a Washington charity, is now able to dispatch its food-pickup trucks with the help of navigation technology developed by the Defense Department. A NETWORK OF TECHNOLOGY CENTERS has awarded grants to eight charities for multimedia projects involving young people. TECHNOLOGY BITS: A nonprofit technology expert was a winner on The Apprentice television show; grant makers plan to hold a meeting on technology and social change. Also in This Issue OPINION: Terrence R. Meersman urges foundations to think more rationally about disaster response. LETTERS: criticizing a Chronicle opinion on nonprofit advocacy and challenging an account of rebuilding homes in Indonesia following the tsunamis. BOOKS: A new look at programs that offer small loans to entrepreneurs in the United States, a guide to grant seeking for museums, and summaries of other publications on the role of United Ways and community foundations, on writing grant proposals, and on winning publicity for charitable causes. PRESS CLIPPINGS: Time picks an unlikely threesome as Persons of the Year; and Vanity Fair checks out the scandal at an elite New Hampshire boarding school. PEOPLE: Appointments and promotions in the nonprofit world. AWARDS: Honors for people and organizations in philanthropy.