Items relevant to more than one category may appear more than once in this summary. From the issue dated May 4, 2006 About Grant Makers PROXY VOTES have become a tool charities use to force corporate action on social issues, but a Chronicle survey suggests that foundations rarely get involved in shareholder battles. THE NEEDMOR FUND, in Ohio, began putting its money where its principles were 30 years ago, when a board member questioned its investment in a controversial energy company. WHAT'S GOOD FOR SOCIETY also needs to be good for business if shareholder resolutions are to succeed, nonprofit activists have learned. AN ONLINE SLIDESHOW and a brochure with holes punched through every page are among the winners of the Council on Foundations' annual communications awards. SUMMARIES OF ANNUAL REPORTS from the Lilly Endowment and the Moody and Skoll Foundations. RECENT GRANTS by foundations, corporations, and other grant makers. About Gifts and Giving NINE IN 10 Americans do not believe charities use their donations honestly, according to the latest Harris Interactive poll, but they give money anyway. MONEY SENT TO DEVELOPING COUNTRIES from private sources in the United States far outstrips U.S. government aid to those nations, the Hudson Institute has found. THE BUSHES AND THE CHENEYS released information on their charitable giving in 2005. A NEW YARDSTICK for measuring volunteerism indicates that Americans gave significantly more time and energy to charity last year than they did three years ago. DONATIONS FOR HURRICANE RELIEF have not cut into other giving, a Conference Board survey has found. THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT BERKELEY received a $15-million commitment for a center to study developing economies; other recent gifts to nonprofit organizations and institutions. FACE OF PHILANTHROPY: Surfers Healing, in San Juan Capistrano, Calif., offers surfing lessons to autistic children. About Fund Raising DONOR-ADVISED FUNDS had a very good 2005, thanks largely to the stock market, with both assets and grant making growing by more than a fifth, the annual Chronicle survey has found. MINIMUM PAYOUTS to charities and limits on transferring assets are among the regulations donor-advised funds would be subject to under legislation passed by the Senate last fall. UPDATE ON CAMPAIGNS for endowments, capital improvements, and other needs. INTEREST RATES for planned gifts, issued by the Internal Revenue Service. About Managing Nonprofit Groups FEDERAL SPENDING that benefits charities, both directly and indirectly, is likely to decline significantly in the next several years, according to a report from the Aspen Institute. RAISING MONEY FOR CAPITAL EXPENSES is a serious challenge for nonprofit groups, which often lack the expertise to locate such funds, according to a study from the Johns Hopkins University. A COMMITTEE OF NONPROFIT LEADERS has issued a set of recommendations for curbing abuses in fund raising, compensation of foundation trustees, and several other areas. IN AN AGREEMENT with the United Way of New York City, the group's former leader, Ralph Dickerson Jr., will repay $227,000 that the charity says he used for personal expenses. H. JAMES TOWEY, the man who heads President Bush's efforts to enhance federal support for religious charities, will leave his position in June. A "TURNAROUND SPECIALIST" from the corporate world used his business skills to bring a West Virginia health-care charity back from the brink. THE DEATH OF MATTHEW SHEPARD, the Wyoming student killed because he was gay, changed the life of the man who now helps run the foundation created in Matthew's memory (New on the Job). THE CATOCTIN AQUEDUCT, a historic Maryland structure that collapsed in 1973, might finally get rebuilt. All George Lewis has to do is raise $1.2-million by February (Dispatches). TIPS FOR WINNING SUPPORT from the business world, deciding how to delegate fund-raising tasks,and other topics are covered in our advice column (Hotline). REPORTS ON CHARITIES by the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance. About Technology PAYING FOR E-MAIL is the subject of an online panel discussion to be broadcast by the Nonprofit Technology Enterprise Network. A MEDICAL CHARITY IN KENYA has set up a Web site to mobilize foot soldiers in the battle against malaria. A NEW ANNUAL AWARD will recognize developers of "open source" software designed for nonprofit groups working for social change. Also in This Issue OPINION: Leslie Lenkowsky assesses the departure of the head of the White House effort to direct federal dollars to religious charities; and Mark Rosenman says charities must step up their efforts to ensure that government plays a strong role in providing social services to the needy. LETTERS: on methods of calculating foundation payouts, nude calendars as fund-raising devices, federal funds for religious charities, the importance of listening to volunteers, and the problem of adult illiteracy. BOOKS: A history of the Red Cross, a handbook on overhauling charity boards, and a memoir by the American who founded a network of schools in Central Asia. PEOPLE: Appointments and promotions in the nonprofit world. AWARDS: Honors for people and organizations in philanthropy.