Items relevant to more than one category may appear more than once in this summary. From the issue dated September 28, 2006 About Grant Makers "HOMETOWN ASSOCIATIONS," through which Mexican immigrants raise money to send back home, are starting to catch grants makers' attention as one way to respond to the growing Hispanic population in the United States. NORTH CAROLINA boasts some 50 charities that are run by and provide services to Hispanic residents, and is home to a project that has raised millions to support such groups. HOPING TO GALVANIZE a "green revolution" in Africa, the Gates and Rockefeller Foundations will put $150-million toward an effort to improve agricultural production on the continent. THE 2006 MACARTHUR FELLOWS include the founders of two charities that work to harness technology for people in impoverished parts of the world: a list of the recipients of this year's "genius awards." FOUNDATION GRANTS intended to help charities improve their performance are on the decline, a new report indicates. RECENT GRANTS by foundations, corporations, and other grant makers. SUMMARIES OF ANNUAL REPORTS from the Boston, Bill & Melinda Gates, and Pollock-Krasner Foundations. About Gifts and Giving GOOGLE'S DECISION to operate its philanthropic arm largely as a for-profit enterprise adds new momentum to a growing effort among technology entrepreneurs to blend business and charity. A PLEDGE OF $100-MILLION to Yeshiva University from a longtime trustee will be used to set up a fund for new projects. GEORGE SOROS has promised $50-million to a program seeking to alleviate poverty in African villages; other recent gifts to nonprofit organizations and institutions. THE FACE OF PHILANTHROPY: Green Keepers, a program run by the Goddard Riverside Community Center, trains people with severe mental illnesses to beautify green spaces in New York City. About Fund Raising STREET FUND RAISING takes the art of wooing new donors to the city sidewalks, where some charities are attracting supporters that more-traditional methods don't reach. LENDING ITS AIRWAVES to other charities, KEXP, a nonprofit radio station in Seattle, offers a month's free publicity and some fund-raising help to local nonprofit groups. 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 NONPROFIT EXECUTIVES' PAY stayed ahead of inflation last year, and rose faster than that of corporate chiefs, according to The Chronicle's annual compensation survey. EXTENDING TO CHARITIES the provisions of a federal law that governs how businesses operate could mean big changes for many nonprofit groups, says a new report. FOLLOWING A HIGH-PROFILE FRAUD CASE involving a West Virginia charity, the state will begin offering free training sessions for nonprofit board members. AS ELECTION DAY NEARS, the Internal Revenue Service is stepping up its scrutiny of the political activities of churches and other religious organizations (Tax Watch). THE SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE is considering whether the federal government should require nonprofit hospitals to provide sufficient public service to justify their tax exemption (Tax Watch). THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE has warned of a backlog in applications for tax-exempt status (Tax Watch). IF 60 IS THE NEW 40, then working for the public good is the new retirement. That, at least, was the sentiment at a meeting in Palo Alto, Calif., aimed at encouraging volunteerism among aging baby boomers. AS HEAD OF THE BARNES FOUNDATION, Derek Gillman will move the troubled art museum, in suburban Philadelphia, to a new location downtown while working to preserve its founder's egalitarian vision (New on the Job). A FORMER JOURNALIST, William M. Abrams found a second career helping poor people start small businesses (Entry Level). REPORTS ON CHARITIES by the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance. About Technology A NEW WEB SITE set up by the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation, in Missouri, will help inform donors about local charities. A CHARITY IN KATHMANDU, NEPAL, has won an award, and $1-million, from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for its work promoting literacy and providing access to computers and the Internet. Also in This Issue OPINION: Peter Frumkin says grant makers focus on the wrong thing when they worry about effectiveness and accountability; and Pablo Eisenberg wonders why it is so hard for the nonprofit world to nurture leaders. LETTERS: on being duped by a prankster posing as a major donor, and on the importance of the independent producer to public radio. BOOKS: A history of volunteerism in the United States, a management guide on business techniques that can aid charities, and a look at how nonprofit officials can produce social change by bringing together groups with deep differences. PRESS CLIPPINGS: Fortune and The New Yorker both spotlight Bill Clinton's philanthropy; Fortune looks at the Robin Hood Foundation; Good focuses on doing good; and Kiplinger's advises donors to take care how their gifts are spent. PEOPLE: Appointments and promotions in the nonprofit world. AWARDS: Honors for people and organizations in philanthropy.