NonProfit

Nordstrom To Open Non-Profit Store In New York City

Nordstrom will be opening a unique store in Manhattan next year. The department store chain has announced that it will open a store that will turn over all its earnings to nonprofits. The Soho store will not be branded as a Nordstrom but will instead be another type of store with a name to be determined later. It won't sell used clothes like a Goodwill or other thrift store. Exactly what it is and what it will sell doesn't seem to be clear yet.

An article in the Seattle Times says that the Seattle-based company will open the store next fall at the base of a new 10-story residential building on West Broadway. The building is home to luxury full-floor residences. At just over 11,000 square feet, the new store will be much smaller than a Nordstrom or Nordstrom's Rack store.

Corporate spokeswoman Pamela Lopez told the Seattle Times that the intention is not to create a "mini-Nordstrom" but to come up with something new that will have its own identity. Lopez also revealed that the project is unique to New York, a one-off concept that won't be expanded to other cities. The chain still hopes to open a full-size Nordstrom in Manhattan and the project is one way to learn more about doing business in Manhattan (the brand also has a Nordstrom's Rack store in Union Square).

Tags: NonProfit, NonProfitOrganizations, nonprofits, nordstrom, Nordstrom Rack, SohoNotes

Philanthropy Not as Screwed as Financial Markets

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Charity, Big Givers

We're gripped by an unusually strong bear right now. He's squeezing financial markets viciously. And, it comes as no surprise that charitable giving is suffering. Nonetheless, philanthropy is staying ahead of investment hits. Even with stock market calamity, we're still able to find the occasional heart of gold out there.

Don't get me wrong, the situation's grim for the nonprofit sector. Craig M. Joseph of InQuest International, a full-service philanthropic consultancy, observes that the USA Giving Index – calculated by the Center of Philanthropy at Indiana University – is down 35 percent from its 2007 peak. That year, $306 billion in charitable gifts were made. With the steep decline over the past two years, though, a lot of organizations won't get the funding they need.

Of course, it could be worse. If philanthropy followed the Dow, gifts would have fallen more than 40 percent to less than $184 billion – rather than the estimated February 2009 level of $199 billion. With numbers this large, $15 billion may not seem like a lot, but in the hands of an efficient charitable organization, it can change a lot of lives.

For now, the news is "less negative," but there is still a lot of pain that still has to be pushed through the markets, as much of the Wall Street calamity likely has yet to be visited upon consumers. Let's just hope that we still find some room in our wallets to support our favorite charities.

Tags: charitable, charitable contributions, charitable giving, charitable organizations, CharitableContributions, charitablegiving, CharitableOrganizations, charity, financial crisis, FinancialCrisis, giving, non-profit, nonprofit, philanthrophy, philanthropist, philanthropists, philanthropy, recession, stock market, StockMarket

The Trust for Public Land, Charity of the Day

by Tracy Chait (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Green, Charity of the Day

Now that the economy has forced so many Americans to enjoy the simpler pleasures in life, public green space is, unlike your 401(k), more valuable than ever. Since 1972, nonprofit land conservation org Trust for Public Land has protected over 2.5 million acres of land in 47 states -- forests, farms, community gardens, parks and wildlife habitats.

The Trust for Public Land recently helped a small Florida city get its first public park and negotiated the re-opening of a free-fallling waterfall and favorite ice climb in Telluride, Colorado (Bridal Veil Falls, above).

The nonprofit has 45 regional offices across the country to work with local residents and organizations intent upon conserving particular properties. Contact The Trust for Public Land if you have an inquiry about a particular piece of property that needs protection. Or support The Trust for Public Land, which has been recognized for its efficient use of individual donations.

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Tags: charity, charity of the day, CharityOfTheDay, land conservation, LandConservation, nonprofit, parks, trust for public land, TrustForPublicLand