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Is charitable giving U-shaped in income? That is, do low- and high-income households donate a higher fraction of their income to charity than the middle class? Decades of correlational studies have found that the share of income given to charity follows a U-shape pattern in the United States, but scholars continue to debate whether the apparent U-shape is a statistical mirage, or accurately characterizes giving across the income distribution. We partnered with a real charity to conduct a charitable-giving experiment where relative endowments are revealed to participants. We experimentally verify that random placement in an income distribution causes a U-shaped giving-income curve. The U-shape observed in real-world data therefore is plausibly not spurious, but a real effect of relative economic status on giving decisions. JEL Classifications: C91, D31, D64, D91, H23 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existence of federal oversight of charitable organizations in the United States implies a degree of uniformity to US charity regulation. However, charity regulation is far from uniform across the country. States differ significantly in their adoption or non-adoption of various state-level regulatory requirements, creating not one but many different regulatory environments for charities. The complexity and diversity of these regulations has made it difficult for sector stakeholders, such as researchers, regulators, practitioners, information intermediaries, and donors, to understand the nature and significance of state-level charity regulation from a comparative perspective. To address this problem, this article employs latent class analysis to identify three distinct models of state-level charity regulation: broad regulation, limited regulation, and asset oversight. Subsequent analysis identifies relationships between a state's economic, social, and political characteristics and its model of charity regulation, suggesting new avenues of research for understanding regulatory model emergence. Many additional practical applications of the typology are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The book "Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World" by Anand Giridharadas examines the influence and potential dangers of elite philanthropy, particularly in the United States. Giridharadas argues that elite philanthropy, which often promotes market-based solutions, can perpetuate economic and social inequalities while masking its role in maintaining these problems. The book provides examples of insiders in the field who have become disillusioned with the system and highlights the lack of accountability and democratic scrutiny in philanthropic endeavors. The author urges citizens to demand public goods and rights from the state, even if it goes against the interests of the ultra-wealthy. The book encourages scholars to critically examine the assumptions and power dynamics in elite-driven social change efforts and prompts a more sober assessment of practices taught in business schools. While the book focuses on the US context, it raises questions about the legitimacy and impact of elite philanthropy globally. [Extracted from the article]

This article studies the impact of exogenous shocks on nonprofit operations by assessing the effect of 9/11 on donations to Muslim American nonprofits. The first narrative promoted by civil rights groups and some Islamic charities argues that donations to Islamic charities have declined. Individuals are afraid of getting indicted by law enforcement agencies for advertently or inadvertently funding an organization that supports terrorism. The second narrative is that donations to Islamic charities have increased post-9/11 as donors push back against Islamophobia by supporting Muslim nonprofits. I systematically assess these narratives using difference-in-difference (DiD) methodology and find that 9/11 had no significant impact on overall contributions to Islamic charities. Although donations to internationally focused Islamic charities declined in the year following 9/11, when compared with domestic-focused Islamic charities, they also recovered shortly after that. Moreover, they did not reduce significantly when compared with non-Islamic internationally focused organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This piece is the first of a three-part forum published in this issue. Part I is the "Executive Summary" and "Introduction" of The Alliance for California Traditional Arts' Tending the Taproot: Opportunities to Support Folk & Traditional Arts in the United States report by Amy Kitchener, Shweta Saraswat-Sullivan, and Lily Kharrazi, published in December 2022. Part II is a summary of the Living Cultural Heritage and the Traditional and Folk Arts in the Nonprofit Sector report by Carole Rosenstein, Mirae Kim, and Neville Vakharia commissioned by Alliance for California Traditional Arts. Part III is a forum of essays in response to the two reports by people with diverse engagement with and perspectives on the data and findings: Tayshu Bommelyn, Martha Gonzalez, Debora Kodish, Selina Morales, Elizabeth Peterson, Langston Collin Wilkins, and Andrew Zitcer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the United States, most charitable donations go to religiously affiliated organizations, yet the impact of a charity's affiliation on donor behavior is currently unclear. To better understand this impact, this article uses a laboratory experiment to explore how a charity's religious affiliation drives donor behavior. In the experiment, participants select one charity from a list of eight, with each charity varying in religious affiliation. Masked and unmasked sessions differ in the inclusion of religious affiliation from half the charities, with masked sessions omitting religious affiliation of the charities. This article finds that adding religious language decreases donation frequency and average donation amounts for Christian charities competing against other religious charities. This drop is primarily driven by participants that are politically liberal. Participants prefer charity religious affiliation to match their own religious identity; however, participant strength of religiosity is more predictive in charity choice than religious affiliation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bulk of charity regulation in the United States occurs at the state level, yet state‐level charity regulation remains relatively under‐researched within nonprofit scholarship, particularly from a comparative perspective. The complexity and variation in statutory regulation, coupled with the large volume of legal research required to study state‐level charity regulation systematically, has impeded scholarly progress toward a better understanding of the US charitable sector. We address this problem by deriving a state‐level charity regulatory breadth index (RBI) that will enable nonprofit researchers to contextualize state‐level charity research within a broader framework and to incorporate state‐level regulation into analyses across states. Policymakers can also benefit from the ability to benchmark their regulatory regimes against their peers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some politicians employ harsh rhetoric demanding that government deny public services such as food, housing, and medical care to immigrants. While nonprofits assist immigrants in this regard, their work is sustainable only if private donors support them. Using a survey experiment, this article examines whether donors' willingness to support a charity depends on the legal status of its beneficiaries, and the region from which they have come. We find that, in relation to a charity that serves low‐income families (control group), donors are less willing to support a charity serving immigrants, but the region from which beneficiaries emigrated is irrelevant. Donor willingness diminishes substantially when beneficiaries are undocumented or face deportation. While shared ethnicity between donors and beneficiaries does not increase charitable support, bilingualism does. In addition, support for the charity rises substantially among Latinx donors who were born outside the US and do not speak English at home. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is a Political Economy study on migrants-citizens relations management in the United States of America, with special attention to the religious factor and the pendulum effect. There is a model switch, from integration policies (open doors and melting pot agenda, with expropriation of charity by Public Sector) to official persecution (state-raids and deportations, with re-privatization of charity), under a high social opportunity cost. Also, there is a split between the State and civil society (including the church), causing civil disobedience and sanctuary network across the country. The paper focuses on the development of the Sanctuary Movement, as a case of popular action against to the power elite policies and their sanctions. There was a revival of this movement during the values crisis or 2008 recession, but at the same time there was a critical division into the movement, with higher tension for the migrants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medicaid is the largest health insurer in America, comprising one-sixth of the nation's total healthcare expenditures. Of this, 40% covers long-term care services for older adults and adults with disabilities. Yet, Medicaid does not provide access to all goods and services needed. Pooled special needs trusts (pooled trusts) are a program through which older individuals, requiring long-term care, may set aside assets and remain Medicaid eligible. Pooled trust funds purchase items such as medical devices, telecommunications and funeral services. This article explores the relationship between Medicaid, pooled trusts and their role in nursing home residents' well-being. To understand this relationship, a descriptive study sorts the disbursements from a pooled trust into the 5 Gallup-Healthways Index well-being domains. The analysis shows that pooled trust funds purchased goods and services related to well-being. Thus, pooled trusts offer a means for states to expand the support they provide individuals in nursing facilities beyond the medical services covered by Medicaid to include goods and services associated with well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the various movements in the UK, Europe and in the United States which precipitated the formation of the Hypnosis Section at the Royal Society of Medicine (RSM). Close attention is given to meetings at the RSM in preparation for the inaugural Section meeting in June 1978. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has left no area of human life unaffected and the food system in its global, regional, or micro manifestations is not an exception. The images of empty store shelves caused by lockdowns stirred a lot of anxiety among consumers in the so-called First World. At the same time, thousands of miles away, in the developing and underdeveloped countries, where having a meal is never taken for granted, people suffered the harshest consequences of any pandemic-related instability in the food system. Both these realities deserve intellectual reflection, with the former being far more intricate than its media portrayals and therefore will be explored further in this work. This paper aims to study the COVID-19 impact on food systems in developed countries such as the United States and Canada, as well as the challenges to the food security they face during the pandemic. It offers a top-down approach, starting with the definition of food security, and highlighting some crucial aspects of food access and food availability, which has been compromised by the spread of coronavirus in the two countries. Detailed analysis of responses to the pandemic-related food security problems in both countries will be offered as well. The right to food is presented here as a human right, and the links between that right and the concept of food security are brought out. The pandemic wreaked havoc on food security in many parts of the world, including the affluent, but at the same time revealed its fragility and the need for continuous monitoring, re-assessment, and improvement through more effective food programs. The emerging sliver of hope for a more just postpandemic food system should not be ignored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on activities of the International Children's Advisory Network (iCAN). Topics discussed include participation of iCAN in the worldwide day of giving, Giving Tuesday, partnership of iCAN with the Multi-Regional Clinical Trials Center of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard (MRCT), and survey developed by iCAN's Parent Chapter.

Purpose: To review changes in the provision of charity eye care in the past 50 years with hypothesized resulting effects on surgical training and patient outcomes., Design: Perspective., Methods: Case report, comparison of experience in community and training program settings, and selected literature review., Results: The population to which charity care applies has shrunk as broader insurance coverage has been legislated, but in 2023 remains at approximately 7.3% of the US population. In areas with ophthalmology training programs, house staff supervised by faculty provide most of the charity care. In areas without training programs, a shrinking pool of willing private practitioners provides charity care. Because there is no organized financial support behind provision of charity, nonanecdotal data needed to assess the problem and guide decision making are lacking., Conclusions: Charity eye care in ophthalmology in 2024 is a patchwork of transient, local efforts that have a few common themes: absent material basis for sustainability, a narrowing base of support by clinicians, transfer of care to training programs, and financial vetting of applicants by nonclinicians. Unless universal health care legislation passes, which would eliminate the issue, suggestions for improvement include broader voluntary participation by private practice ophthalmologists in charity eye care, allocation of charity care spending by nonprofit hospitals to support this effort, and clinician-determined criteria for provision of charitable surgery supported by involved hospital systems., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

We find evidence indicating that donors use third-party rating information when they donate to U.S. nonprofit organizations (nonprofits). Specifically, using a sample of over 3,800 unique nonprofits rated by the three largest charity rating organizations in 2007, and over 12,000 unrated control nonprofits, we find that rated nonprofits have significantly higher direct donations than unrated charities. We also hypothesize and find that nonprofits with ratings from multiple rating organizations receive incrementally higher levels of donations. In addition, although charities that receive a positive rating have higher levels of donor support than those receiving a negative rating, both positively and negatively rated nonprofits receive a higher level of direct donations than unrated nonprofits. Finally, we find that nonprofits with consistently good ratings receive higher donations than those with mixed or consistently negative ratings, indicating the donor community values consistency across the three rating agencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the ASN Foundation, the philanthropic division of the ASN that seeks contributions for programs enhancing diversity, equity, inclusion in nutrition science and practice aiming to expand opportunities for clinician development and promote evidence-based nutrition practices.

Objective: To determine whether dietetic students would report a change in their public service motivation (PSM) following a community nutrition service learning (SL) course, and whether the SL model (charity v. project) influences this change differently.Design: Using a pretest-posttest, nonequivalent groups quasi-experimental design, this study compared students' PSM at the beginning and end of a 15-week college-level course. PSM and four component dimensions (attraction to public policy, commitment to public interest, compassion and self-sacrifice) were measured via electronic survey using the PSM scale. Average PSM scores were compared between and within the charity and project groups using independent samples and paired sample t tests, respectively. ANCOVA assessed the effect of SL model on post-survey scores, controlling for pre-survey scores.Setting: Public university in northeastern United States.Participants: Dietetic students enrolled in six sections of the same undergraduate community nutrition SL course. Students were placed by section in either charity (n 59) or project (n 52) SL experiences and required to complete 14 h in this role.Results: Mean PSM total scores increased between pre-survey and post-survey (3·50 v. 3·58; P = 0·001). Students reported small increases in three PSM dimensions: commitment to public interest, compassion and self-sacrifice (all P ≤ 0·01). Holding pre-scores constant, the charity group reported a higher attraction to public policy post-score, while the project group reported a higher self-sacrifice post-score (both P < 0·05).Conclusions: Educators should consider adopting SL methods into curricular offerings to enhance students' motivation for public service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elite philanthropy—voluntary giving at scale by wealthy individuals, couples and families—is intimately bound up with the exercise of power by elites. This theoretically oriented review examines how big philanthropy in the United States and United Kingdom serves to extend elite control from the domain of the economic to the domains of the social and political, and with what results. Elite philanthropy, we argue, is not simply a benign force for good, born of altruism, but is heavily implicated in what we call the new age of inequalities, certainly as consequence and potentially as cause. Philanthropy at scale pays dividends to donors as much as it brings sustenance to beneficiaries. The research contribution we make is fourfold. First, we demonstrate that the true nature and effects of elite philanthropy can only be understood in the context of what Bourdieu calls the field of power, which maintains the economic, social and political hegemony of the super‐rich, nationally and globally. Second, we demonstrate how elite philanthropy systemically concentrates power in the hands of mega foundations and the most prestigious endowed charitable organizations. Third, we explicate the similarities and differences between the four main types of elite philanthropy—institutionally supportive, market‐oriented, developmental and transformational—revealing how and why different sections within the elite express themselves through philanthropy. Fourth, we show how elite philanthropy functions to lock in and perpetuate inequalities rather than remedying them. We conclude by outlining proposals for future research, recognizing that under‐specification of constructs has hitherto limited the integration of philanthropy within the mainstream of management and organizational research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phenomenon of closing civic space has adversely impacted international non‐governmental organization (INGO) funding. We argue that individual private donors can be important in sustaining the operations of INGOs working in repressive contexts. Individual donors do not use the same performance‐based metrics as official aid donors. Rather, trust can be an important component of individual donor support for nonprofits working towards difficult goals. How does trust in charitable organizations influence individuals' preferences to donate, especially when these groups face crackdown? Using a simulated market for philanthropic donations based on data from a nationally representative sample of individuals in the United States who regularly donate to charity, we find that trust in INGOs matters substantially in shaping donor preferences. Donor profiles with high levels of social trust are likely to donate to INGOs with friendly relationships with host governments. This support holds steady if INGOs face criticism or crackdown. In contrast, donor profiles with lower levels of social trust prefer to donate to organizations that do not face criticism or crackdown abroad. The global crackdown on NGOs may thus possibly sour NGOs' least trusting individual donors. Our findings have practical implications for INGOs raising funds from individuals amid closing civic space. Research on international giving by individuals, especially in the era of closing civic space, is not meant to find answers that can act as substitutes for strategic policy responses, especially by official aid donors and foundations. However, many INGOs are under immediate threat, and individual‐level philanthropy can help support these organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the history and growing use of donor-advised funds (DAF) in higher education philanthropy, particularly in the U.S. Also cited are some DAFs like Fidelity Charitable, how DAFs serve as intermediaries between charitable organizations and donors, how DAFs are boosted by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA), and the role of DAFs in philanthropy.

The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified existing injustices in the United States, which is exemplified in Ypsilanti, Michigan. However, the pandemic also provides an opportunity to re-imagine existing ways of being in the world, and mutual aid networks that have provided for people's basic needs during multiple crises while also working towards more radical change provide an opportunity for social workers to examine their relationship to "helping." The author uses their personal experience with a local mutual aid network to examine the power and possibility of mutual aid, particularly in times of crisis, as well as sources of social work resistance to decentralized and non-professional forms of helping and caring. These lessons are carried beyond the COVID-19 pandemic to their consequences for the looming climate crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: United States student loan debt has surpassed $1.7 trillion and continues to rise. Generally described as a "crisis," the state of student loan debt in the United States is a subject of increasing consideration, research, and analysis by federal government agencies, nonprofit organizations, economists, and students who carry the balance. Excessive student loan debt has been hypothesized to affect students' career choice, diminish quality of life, negatively affect their ability to give back to society at large, and delay progress on achieving other financial goals such as saving for retirement. Current available research evaluating the impact of this debt on student pharmacists and new practitioners is limited.Objective: To assess the impact of student loan debt on financial stability, career choice, professional development, and overall well-being among pharmacists who received first licensure in Ohio within a 5-year period; hereafter referred to as "new practitioners."Methods: An anonymous survey, consisting of 39 items, was administered using Verint survey software to new practitioners holding an active pharmacist license in Ohio with date of first licensure between May 1, 2012 and March 1, 2017.Results: Total of 4026 pharmacists were invited to participate in the survey, and there were 471 responses, yielding a response rate of 11.7%. Higher student loan debt was associated with perceived limitations regarding amount of available disposable income, career mobility, work satisfaction, charitable contributions, participation in professional organizations, retirement savings, purchasing a home, delay in starting a family, diminished quality of life, and worries about paying off student loans. However, this study did not find a statistically significant relationship between student loan debt and the decision to pursue a residency.Conclusion: On the basis of the results of this study, higher student loan debt has statistically significant effect on new practitioner's perception of their financial stability, ability to pursue professional development opportunities, and overall well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

About 11% of US households are food insecure, and many of those households seek charitable food assistance (CFA). However, little is understood about the nutritional composition of the diets of households receiving CFA, or the relationship between CFA and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) usage among low-income households. The aim of the study was to compare the nutritional quality of foods obtained by CFA clients to those of similar nonclients. Furthermore, the study examined the timing of CFA use relative to the timing of SNAP use among CFA clients during the week. Analyses were conducted using 2012 US Department of Agriculture National Household Food Acquisition and Purchase Survey (FoodAPS), which collected data for 4826 households' food acquisitions during a 7-day survey week. Sixty-seven households reported using CFAs during the survey week. The nutritional quality of food was measured by the ratios between food acquisition quantities and the US Department of Agriculture Thrifty Food Plan consumption recommendations. The date of SNAP use was compared with that of CFA use for CFA clients who were also SNAP recipients. Propensity score matching was utilized to construct a matching sample of CFA clients and nonclients. T tests were used to compare the means of variables. CFA clients were more likely to be food insecure (48% vs 28%, P <.001) and less likely to have access to a car (61.2% vs 84.8%, P <.001) than CFA nonclients. CFAs represent an important source of foods for CFA clients, taking up 28% of their total food at home acquisitions. CFA clients obtained more nonstarchy vegetables than matched nonclients. Furthermore, among the 45% of CFA clients who also participated in SNAP, the majority (52.4%) of them used SNAP benefits within 10 days of SNAP benefits distribution while most (67.9%) of those households used CFAs starting on day 11 or later after SNAP benefits were allocated. CFAs provide a substantial portion of the diets of their clients and, in particular, for foods that constitute components of healthy diets. For the proportion of CFA clients who received SNAP, this study finds evidence that CFA clients relied more on CFAs when their SNAP benefits were likely to run low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Significant debate persists about the obligations of nonprofit hospitals toward low-income patients. Many issues pertaining to this subject were discussed during the rulemaking process following the passage of the Affordable Care Act of 2010, which set forth rules for hospital billing and collection. In public comments, hospitals, debt collectors, and patient advocates debated what constituted "reasonable efforts" to determine whether a patient qualified for hospital financial assistance before resorting to extraordinary collection actions including lawsuits, wage garnishments, and adverse credit reporting. This study analyzes public comments to the proposed Internal Revenue Service rule on section 501(r)(6). After an initial review of the data, 5 commonly mentioned issues were identified. Respondents were organized into commenter types, and the opinion of each respondent to each issue was coded by 2 separate reviewers. Discrepancies between reviewer determinations were resolved by consensus during follow-up discussions. This analysis revealed a set of common concerns: whether reporting delinquent medical debt to credit bureaus and selling debt to third party buyers should be considered extraordinary collection actions; whether hospitals should be able to use presumptive eligibility to rule patients either eligible or ineligible for financial assistance; and whether hospitals should be held legally liable for the actions of third-party debt collectors. Hospitals and debt collection agencies were allied on most issues, particularly in their shared belief that reporting debt to credit bureaus and selling debt to third parties should not be tightly regulated. Patient advocacy organizations and hospitals had divergent opinions on most issues. The alliance of hospitals and debt collectors in advocating for fewer regulations around collections is part of a history of hospital lobbying to maintain tax-exemption with fewer charity care mandates. This alignment helps explain why third-party debt collection agencies, and aggressive collection tactics, have become commonplace in hospital billing., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been particularly overwhelming for communities of color in the United States. In addition to the higher levels of underlying health conditions, circumstances related to a history of oppression and unequal access to opportunities and services are apparent. Social service programs will need to be re-developed to accommodate a new reality, both in terms of how people connect with services and how social work professionals provide them. Professional social work organizations' codes of ethics are analyzed, along with the theoretical framework of structural competency. It is an ethical imperative that social welfare policy and practice advance as culturally competent, racial equity, and empowerment-based programs. Child welfare is portrayed as an example where the pandemic could provide an opportunity to learn from the past to construct a more compassionate, competent, and ethical future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tax-exempt organizations in the United States are, in general, required to file regular reports on their operations with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). These filings represent a significant burden for the filing organizations, are a critical source of information for many observers, and are relied upon by regulators and donors as indicators of the organizations' commitment to achieving the wide variety of purposes for which the exemptions are granted. This paper recommends that the resources of the IRS be refocused so that greater attention can be paid to complex organizations, while the burden of preparing annual filings by simpler organization is also reduced. More generally, this paper also recommends that new attention be paid to the information collected and to its publication. It argues that the needs of the public and other regulatory agencies are not well-served by the current information and that the limitations on currently available information contribute to misunderstanding of and cynicism about the role of charitable nonprofits in American life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study had two aims: (a) to assess, among households in the United States, the association between spending money on cigarettes and participation in charitable giving, and between spending money on cigarettes and amount spent on charitable giving, and (b) to assess whether the association between smoking and charitable giving is mediated by religiosity, social capital, cognitive aptitude, and happiness. To address these aims, we used data from Consumer Expenditure Interview Survey and Midlife in the United States Survey. The analyses revealed that households that spend money on cigarettes are less likely to participate in charitable giving. Furthermore, among households who do give to charity, smoking households give a lesser amount than others do. Religiosity, social capital, cognitive aptitude, and happiness do not appear to mediate the relationship between smoking and charitable giving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cost-related medication non-adherence (CRN) is a major population health concern in the United States, especially for patients with chronic conditions. It is associated with disease progression and increases the likelihood of emergency department utilization and hospitalization, thereby increasing overall health care expenditures. In this paper, we describe the prescription medication safety net in the United States and assess its reliability. We also introduce Dispensary of Hope (DoH), a charitable medication distribution network, as a reliable medication access program that is capable of filling gaps in medication coverage for low-income and uninsured Americans. Our critical assessment of the medication safety net in the United States suggests that an expansion of DoH could reduce CRN in the United States, improve chronic illness care, and help health systems achieve the triple aim of improving patient experiences and population health while reducing cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The marketing practices of the breastmilk substitutes industry have been known for decades, but little is known about the influence of the baby food industry, more generally, on public health policy, research and practice, also known as 'corporate political activity' (CPA). In this study, the baby food industry refers to for-profit companies that manufacture, market or distribute breastmilk substitutes and food products for infants and young children under two years. In addition, trade associations, public relations firms, marketing agencies and individuals or groups affiliated with the baby food industry are also considered to be part of the baby food industry. The aim of the current study was to systematically identify and monitor the CPA of the baby food industry in the USA, shown by the activities of Nestlé, the largest industry actor in this sector in the country. Methods: The case study consisted of an analysis of publicly available information for data published between January and November 2018. We included documents from the industry, the government and other sources, including professional organisations, charities and consumer associations. We analysed data using an existing framework to classify the CPA of the food industry. Results: During the period of data collection, Nestlé employed a list of action-based 'instrumental strategies'. The most prominent strategy was 'information strategy', used to fund, produce and disseminate industry-preferred information. Nestlé was further found to 'establish relationships with key opinion leaders and health organisations, and the media', 'seek involvement in community' and directly influence policies and programs through indirect access and the placement of actors in government policy settings. The company also used argument-based 'discursive strategies' to frame the debate on diet- and public health-related issues. Conclusion: This study showed that Nestlé used various CPA strategies which may have influenced public health policy, research and practice in ways favourable to the baby food industry. These results could be used to further recognise and pre-empt the influence of corporations on health, in order to ensure that commercial interests do not prevail over public health goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Camphill Village Trust (CVT) is a National charity, supporting around 500 adults with learning disabilities in community settings. OBJECTIVE: To co-design a social media platform to enable people supported at CVT to enjoy the benefits social media can offer, in a 'safe space'. METHODS: A survey was undertaken of potential users to determine existing technology use and what was wanted from a social media platform. This was constructed according to findings, and solo and group interviews and another survey captured usage and opinions. RESULTS: Posting and reading the posts of others were popular, but use of other facilities (e.g. noticeboard) was limited. People valued its role as a social connector, and the closed environment was also seen as a benefit. Staff used it to aid social interactions and as a learning tool. Barriers included remembering passwords, uploading photos and lack of support, the latter due to competing time demands on staff. CONCLUSIONS: The study showed that it is possible to involve people with learning disabilities in the development of an electronic resource, and that a safe, protected platform can be utilised for both entertainment and education. Some staff were reticent, which highlighted the need for training and time allocation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The New York Charities Directory compiled by the Charity Organization Society enumerates 1,000 charities and the 2,500 persons who ran them. Examination of this vast and complex network, using a combination of macro- and micro-sociological methods, enables the drawing of a global map of the charitable world and its various interconnected regions. Multiple-component analysis helps to correlate the positions of individuals in that world with their social and economic characteristics. Focusing on 200 charity leaders who interlocked several charities and controlled or connected various portions of the network, these procedures bring to the foreground famous philanthropists and activists, as well as people not so well known. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Macro-level policy changes in the US welfare system can shift the boundaries of existing organizational welfare service funding arrangements. This in-depth archival case study examines the organizational boundary work of philanthropic actors at the United Foundation of Detroit during the War on Poverty era (1964–74). The study finds that the United Foundation responded to social and welfare changes by protecting and expanding its power and authority in its welfare organizational ecosystem. It used specific mechanisms, including managerial tools and ideologies, to exert greater control over nonprofit funding and service provision in this ecosystem, which altered the power dynamics and relationships between funding and nonprofit service organizations. Applying a boundary work lens to this historical period can assist social workers in building more equitable relationships with funders in the dynamic, frequently market-driven welfare system of today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vast majority of charities in the United States operate in a regulatory blind spot: they are neither meaningfully evaluated when they apply for charitable status nor substantively monitored after they receive charitable status. Driven by severe budget constraints, the IRS decided to essentially ignore any charity that claims it will realize less than $50,000 in annual gross receipts. From a practical perspective, the IRS's decision makes sense. To the extent smaller charities are less likely to cause harm, it is reasonable (perhaps even preferable) to subject them to less scrutiny. This type of prioritization, known as riskbased regulation, has become increasingly popular as regulatory budgets have continued to shrink. But however intuitive, reasonable, or widespread risk-based regulation may seem, the fact remains that the IRS has effectively absolved itself of its duty to oversee the majority of charities. This Article explores, on both a micro- and macro-level, the negative consequences of the IRS's decision to leave smaller charities unregulated. On the micro-level, the lack of regulation impacts virtually every person who interacts with the charitable sector, including donors, beneficiaries of charities, and private actors in the market. On the macro-level, as an increasing number of charities operate without proper regulation, the public will lose faith in the charitable sector and the "halo effect" enjoyed by all charitable organizations will erode. This Article is the first to identify and discuss the harms associated with the IRS's failure to apply either front-end or back-end scrutiny to smaller charities. To address this regulatory failure, this Article argues that the IRS should require a more robust retrospective regulatory tool for all charities, regardless of size. This solution represents a cost-effective means for the IRS to meet its regulatory burden in a manner that will help restore public faith in the charitable sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post-welfare reform public/private partnerships are marked by the rise of the ideology and practice of "religious neoliberalism," which include a commitment to devolution and remoralization. To understand the impact of religious neoliberalism, scholars must move beyond the elite level to examine the local. We elicited thirty-two interviews with authorities at antipoverty nonprofit organizations and found that ideals associated with religious neoliberalism have seeped into the functioning of many charitable organizations, regardless of their relationship to religiosity. There are a range of organizational beliefs, attitudes, and practices "on the ground," but ultimately religious neoliberalism is a prominent framework for United States-based charity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nutrition-focused food banking is broadly defined as organizational and programmatic efforts to address nutrition-related health disparities among charitable food clients. Additional information is needed to systematically describe how US food banks, as key influencers of the charitable food system, are working to advance nutrition-focused food banking initiatives in their communities. Our aim was to describe food bank leadership–identified organizational strategies, "best practices," and innovative programs for advancing nutrition-focused food banking in the United States. We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews to elicit information about the nutrition-focused food banking practices and processes being employed by US food banks. Participants comprised a purposive sample of food bank executives (n=30) representing a diverse selection of food banks across the United States. Interviews were conducted between April 2015 and January 2017 at national food bank conferences. Two researchers independently reviewed transcripts to identify themes using code-based qualitative content analysis. Executive leader descriptions of specific strategies to support nutrition-focused food banking centered primarily around the following four major themes: building a healthier food inventory at the food bank; enhancing partner agency healthy food access, storage, and distribution capacity; nutrition education outreach; and expanding community partnerships and intervention settings for healthy food distribution, including health care and schools. Study findings indicate that food banks are implementing a variety of multilevel approaches to improve healthy food access among users of the charitable food system. Further evaluation is needed to assess the reach, scalability, and sustainability of these various approaches, and their effectiveness in reducing determinants of nutrition-related health disparities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigated the oil–gasoline price relationship in the UK and USA following the 2007–2008 global financial crisis. The dummy variable approach to testing for structural break and the nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag approach for modeling asymmetry cointegrating relationships were used. The findings indicate that the crisis induced significant structural break in this relationship in both countries. For the UK, we find strong evidence of rockets and feathers effect plus the possibility of firms using the tax system to hide rent-seeking behavior before and after the crisis, which means that the results of Greenwood-Nimmo and Shin (Econ Lett 121:411–416, 2013) are no longer plausible. For the USA, we find significant evidence of the rockets and feathers effect in the post-crisis period when the data are restricted to March 2013; however, this effect disappears once the data are extended to June 2017. These findings suggest that continuous monitoring and other antitrust and consumer welfare policies are required in these economies to preserve competition and the overall social welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on two independent datasets, the author examines organized labor's role as a benefactor for community-based charity. A population-level analysis of Michigan data indicates that union member density and union local density are positively associated with per capita donations to regional United Ways. An individual-level analysis of CPS data corroborates the Michigan findings, and in addition reveals that unionists are more likely than non-unionists to be engaged in community affairs and volunteer for charitable organizations. Unionists disproportionately volunteer to provide medical care, fire/ EMS, or protective services; collect and distribute clothing, crafts, or nonfood goods; coach or referee sports; volunteer in music or other arts; tutor or teach; and mentor youth. The findings suggest that unions function in part as vehicles for collectivizing asset and volunteer resources among their members for redistribution to community-based charitable causes, thereby reducing social inequity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Business firms and non-profit organizations are increasingly collaborating. Such collaborations promise substantial mutual benefits as business firms realize the extent to which their profits depend on a healthy social environment and "social entrepreneurs" begin to appreciate how applying business principles can enable them to fulfill their social missions more effectively. Nevertheless, for the benefits of cross- sector partnerships to be achieved, each partner must have a realistic understanding of both the challenges and potential pitfalls of their relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]