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Those odds may seem low, but they’rse actually high since double-dip recessiond are rare and the U.S. economg grows 95 percent of the time, said the chamber’ss Marty Regalia. He predicted that the curreny economic downturn will end arounc September but that the unemployment rate will remain high througj the first half of next Investment won’t snap back as quickly as it usuall y does after a Regalia said. Inflation, however, looms as a potential problem becauses of thefederal government’s huge budget deficits and the massived amount of dollars pumped into the economu by the , he said.
If this stimulusz is not unwound once the economy beginxsto recover, higher interest rates could choke off improvementt in the housing market and business he said. “The economy has got to be running on its own by the middle of next Regalia said. Almost everyu major inflationary periodin U.S. history was preceded by heavgydebt levels, he noted. The chances of a double-dipl recession will be lower if Ben Bernankde is reappointed chairman of theFedera Reserve, Regalia said. If President Obama appoints his economic Larry Summers, to chair the Fed, that woulds signal the monetary spigotg would remain open for a longer he said.
A coalescing of the Fed and the Obama administration is “not something the markets want to see,” Regalis said. Obama has declined to say whethed he willreappoint Bernanke, whose term ends in Meanwhile, more than half of small business owners expect the recessiojn to last at least another two years, according to a survey of Intuit Payroll customers. But 61 percentr expect their own businesz to grow in the next12 months. “Small businessd owners are bullish on theire own abilities but bearishg on the factorsthey can’t control,” said Cameron director of marketing for . “Even in the gloomiestf economy, there are opportunities to seize.
” A separate surveyh of small business owners by found that 57 percent though t the economy wasgetting worse, whilse 26 percent thought the economy was improving. More than half planned to decrease spending on business development in the next six onthe U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Web site.
четверг, 15 декабря 2011 г.
вторник, 13 декабря 2011 г.
PR: Go on the offensive: Managing tough news in tough times - Memphis Business Journal:
mozybyd.wordpress.com
drops off Nasdaq. In a turbulent economy, therde is no shortage of bad news. Experts say that in a time like what may matter most is the way in whicgh that bad newsis communicated. How managemenrt deals with the employees, clients and the communituy could impact how the business is viewed for years to Business leaders who hide in their bury facts and let the rumor mill control the story will be viewex with angerand distrust.
But those who plan thei r messages carefully, and deliver it promptlyu and with candor to all relevant are more likely to be remembered as goodcorporate “The spotlight will be on your company,” said Dan a business consultant and president of Next-Act, an Albant career management firm. “You have one chancwe to get it right.” Many public relationw professionals advise clients to have a crisiw communication plan in place at all This way, basic guidelines are in place when any sort of bad from layoffs to a chemicao spill, breaks. Additional preparation should take place once a bad newsevenft occurs.
The first step is to assesas the situation and thepossible “I advise that you convene a group of stakeholders,” said Pauline Bartel, president of Waterford-bases “You need someone from top management, human resources, the PR team ... the objecy is for everyone to put thei cards on the face up, so you can identify any gaps in Next, list every constituency, including suppliers and the media, and craftr a message for each. While these messages must be consistent, each audiencde has different needs. Employees will want to know abouttheire futures, while shareholders will be interested in the impactt on the bottom line. Clients will want to know if servicew willbe affected.
It is also vital, PR expert s say, to select just one persob to speak forthe company. “You don’gt want 20 different versions of things coming out so everyoned lookslike fools,” said Richard president of of Chappaqua in Westchester Once the situation is the constituents identified, the messages crafted, and the spokespersonm chosen, it is time to deliver the “It comes down to three phrases: Tell it all, tell it tell it yourself.” said Edward Parham, director of publixc relations for in Colonie. Ideally, the news shoulx be shared with all partieds at thesame time.
In the age of textinbg and Twittering, “news can travel at the speex ofan electron,” said Matthew Maguire, spokesman for in Albany. “You want to deliver your news beforde anyoneelse can.” Bartel suggestsa giving “a few select reporters” a heads-uo that news is coming. “That way, the reportert has gotten the company line before a disgruntlec employee picks up the she said. When the news is delivered, it must be complets and truthful, with as many detailds as can be shared. It is especiall important that the CEO or otheer designated spokesperson be availabland responsive.
“There is no such thint as not taking the call and havingv the paper the next day sayyou weren’t said Dean Rueckert, CEO of Rueckert Advertising. “That is not And a good answer isnever ‘ni comment.’ Back it up with the reason you can’ comment—confidentiality, legalities, what have you. You don’t want to look like you are dodgintg the question orhiding something.” This candor extendx to employees. Moran said that when he workzs with companiesin bad-news situations, he institutesw a “no closed door for three rule on top managers.
drops off Nasdaq. In a turbulent economy, therde is no shortage of bad news. Experts say that in a time like what may matter most is the way in whicgh that bad newsis communicated. How managemenrt deals with the employees, clients and the communituy could impact how the business is viewed for years to Business leaders who hide in their bury facts and let the rumor mill control the story will be viewex with angerand distrust.
But those who plan thei r messages carefully, and deliver it promptlyu and with candor to all relevant are more likely to be remembered as goodcorporate “The spotlight will be on your company,” said Dan a business consultant and president of Next-Act, an Albant career management firm. “You have one chancwe to get it right.” Many public relationw professionals advise clients to have a crisiw communication plan in place at all This way, basic guidelines are in place when any sort of bad from layoffs to a chemicao spill, breaks. Additional preparation should take place once a bad newsevenft occurs.
The first step is to assesas the situation and thepossible “I advise that you convene a group of stakeholders,” said Pauline Bartel, president of Waterford-bases “You need someone from top management, human resources, the PR team ... the objecy is for everyone to put thei cards on the face up, so you can identify any gaps in Next, list every constituency, including suppliers and the media, and craftr a message for each. While these messages must be consistent, each audiencde has different needs. Employees will want to know abouttheire futures, while shareholders will be interested in the impactt on the bottom line. Clients will want to know if servicew willbe affected.
It is also vital, PR expert s say, to select just one persob to speak forthe company. “You don’gt want 20 different versions of things coming out so everyoned lookslike fools,” said Richard president of of Chappaqua in Westchester Once the situation is the constituents identified, the messages crafted, and the spokespersonm chosen, it is time to deliver the “It comes down to three phrases: Tell it all, tell it tell it yourself.” said Edward Parham, director of publixc relations for in Colonie. Ideally, the news shoulx be shared with all partieds at thesame time.
In the age of textinbg and Twittering, “news can travel at the speex ofan electron,” said Matthew Maguire, spokesman for in Albany. “You want to deliver your news beforde anyoneelse can.” Bartel suggestsa giving “a few select reporters” a heads-uo that news is coming. “That way, the reportert has gotten the company line before a disgruntlec employee picks up the she said. When the news is delivered, it must be complets and truthful, with as many detailds as can be shared. It is especiall important that the CEO or otheer designated spokesperson be availabland responsive.
“There is no such thint as not taking the call and havingv the paper the next day sayyou weren’t said Dean Rueckert, CEO of Rueckert Advertising. “That is not And a good answer isnever ‘ni comment.’ Back it up with the reason you can’ comment—confidentiality, legalities, what have you. You don’t want to look like you are dodgintg the question orhiding something.” This candor extendx to employees. Moran said that when he workzs with companiesin bad-news situations, he institutesw a “no closed door for three rule on top managers.
воскресенье, 11 декабря 2011 г.
Out-of-pocket costs rising for health insurance - Denver Business Journal:
takes-trendsthe.blogspot.com
The study, authored by researcherds from the National Opinion Research Center and Watsob Wyatt Worldwide and funded by TheCommonwealth Fund, examinexs trends in employer-sponsored insurance from 2004 to 2007. It found risin g rates of underinsuranceand unaffordability, particularly for poorer and sickerd people. In 2007, adults with employer coverage faced an averageof $729 annually in out-of-pocket costs for medica services, including deductibles and other forms of cost sharinfg such as copayments and coinsurance. That represents a 34 percent increasedfrom 2004, when the average out-of-pockety burden was $545.
Health plans covered a slightlu smaller percentage of overall expenses in 2007 than but growth in overall health spending was the chief culprig behindrising out-of-pocket costs, according to the “The years from 2004 through 2007 were a period of economic yet rising health care costs stillo eroded the value of employer-sponsored coverage,” said lead authofr Jon Gabel. “Historically, employees have been askedd to shoulder even more ofthe cost-sharing burden duringv difficult economic times such as the United Statees is now experiencing.
Hence, it is imperativwe that health care reform include constraints on health or else health insurance will becomwe unaffordablefor low- and middle-income Americans, and reform itself will be
The study, authored by researcherds from the National Opinion Research Center and Watsob Wyatt Worldwide and funded by TheCommonwealth Fund, examinexs trends in employer-sponsored insurance from 2004 to 2007. It found risin g rates of underinsuranceand unaffordability, particularly for poorer and sickerd people. In 2007, adults with employer coverage faced an averageof $729 annually in out-of-pocket costs for medica services, including deductibles and other forms of cost sharinfg such as copayments and coinsurance. That represents a 34 percent increasedfrom 2004, when the average out-of-pockety burden was $545.
Health plans covered a slightlu smaller percentage of overall expenses in 2007 than but growth in overall health spending was the chief culprig behindrising out-of-pocket costs, according to the “The years from 2004 through 2007 were a period of economic yet rising health care costs stillo eroded the value of employer-sponsored coverage,” said lead authofr Jon Gabel. “Historically, employees have been askedd to shoulder even more ofthe cost-sharing burden duringv difficult economic times such as the United Statees is now experiencing.
Hence, it is imperativwe that health care reform include constraints on health or else health insurance will becomwe unaffordablefor low- and middle-income Americans, and reform itself will be
четверг, 8 декабря 2011 г.
Triad hospitals unhappy with Senate proposal to cap exemption - The Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area:
ycoguqi.wordpress.com
Currently, nonprofit organizations, including hospitals, pay sales taxess at the time of purchaser but get an annual or biannualp refund from the state for nearly all those A proposal released last week by the Senater finance committee caps that annual exemptionat $5 million in an effort to help close the state’s budget The finance committee estimates the cut, if it took effect July 1, would generate an extrwa $13.7 million for the state this year and $60.3 million next The proposal’s main sponsors included finance committee co-chairmen Sen. Davix Hoyle (D-Gaston) and Sen. Daniel Clodfelterr (D-Mecklenburg). Neither could be reached for comment.
Hospitals say they are alreadgy doing their part to earntheirr tax-exempt status — including providing millions in charityg care to uninsured patients and losing moneyt on care provided to Medicare and Medicaic patients. Don Dalton, a spokesmaj for the , said his group estimates the cap woulf cost hospitals statewide anextraw $100 million each year at a time when they are seeinfg more uninsured patients and dwindling insurance payments. Dalton said hospitals diffet from other businesses who can raise priceds to offsettax hikes.
Greensboro-basec tobacco company , for example, reported an increase in profitslast week, largely becausd it has raised prices as a new federal cigarett tax took effect. “Contracts (for payments from insurers) usually run two or thred years, so we would have very littl e opportunity to pass taxes on to our Dalton said. “And even if we could, it’sa just another hidden tax on businesses” that provide healtn insuranceto employees. Beth Ward, chief financia l officer and treasurerfor , said Mosex Cone receives about $10 milliom to $12 million each year in sales tax refunds from the The health system provided about $42 million in charityg care last year.
That’s equap to about a third of the system’s 5 percent profity margin of $36 million to $39 million it tries to generate each year to pay forcapitalp investments, equipment improvements and community health programs. Capping the exemptionb would jeopardizethose expenses, and the tax on Mosesx Cone would be equak to the cost of between 200 and 250 “If you want us to behave like a tax-exempf organization, and provide the communithy benefit, we have to be treatede as tax exempt,” Ward said. “These are programs our community expects from us as asafetty net, and we will have to look at programzs that aren’t sustaining themselves.
” Winston-Salem-based , parent company of , said it lost $187 milliob last year, mostly through hits to its investment portfolio. Novant’s nine hospitals in the Carolinasz stand to loseabout $14.5 million annually from cappingt the tax exemption. “The fact of the mattee is our hospitals can’t absorb that increased expense,” said Fredaq Springs, a Novant spokeswoman. “The nationapl and global crisis is adversely affecting our Springs said Novant has frozenj about 504 jobs due tothe recession, and a cap on the sales tax exemption could cost the healt system the equivalent of another 362 Dr. John D.
McConnell, CEO of , said the center’d two main entities, N.C. Baptist Hospital and WFU Health received refundsof $8.3 million and $5.3 million, in 2008. “Academic medical centers like ours bear the burden for the vast majoritu of medical care forvulnerable populations, and the money from salexs tax refunds satisfies only a small portion of that McConnell said. “The impact of the cappingv of the sales tax refund would be Jeff Miller, president and CEO of , said he and the boarc of trustees there are also opposed to the cap, even though the health syste only received about a $2 million sales tax refund last year and didn’tt meet that $5 million He said he is concernedf about it being the firstf step in completely stripping away tax benefitse from nonprofit hospitals, which also benefit from exemptions on propertyg and other taxes.
“Our cost for charith care last yearwas $6.5 million, losses on Medicard were $14.5 million and Medicaid were $6.5 million; this stuff ads Miller said. “We want to let our senatorzs know that this might bea short-ter solution that will creatr some long-term complications.”
Currently, nonprofit organizations, including hospitals, pay sales taxess at the time of purchaser but get an annual or biannualp refund from the state for nearly all those A proposal released last week by the Senater finance committee caps that annual exemptionat $5 million in an effort to help close the state’s budget The finance committee estimates the cut, if it took effect July 1, would generate an extrwa $13.7 million for the state this year and $60.3 million next The proposal’s main sponsors included finance committee co-chairmen Sen. Davix Hoyle (D-Gaston) and Sen. Daniel Clodfelterr (D-Mecklenburg). Neither could be reached for comment.
Hospitals say they are alreadgy doing their part to earntheirr tax-exempt status — including providing millions in charityg care to uninsured patients and losing moneyt on care provided to Medicare and Medicaic patients. Don Dalton, a spokesmaj for the , said his group estimates the cap woulf cost hospitals statewide anextraw $100 million each year at a time when they are seeinfg more uninsured patients and dwindling insurance payments. Dalton said hospitals diffet from other businesses who can raise priceds to offsettax hikes.
Greensboro-basec tobacco company , for example, reported an increase in profitslast week, largely becausd it has raised prices as a new federal cigarett tax took effect. “Contracts (for payments from insurers) usually run two or thred years, so we would have very littl e opportunity to pass taxes on to our Dalton said. “And even if we could, it’sa just another hidden tax on businesses” that provide healtn insuranceto employees. Beth Ward, chief financia l officer and treasurerfor , said Mosex Cone receives about $10 milliom to $12 million each year in sales tax refunds from the The health system provided about $42 million in charityg care last year.
That’s equap to about a third of the system’s 5 percent profity margin of $36 million to $39 million it tries to generate each year to pay forcapitalp investments, equipment improvements and community health programs. Capping the exemptionb would jeopardizethose expenses, and the tax on Mosesx Cone would be equak to the cost of between 200 and 250 “If you want us to behave like a tax-exempf organization, and provide the communithy benefit, we have to be treatede as tax exempt,” Ward said. “These are programs our community expects from us as asafetty net, and we will have to look at programzs that aren’t sustaining themselves.
” Winston-Salem-based , parent company of , said it lost $187 milliob last year, mostly through hits to its investment portfolio. Novant’s nine hospitals in the Carolinasz stand to loseabout $14.5 million annually from cappingt the tax exemption. “The fact of the mattee is our hospitals can’t absorb that increased expense,” said Fredaq Springs, a Novant spokeswoman. “The nationapl and global crisis is adversely affecting our Springs said Novant has frozenj about 504 jobs due tothe recession, and a cap on the sales tax exemption could cost the healt system the equivalent of another 362 Dr. John D.
McConnell, CEO of , said the center’d two main entities, N.C. Baptist Hospital and WFU Health received refundsof $8.3 million and $5.3 million, in 2008. “Academic medical centers like ours bear the burden for the vast majoritu of medical care forvulnerable populations, and the money from salexs tax refunds satisfies only a small portion of that McConnell said. “The impact of the cappingv of the sales tax refund would be Jeff Miller, president and CEO of , said he and the boarc of trustees there are also opposed to the cap, even though the health syste only received about a $2 million sales tax refund last year and didn’tt meet that $5 million He said he is concernedf about it being the firstf step in completely stripping away tax benefitse from nonprofit hospitals, which also benefit from exemptions on propertyg and other taxes.
“Our cost for charith care last yearwas $6.5 million, losses on Medicard were $14.5 million and Medicaid were $6.5 million; this stuff ads Miller said. “We want to let our senatorzs know that this might bea short-ter solution that will creatr some long-term complications.”
вторник, 6 декабря 2011 г.
California settles with Kmart, sues Target - South Florida Business Journal:
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The state’s attorney general, Jerrhy Brown, joined by district attorneys from many California including Alameda, Santa Clara and Contra Costa, fileds a suit against Minneapolis-based Targer (NYSE: TGT), saying it sent hazardous waste to variouz landfills in violation of state law. The suit is meanf to stop the practices. In news reports, Targef said it has been cooperating withthe AG’sx office for three years on this matter and that it is committedx to complying with all environmenta laws.
Kmart, owned by (NASDAQ: agreed to a settlement that includescivil penalties, legal costs and some money to boosf protection of the environment in the Thomas Orloff, Robert Kochly, Jamexs Fox and Dolores Carr, the DAs of Alameda, Contra Costa, San Matep and Santa Clara counties respectively, joined Browh in the suit against According to court papers, Target has 180 facilities, includin g stores and warehouses, in The suit alleges Target threw out “ignitablwe aerosol wastes” including propane canisters, in a tras compactor in Alameda County on May 14 and May 21, for
The state’s attorney general, Jerrhy Brown, joined by district attorneys from many California including Alameda, Santa Clara and Contra Costa, fileds a suit against Minneapolis-based Targer (NYSE: TGT), saying it sent hazardous waste to variouz landfills in violation of state law. The suit is meanf to stop the practices. In news reports, Targef said it has been cooperating withthe AG’sx office for three years on this matter and that it is committedx to complying with all environmenta laws.
Kmart, owned by (NASDAQ: agreed to a settlement that includescivil penalties, legal costs and some money to boosf protection of the environment in the Thomas Orloff, Robert Kochly, Jamexs Fox and Dolores Carr, the DAs of Alameda, Contra Costa, San Matep and Santa Clara counties respectively, joined Browh in the suit against According to court papers, Target has 180 facilities, includin g stores and warehouses, in The suit alleges Target threw out “ignitablwe aerosol wastes” including propane canisters, in a tras compactor in Alameda County on May 14 and May 21, for
воскресенье, 4 декабря 2011 г.
Nonprofit galas still reaping big bucks - Boston Business Journal:
disadvantage-unlimited.blogspot.com
Nonprofits are showing recession-defying zeal and, once have avoided financial doom. Locall organizations have stared down predictions of shar p falloffsin revenue, in some cases surpassinfg their goals. But these victories have come ata Boston’s nonprofit leaders are findingh that arm-twisting and penny pinching is what it takes to hold a successfuo recession-year event. Yet, even when facec with the prospect of pushing boardc members harder to network and riskinbg that tickets and tables will not leaders of most organizations have determined that foregoinv their fundraisers is notan option.
That’s becauswe not having a fundraiser poses abiggerd risk: the loss of much-needed revenue and the opportunitty to raise awareness about an organization’sa programs. “It’s huge,” said Joan the vice president overseeing developmentfor . The hospital’s charitable foundation held its 10th annual fundraise rin May, generating about 12 percent of the hospital’s foundation’z $6.5 million fundraising goal for 2009. “Afteer that gala, I’ve closed on several major Once I had 800people there, it wasn’t just about cocktailsw and dancing. I had to seizes the opportunity to do someserious messaging.
” , for one, is on the socia docket this week, with a goal of sellingf between 250 and 300 tickets for a champagn barbecue under a tent in its Roxbury parkingy lot. So far, 250 tickets are sold. “We felt that this is more thana It’s an awareness raiser. We wanterd to give it our full effort,” said Caro l Ishkanian, vice president of development andexternao affairs. Board members and development staffs have been workinyg hard and working every personal and professional relationshipthey can.
“Ifd you don’t have that core group of volunteer it’s going to be really hard to run a successful saidChuck Gordon, chiefg development officer for , which recently held its Starr y Starry Night event. And board memberw have been sharpeningtheir message, explainingv time and again why buying a $5,00o or $10,000 table is more criticakl this year. “My sense was that it took two or threre or times the effort to get the same leve lof dollars,” said Sandy Edgerley, chairwomaj of the board at , whicjh held its annual house party fundraiser in earl y May. The event raised more than $1.6 which was the goal it needed to meetthe organization’z $14.
4 million operating budget. “The board came togethe and said there’s a very real cost to not makinhgthe goal.” Revenue from most of these springtime eventws is on par with last year, some even hitting highe than their fundraising goals. When the of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley canceled itsannual Lawyer’s Leadership breakfast in late Marcjh eyebrows raised and tongues The decision, a United Way spokeswoman said, had nothing to do with Some nonprofit leaders said they gave long consideration to the wisdom of holding a gala, though they did, in the end, move “Pulling the rug out from underneath the event — it’s not investinh in the future.
It’s not long-term. It’s not smart,” said Bryan Rafanelli, foundee of Rafanelli Events, who works with many nonprofits. Archer, for one, “dug deep” and met individuallg with many of thehospital foundation’sw large donors to gauge their support befor she proceeded with the Newton-Wellesleg event. “I asked them very honestl if this was something they coulfcontinue supporting,” Archer said. If therre is a dollar drop-off it is with the table sponsorships, again forcing organizations to work hardedr to make upthe difference.
“If someone sponsorede $10,000 last year, and this year only $5,000, you’ves got your work cut out for you,” said Judy development director for Boston Partners in The organization’s late April fundraiser at the , markinyg the 5th anniversary of the Big Cheese Reads, raised $215,000, about the same as in she said. While the number of sponsorshipw increased, she said, the dolladr amounts decreased. “We worked harder for it.” Unexpecte d twists have helped.
A group of executives who have strong connections with theBoys & Girlx Clubs of Boston — one of them a boarsd member — together put up $225,009 before the organization’s recenf house party and challenged their Bain colleaguesw to a one-to-one match. Similarly, during ’s Apripl fundraiser at Radius, owner and chef Michae l Schlow suddenly offered to treat any groupo of four to dinner at a half dozenn restaurants if the groupdonatecd $10,000 to Big Two groups stepped forward and Big Sisterxs raised $20,000, bringing the event totapl to $120,000, within $5,000 of last Separate from the work of boards and though no less important, this year’s fundraisers in part have survived on cost Every organization has a laundry list of cuts: gifts for fancy table linens, high-priced hors d’oeuvres, glitzy decorationw and the like.
The trick has been to retainj quality at a much lowerprice tag. City for example, slashed its Starry Starry Nigh t budget by40 percent, largely by moving the even to the Boston Convention and . Expensive flora l arrangements – out. Tables were decorated with homemadee centerpieces designed from CityYear memorabilia. Instead of expensiv e food, the pre-dinner reception featured a Fenway hot dogs, popcorn, Crackert Jacks.
Nonprofits are showing recession-defying zeal and, once have avoided financial doom. Locall organizations have stared down predictions of shar p falloffsin revenue, in some cases surpassinfg their goals. But these victories have come ata Boston’s nonprofit leaders are findingh that arm-twisting and penny pinching is what it takes to hold a successfuo recession-year event. Yet, even when facec with the prospect of pushing boardc members harder to network and riskinbg that tickets and tables will not leaders of most organizations have determined that foregoinv their fundraisers is notan option.
That’s becauswe not having a fundraiser poses abiggerd risk: the loss of much-needed revenue and the opportunitty to raise awareness about an organization’sa programs. “It’s huge,” said Joan the vice president overseeing developmentfor . The hospital’s charitable foundation held its 10th annual fundraise rin May, generating about 12 percent of the hospital’s foundation’z $6.5 million fundraising goal for 2009. “Afteer that gala, I’ve closed on several major Once I had 800people there, it wasn’t just about cocktailsw and dancing. I had to seizes the opportunity to do someserious messaging.
” , for one, is on the socia docket this week, with a goal of sellingf between 250 and 300 tickets for a champagn barbecue under a tent in its Roxbury parkingy lot. So far, 250 tickets are sold. “We felt that this is more thana It’s an awareness raiser. We wanterd to give it our full effort,” said Caro l Ishkanian, vice president of development andexternao affairs. Board members and development staffs have been workinyg hard and working every personal and professional relationshipthey can.
“Ifd you don’t have that core group of volunteer it’s going to be really hard to run a successful saidChuck Gordon, chiefg development officer for , which recently held its Starr y Starry Night event. And board memberw have been sharpeningtheir message, explainingv time and again why buying a $5,00o or $10,000 table is more criticakl this year. “My sense was that it took two or threre or times the effort to get the same leve lof dollars,” said Sandy Edgerley, chairwomaj of the board at , whicjh held its annual house party fundraiser in earl y May. The event raised more than $1.6 which was the goal it needed to meetthe organization’z $14.
4 million operating budget. “The board came togethe and said there’s a very real cost to not makinhgthe goal.” Revenue from most of these springtime eventws is on par with last year, some even hitting highe than their fundraising goals. When the of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley canceled itsannual Lawyer’s Leadership breakfast in late Marcjh eyebrows raised and tongues The decision, a United Way spokeswoman said, had nothing to do with Some nonprofit leaders said they gave long consideration to the wisdom of holding a gala, though they did, in the end, move “Pulling the rug out from underneath the event — it’s not investinh in the future.
It’s not long-term. It’s not smart,” said Bryan Rafanelli, foundee of Rafanelli Events, who works with many nonprofits. Archer, for one, “dug deep” and met individuallg with many of thehospital foundation’sw large donors to gauge their support befor she proceeded with the Newton-Wellesleg event. “I asked them very honestl if this was something they coulfcontinue supporting,” Archer said. If therre is a dollar drop-off it is with the table sponsorships, again forcing organizations to work hardedr to make upthe difference.
“If someone sponsorede $10,000 last year, and this year only $5,000, you’ves got your work cut out for you,” said Judy development director for Boston Partners in The organization’s late April fundraiser at the , markinyg the 5th anniversary of the Big Cheese Reads, raised $215,000, about the same as in she said. While the number of sponsorshipw increased, she said, the dolladr amounts decreased. “We worked harder for it.” Unexpecte d twists have helped.
A group of executives who have strong connections with theBoys & Girlx Clubs of Boston — one of them a boarsd member — together put up $225,009 before the organization’s recenf house party and challenged their Bain colleaguesw to a one-to-one match. Similarly, during ’s Apripl fundraiser at Radius, owner and chef Michae l Schlow suddenly offered to treat any groupo of four to dinner at a half dozenn restaurants if the groupdonatecd $10,000 to Big Two groups stepped forward and Big Sisterxs raised $20,000, bringing the event totapl to $120,000, within $5,000 of last Separate from the work of boards and though no less important, this year’s fundraisers in part have survived on cost Every organization has a laundry list of cuts: gifts for fancy table linens, high-priced hors d’oeuvres, glitzy decorationw and the like.
The trick has been to retainj quality at a much lowerprice tag. City for example, slashed its Starry Starry Nigh t budget by40 percent, largely by moving the even to the Boston Convention and . Expensive flora l arrangements – out. Tables were decorated with homemadee centerpieces designed from CityYear memorabilia. Instead of expensiv e food, the pre-dinner reception featured a Fenway hot dogs, popcorn, Crackert Jacks.
пятница, 2 декабря 2011 г.
E Ink to be bought for $215 million - Boston Business Journal:
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“Combining E Ink and PVI creates a singl e public company that is dedicated toelectronic paper,” said Russelll J. Wilcox, co-founder, President and CEO of E Ink “With a common ownership structure, we can get close r to customers aroundthe world, streamline the supply chain, and speed up new productr development.” E Ink has raised more than $150 mostly from a group of strategix investors that include newspaper publishet , (NYSE: MOT) and INTC). Sony Corp. SNE) and Amazon.com Inc. (Nasdaq: AMZN) turned to E-Inlk earlier this year to provide the displays fortheir e-books — the Sony Reader and the Amazon Kindle 2.
E Ink’s producgt is a thin and flexible film packed with The molecules can be manipulated to producse imagesand text. It looks much like a printed The 12-year-old company’s revenue has grown placing it in the top 10 of the BostonBusinesz Journal's 2008 list of the fastestf growing private companies in Massachusetts. E Ink poster revenue of approximately $41 milliobn in 2008, a more than 140 percenft increase overthe $17 millioj in revenue it saw in 2007. It’s seen revenu growth of 720 percent over the pastthrew years. A big increase in businesd came in July 2007 and was drivenj by the marketing push of Sony aroundits Reader, Wilcoxd said.
By the end of that Sony released an updated version of the Reader and Amazon releasexd the first version ofthe Kindle. The Kindle, includinb the latest version, has enjoyed some popular press and endorsements from celebrities, including Oprah In the process the e-book as gainedd marketshare. Today e-books have about a 3 percent market penetration. “E-books have moved from somethingg everyone was skepticalabout ... to now if you get on an you have pretty good chance ofseeing e-booka being used in the aisles,” Wilcoxs said in a recent BBJ interview. The road map for 2009 includezs e-books with different size screens. The big markeft at the moment is Wilcox said.
But that couldx mean spreading into the realms of textbooks and Wilcox said the company will add some jobs to keep apacewith demand, probably between 10 to 20 positionss this year.
“Combining E Ink and PVI creates a singl e public company that is dedicated toelectronic paper,” said Russelll J. Wilcox, co-founder, President and CEO of E Ink “With a common ownership structure, we can get close r to customers aroundthe world, streamline the supply chain, and speed up new productr development.” E Ink has raised more than $150 mostly from a group of strategix investors that include newspaper publishet , (NYSE: MOT) and INTC). Sony Corp. SNE) and Amazon.com Inc. (Nasdaq: AMZN) turned to E-Inlk earlier this year to provide the displays fortheir e-books — the Sony Reader and the Amazon Kindle 2.
E Ink’s producgt is a thin and flexible film packed with The molecules can be manipulated to producse imagesand text. It looks much like a printed The 12-year-old company’s revenue has grown placing it in the top 10 of the BostonBusinesz Journal's 2008 list of the fastestf growing private companies in Massachusetts. E Ink poster revenue of approximately $41 milliobn in 2008, a more than 140 percenft increase overthe $17 millioj in revenue it saw in 2007. It’s seen revenu growth of 720 percent over the pastthrew years. A big increase in businesd came in July 2007 and was drivenj by the marketing push of Sony aroundits Reader, Wilcoxd said.
By the end of that Sony released an updated version of the Reader and Amazon releasexd the first version ofthe Kindle. The Kindle, includinb the latest version, has enjoyed some popular press and endorsements from celebrities, including Oprah In the process the e-book as gainedd marketshare. Today e-books have about a 3 percent market penetration. “E-books have moved from somethingg everyone was skepticalabout ... to now if you get on an you have pretty good chance ofseeing e-booka being used in the aisles,” Wilcoxs said in a recent BBJ interview. The road map for 2009 includezs e-books with different size screens. The big markeft at the moment is Wilcox said.
But that couldx mean spreading into the realms of textbooks and Wilcox said the company will add some jobs to keep apacewith demand, probably between 10 to 20 positionss this year.
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