It seems that many universities in Boston are failing to live up to their obligations:  https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/07/21/many-boston-colleges-fall-short-voluntary-payments-city/D8jVTjEKrPkMOZq8N4q83M/story.html#

A city in Arkansas is making big cuts in grants to local non-profits in order to fund its pension obligations: http://swtimes.com/news/fort-smith-eliminates-outside-funding-nonprofits

Two big national foundations are funding civic engagement and “resiliancy” in many US cities: http://venturebeat.com/2015/07/22/knight-foundation-ponies-up-3-2m-to-help-reinvent-american-elections/ http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20150721/REAL_ESTATE/150729963/rockefeller-foundation-adds-64-million-to-resilient-cities-work

As much as we decry the non-disclosure of donors to certain non-profits, there is sometimes a good reason for it—an example from Boston: ...

Local non-profits must be creative in their relationships with local government in order to achieve their mission objectives—here’s a good example from here in LA:  http://www.dailynews.com/government-and-politics/20150721/koreatown-museum-planned-in-unconventional-deal-with-city

Philanthropy is playing a growing role in emerging non-profit news organizations—Funder influence over the impartiality of this new brand of journalism can be avoided by maintaining a strict firewall between editorial and business operations, better ensuring editorial independence; similar to the way traditional for-profit advertiser-supported news organizations maintained their journalistic integrity:...

Do you have a clear understanding of the value grassroots brings to your non-profit’s advocacy efforts? Read this:  http://pac.org/gr/measuring-and-communicating-the-value-of-grassroots

A cautionary tale of a non-profit in Arizona that is in trouble for mingling its charitable funds with those of a political action committee: http://www.glendalestar.com/news/article_0051679c-2f21-11e5-8407-7f8577c7a94f.html

Here’s why its important for nonprofits to have an advocacy presence in their state capitals:  http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/harrisburg/84336-pa-service-providers-face-tough-decisions-if-budget-stalemate-drags-on

Insightful think piece on the how the relationship between funders and non-profits can fuel enduring social change: https://philanthropy.com/article/Opinion-Smart-Donors-Are/231681?cid=pt&utm_source=pt&utm_medium=en

Non-profits duke it out over a proposal before the California legislature to change the raffle rules for those charities affiliated with sports teams—my Nonprofit Quarterly newswire today:...

Some good advice to foundations on how they can advocate against residential segregation and exclusionary zoning in our cities:  http://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2015/7/10/open-up-those-burbs-philanthropy-and-the-fight-against-resid.html