Tracing the roots of School Choice

This month, Charity Navigator published a new hot topic which I wrote, School Choice: A Market Approach to Education Reform. In it, I summarize the issues and list highly rated charities working to advance choice in education.

School choice is certainly not a new issue in education reform. Supporters of school choice celebrated the 25^th anniversary of the report A Nation at Risk, a landmark in the cause of school reform. The history of school choice as a reform movement, however, dates back much further. Here are some other influential events along the way.

1776 – Adam Smith suggests that educational choice and private funding of teachers would promote competition and lead to greater success. This was the root of the voucher idea

1970 – The Office of Economic Opportunity launches the first modern voucher program in Alum Rock, CA. It runs for five years

1971 – New York City’s Harlem school districts pioneer an intra-district controlled choice program, allowing students to choose from any school in the district

1980 – Early Charter Schools appear in Philadelphia and Minnesota

1983 – Mueller v. Allen upholds a tuition tax credit for Minnesota parents sending their children to private schools

– A Nation at Risk is published, reporting findings of poor academic performance

1988 – Minnesota’s statewide choice system is the first to extend open enrollment between districts

1990 – Milwaukee Parental Choice Program is the first voucher legislation allowing students to attend private schools using tax money

1991 – Minnesota passes the first Charter School Law

1999 – Florida enacts the nation’s first statewide voucher program (struck down in 2006)

2003 – Percentage of students (grades 1-12) attending a school other than their local public school reaches 15%

2005 – 40 states and the District of Columbia now allow charter schools, and there are 3,294 such schools operating nation-wide

2006 – Milwaukee’s voucher program, for the first time, pays more than $100 million in vouchers

Help Combat Hunger This Weekend, Without Leaving Home

As we’ve previously reported on this blog, charities that help the poor are some of the hardest hit by the slowing economy. This recent article talks about how food banks are experiencing increased demand while donations are decreasing.

This weekend, you can help by participating in the National Association of Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, co-sponsored by America’s Second Harvest - a Charity Navigator 4-star charity - among other organizations. All you have to do is leave non-perishable food donations in a bag near your mailbox, and your letter carrier will pick them up while delivering your mail. Not all post office branches are participating in the drive, so be sure to contact your local post office to find out if they are collecting in your area. If your post office branch is not participating, you can still help combat hunger in your area. Here you can review a list of food banks and related organizations evaluated by Charity Navigator, find one in your area using the filters on the left, and make a direct contribution to a local organization.

Finding a Local Shelter or Humane Society

Humane societies, shelters and other non-profits have been in the news recently regarding their euthanizing practices. At the center of the debate is whether or not it is acceptable for humane societies and shelters to euthanize animals for lack of space purposes. While this is definitely a divisive issue, donors on both sides of the debate will be able to locate organizations that match their criteria by searching for charities on Charity Navigator’s website. All no-kill shelters can be found here. The majority of humane societies do euthanize at least some animals for lack of space purposes. Humane societies can be found by clicking here.

Charities Learn that Donors Make Decisions Based on Data

Apparently, there’s an organization in Boston helping nonprofits understand what we already know at Charity Navigator - that today’s donors demand data about the charities seeking their support. An article in The Boston Globe explained how this program teaches the charities how to make effective pitches to potential donors. The reporter, Sacha Pfeiffer, sums it up perfectly when she says “many prospective donors are turned off by pitches that try to tug at their heartstrings. Instead, they want to know if an organization is well-run, financially sound, innovative, and poised to truly make a difference…”

That’s not to say that donors don’t care about the charity’s mission or the plight of those it is trying to help. Rather, donors want to differentiate between the more than 1 million nonprofits vying for their support. Basically, they want to support the charity that will give them the biggest bang for their buck, which Dale Bearden, a managing director at Babson Capital Management, articulates in the article when he says "I know they're all going to help people, so I want to give my money to someone who will help people three times as efficiently."

New Video

May is recognized as both Foster Care Awareness Month and Older American Month. In this video, program analyst Matthew Viola talks a bit about these issues. He also points out some highly-rated charities to help donors give with confidence to causes related to foster care and the elderly.

Will Charities Benefit from the Tax Rebates?

Distribution of the federal tax rebates began last week. While, stores are offering all kinds of deals to get Americans to spend their rebates on consumer goods, charities are hoping you’ll donate your rebate.

What’s the probability that will occur?

According to a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll, the chances are pretty slim. Of those polled, most planned to save their rebate (32%), use it to pay off their bills (41%), or spend it (21%). Only 3% of the respondents expressed an interest in donating their rebate to charity.

Help the Victims of the Deadly Cyclone in Myanmar

In Myanmar (also known as Burma) a devastating cyclone has left at least 22,000 people dead, and some estimates predict that the final death toll could exceed 500,000. In addition, the storm has left upwards of one million people homeless in what is the worst natural disaster since the Asian tsunami in December 2004. The U.S.-based charities World Vision, CARE, MAP International, Save the Children, Church World Service, ActionAid International USA, International Rescue Committee, International Medical Corps, ADRA, Direct Relief International, Rescue Task Force, Samaritan's Purse, Action Against Hunger-USA, American Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, USA, Mercy Corps, United States Fund for UNICEF, Oxfam America, Friends of the World Food Program, Habitat for Humanity International, Lutheran World Relief, Operation USA, and United Methodist Committee on Relief are all participating in the relief effort. Each of these organizations receives a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator. If you would like to assist in the aid effort you can click on each charities name above to view their Charity Navigator ratings report and then click on the “Donate Now” button to make a contribution through Network For Good. Continue to check Charity Navigator for up-to-date information on which charities are involved in the relief effort and how you can help. Also, consult our “Tips for Giving in Times of Crisis” for more information about maximizing the impact of your donation.