Welcome to JVA Consulting’s new blog! Each Monday, we will share with you the latest news in the nonprofit sector, as well as interesting headlines that affect the world we live and work in.

(Note: Some of the sources are subscription, so all links direct to the site’s homepage.)

New York Times, 12/9
Luxury tour companies are creating philanthropy-minded trips; e.g., trips to orphanages, schools, hospitals, wildlife centers, etc. Nonprofits are lining up to impress wealthy travelers in hopes of converting them to long-term donors.

JVA: Is this an important middle ground for folks who want to take philanthropic or mission-driven vacations but don’t want to stay in rugged conditions? Assuming you had the money to pay for it, would you consider it?

New York Times, 12/6
The teen birth rate has risen 3% in 2006, marking the first rise since 1991. The rates are up across all ethnicities except Asians. Unmarried childbearing also reached a record high in 2006 (38.5% of all births).

JVA: A lot of people are talking about this stat this week. Is abstinence education failing? Or is our safe sex education proving to be the one that’s ineffective? Or some of both?

Rocky Mountain News, 12/5
School report cards are out, and scores are virtually unchanged from last year (based on CSAP/ACT scores). Denver Public Schools shows strong improvement—14 schools improved and only one declined.

JVA: This is great news! Those working with DPS—Did you expect this kind of improvement? Have you seen these results firsthand?

Rocky Mountain News, 12/5
The Denver metro area is the least generous region in Colorado in terms of percentage of income donated to charity, according to the Colorado Nonprofit Association Giving Project.

JVA: Does this surprise you? Anger you? Why do we think people OUTSIDE our state’s most urban area are more inclined to give?

New York Times, 12/5
This year, holiday shoppers can buy online gift card donations to charitable organizations. Web sites such as Charitygiftcertificates.org, tisbest.org and networkforgood.org allow users to select the charity and give the card as a gift.

JVA: Would you give charity gift cards during the holidays? Do you think this trend will have a shelf life?

Education Week, 12/5
The Gates Foundation Education 2008 media campaign so far hasn’t gained traction in getting voters interested in education.

JVA: Did you know about this campaign? Why do you think it has so far been ineffective in getting education more prominently spotlighted on the campaign trail?

Denver Business Journal, 12/3
Minimum wage in Colorado will rise to $7.02 on Jan. 1, 2008. In addition, the minimum wage for tipped employees, such as servers in restaurants, will increase from $3.83 per hour to $4 per hour plus any tips.

JVA: Can anyone really make a living off $7/hour? Is the raise high enough? On the other hand, employers—is this causing financial challenges or layoffs?

Dallas Morning News, 12/2
Hispanic women have a higher incidence of aggressive forms of breast cancer. Research suggests it’s because they lack a receptor that aids treatment, requiring more aggressive treatment like chemotherapy.

JVA: Grim statistics like this one can be beneficial to obtaining funding—this one in particular should be of some help to health services that work with Latina populations.

New York Times, 12/1
More people in the United States are infected with HIV than previously thought (40,000 more).

JVA: Is this surprising? Expected? How can we reverse this trend of HIV/AIDS disappearing from our headlines?