The Foundation's Trustees have set this working budget while negotiations about the future of Northern Rock plc continue. During 2008, the Foundation's Trustees will keep their priorities and budgets under review and will aim to make decisions about their longer-term plans once the negotiations on Northern Rock plc's future are resolved.

The trustees of the Northern Rock Foundation (UK) have set an initial grants budget for 2008 of $14m (£7m) to support work with the following groups.
• Older people.
• People with mental health problems.
• People with and learning disabilities
• Disadvantaged young people.
• People trying to overcome homelessness or addictions.
• Victims of domestic abuse, sexual violence and sexual exploitation.

For more information visit www.nr-foundation.org.uk

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An ambitious effort to draw more donors to online giving and promote wide-scale philanthropy will start today with the support of the founder of America Online and the popular social-networking Web site Facebook, reports The Washington Post.
The Case Foundation is promoting America’s Giving Challenge, which aims to draw people who do not consider themselves to be philanthropists to donate as little as $10 (£5) to charities around the world. The foundation is working with Network for Good and GlobalGiving, nonprofit groups that allow donors to conduct online searches for charities to support.
The foundation has also begun a similar challenge on Facebook. Facebook users can donate to any of $1.5 (£750,000) million charities through the site’s “causes” section and have their donations and causes displayed as part of their personal profiles.
The Case Foundation is giving away $750,000 (£325,000) in the two online efforts, which start today and end January 31. People who recruit the most friends from their social networks will each receive $50,000 (£25,000) to donate to charity. The 100 charities that gather the highest number of online donations will each get $1,000 (£500).

Reuters Foundation is accepting applications for fellowships to study at the Reuters Institute for Journalism at Oxford University in the UK. Deadline: January 30.
Journalists with at least five years experience working for any media outlet in any country are eligible to apply. Selected fellows will spend either three, six or nine months studying their proposed topic at the Institute. Fellowships include round-trip airfare, accommodation and a modest living allowance. Some additional funding opportunities are available for journalists from particular regions and countries. For more information or to download an application

From 2003 to 2006, mainland China's five most generous individuals gave at least $640 (£320) million to charitable causes. Perhaps the best known philanthropist is East Asia's wealthiest man, Li Ka-shing. He has dontated more than $1 billion during the past four decades in hopes of inspiring a "culture of giving" among Chinese.
The rise of Chinese giving has piqued the interest of American fund raisers. While almost all foreign charities are barred from soliciting within mainland China, U.S universities and other large nonprofit institutions are seeking out opportunities to inspire Mr. Li and other tycoons to support their work.
The Ministry of Civil Affairs requires charities to be sponsored by a different government agency to apply for nonprofit status. The regulation, known informally as the "mother-in-law rule", often serves as a barrier to receiving state recognition. However, Red tape is not the only obstacle facing philanthropy in China. Other problems include the lack of public information about nonprofit groups, the perception that some donations are bribes to government employees, and the view that wealthy individuals make gifts to benefit their business interests.
Despite these challenges, the Asian nation's economic success and emerging status as a global superpower mean it will have a huge influence on the nonprofit world.
Source: Chronicle of Philanthropy

Profiles of over 900 Independent grantmakers.
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In the weeks since YouTube announced that it had created the channel, officials say it received applications from hundreds of nonprofit groups interested in creating their own YouTube video sites. But while video is being hailed as a way for charities to personalize their causes more effectively than ever before, some communications experts worry that a rush into online video is not going to bring the results many expect, especially for some fundraisers.
Through the YouTube program, charities are eligible to get a "premium channel" on the site that can be used as a central clearinghouse for uploaded videos. Nonproft groups will also have the ability to attach a Google CheckOut donation button to their video pages to allow viewers to make donations. This arrangement gives even the smallest charities the opportunity to create video spots that can be seen by an unlimited audience.