Exploring Foundation Financial Investments in Nonprofit Capacity Building

Provides statistics related to the nature and characteristics of foundation financial investments, based on recent surveys. Includes recommendations for future actions, and bibliographical references

Donor Advisors and Philanthropic Strategy

Based on a literature review and interviews, explores how donor advisors shape the philanthropic strategies of the wealthy. Looks at the key activities and elements of effective advising, the need for training, and the potential for collaboration

Peer Networking and Community Change: Experiences of the Annie E. Casey Foundation

Presents findings on how peer networking -- problem-solving and decision-making through interaction among equals -- supported Casey's goals of effective community change and philanthropic practice. Discusses best practices and challenges

Building Capacity in Nonprofit Organizations

Offers a capacity building model that is based on a review of civil society, sustainable development, and organizational management literature. Reviews effective capacity building programs sponsored or operated by foundations. Includes recommendations

Promoting Philanthropy: Global Challenges and Approaches

Philanthropy promotion has become a subject of increasing interest within civil society over the last two decades. This paper tackles questions concerning the emergence of a more effective strategic philanthropy, identifying challenges to better philanthropy and possible strategies to address them, ongoing approaches and innovative models. It focuses on adapting philanthropy strategies to various countries, cultures, and contexts

Design of the Resistance and Endurance exercise After ChemoTherapy (REACT) study: A randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of exercise interventions after chemotherapy on physical fitness and fatigue

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Preliminary studies suggest that physical exercise interventions can improve physical fitness, fatigue and quality of life in cancer patients after completion of chemotherapy. Additional research is needed to rigorously test the effects of exercise programmes among cancer patients and to determine optimal training intensity accordingly. The present paper presents the design of a randomized controlled trial evaluating the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a high intensity exercise programme compared to a low-to-moderate intensity exercise programme and a waiting list control group on physical fitness and fatigue as primary outcomes.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>After baseline measurements, cancer patients who completed chemotherapy are randomly assigned to either a 12-week high intensity exercise programme or a low-to-moderate intensity exercise programme. Next, patients from both groups are randomly assigned to immediate training or a waiting list (i.e. waiting list control group). After 12 weeks, patients of the waiting list control group start with the exercise programme they have been allocated to.</p> <p>Both interventions consist of equal bouts of resistance and endurance interval exercises with the same frequency and duration, but differ in training intensity. Additionally, patients of both exercise programmes are counselled to improve compliance and achieve and maintain an active lifestyle, tailored to their individual preferences and capabilities.</p> <p>Measurements will be performed at baseline (t = 0), 12 weeks after randomization (t = 1), and 64 weeks after randomization (t = 2). The primary outcome measures are cardiorespiratory fitness and muscle strength assessed by means of objective performance indicators, and self-reported fatigue. Secondary outcome measures include health-related quality of life, self-reported physical activity, daily functioning, body composition, mood and sleep disturbances, and return to work. In addition, compliance and satisfaction with the interventions will be evaluated. Potential moderation by pre- and post-illness lifestyle, health and exercise-related attitudes, beliefs and motivation will also be assessed. Finally, the cost-effectiveness of both exercise interventions will be evaluated.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>This randomized controlled trial will be a rigorous test of effects of exercise programmes for cancer patients after chemotherapy, aiming to contribute to evidence-based practice in cancer rehabilitation programmes.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>This study is registered at the Netherlands Trial Register (NTR2153)</p

Comparative study of deuterium retention and vacancy content of self-ion irradiated tungsten

Self-ion irradiation of pure tungsten with 2 MeV W ions provides a way of simulating microstructures generated by neutron irradiation in tungsten components of a fusion reactor. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has been used to characterize defects formed in tungsten samples by ion irradiation. It was found that tungsten irradiated to 0.85 dpa at relatively low temperatures develops a characteristic microstructure dominated by dislocation loops and black dots. The density and size distribution of these defects were estimated. Some of the samples exposed to self-ion irradiation were then implanted with deuterium. Thermal Desorption Spectrometry (TDS) analysis was performed to estimate the deuterium inventory as a function of irradiation damage and deuterium release as a function of temperature. Increase of inventory with increasing irradiation dose followed by slight decrease above 0.1 dpa was found. Application of Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy (PAS) to self-irradiated but not deuterium implanted samples enabled an assessment of the density of irradiation defects as a function of exposure to highenergy ions. The PAS results show that the density of defects saturates at doses in the interval from 0.085 to 0.425 displacements per atom (dpa). These results are discussed in the context of recent theoretical simulations exhibiting the saturation of defect microstructure in the high irradiation exposure limit. The saturation of damage found in PAS agrees with the simulation data described in the paper. (c) 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ )Peer reviewe

Much Ado About Nothing: Several Large-Area Surveys for Radio Pulsars From Arecibo

We report surveyed regions and flux limits for several large-area surveys at 430 MHz for radio pulsars using the 305 m reflector at Arecibo, Puerto Rico. The surveys used integration times between 8 and 67 s and covered a total area of ~515 square degrees. No previously undiscovered pulsars were detected in these regions, although all previously known pulsars were detected. The nondetection of new pulsars places constraints on the population of low-luminosity pulsars and must be taken into account in estimates of the local density of millisecond pulsars