Ways to Work, Inc., the Milwaukee-based affordable loan and financial education organization, has secured more than $16 million in new financing to drive its expansion across the nation and more than double the size of its program network.

The beneficiaries of philanthropic dollars are holding their collective breath to see who else among their donors will be affected by the likes of a Madoff scandal. Betsy Brill of Strategic Philanthropy, Ltd. sheds light on a critical topic in 2009 via a handy Top 10 Due Diligence List donors should follow before making a charitable gift to an institution or organization:

More than half of charities across North America are raising less money during the 2008 holiday giving season (October through December) than they did last year, according to a survey by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP).

A new report released today has found that school districts across the country have experienced a significant spike in the number of homeless students. The report centers around a voluntary survey conducted during the fall of 2008 by the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth and First Focus.

Feeding America (formerly named America's Second Harvest), the nation's largest domestic hunger relief organization, announced today that the Bank of America Charitable Foundation has donated $1 million to help provide food and groceries to the dramatically increasing number of hungry people in the U.S.

For Chicagoans who want to make a difference in their communities, chicagotribune.com launches this week its Do Good channel, which enables visitors to participate in specific local causes by linking site content to information about nonprofit organizations and opportunities to donate time or money.

Kmart is pleased to announce an increase in its fundraising efforts for the fifth annual St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Thanks and Giving(R) campaign this holiday season. To date, Kmart has raised more than $3 million and is poised to raise more than $4 million this year to become one of the highest revenue generating partners for the campaign which asks consumers to "Give thanks for the healthy kids in your life, and give to those who are not."

Pacific Timesheet, a leading name in timesheet and time tracking systems, announced its providing eligible organizations free time tracking software systems with up to 10 user licenses.

USA Funds, the nation's leading education loan guarantor, announces that it is accepting applications online for up to $1 million in scholarships to assist college students from lower-income households through its USA Funds Access to Education Scholarships program.