When in NY, Go To Divya’s Kitchen
New York is a culinary destination for everyone including the plant-based devotee whose toughest decision may very well be where to eat (this hasn’t always been the case for vegans). There’s fast food (By Chloe, Beyond Sushi, Plantmade, Peacefood, Cinnamon Snail at the Pennsy, Superiority Burger), fancy food (Dovetail, abcV), pizza (Double Zero), really good food (Candle Cafe, Candle 79, Candle West, Dirt Candy, Blossom, Franchia, Bodhi, The Organic Grill, Nix, Avant Garden, Urban Vegan Kitchen, Arata) and then there is Divya’s Kitchen – an East Village restaurant that is technically vegetarian although most of the selections are deliriously delicious plant-based.
Divya’s Kitchen is well-known for its culinary creations, but there is also the ambiance, and a special something for which there isn’t a word – casual and comfortable but also elegant in a Provence type of way – that makes Divya’s Kitchen my favorite place to eat in New York. Read more 
Executive Compensation at Princeton
With all the talk about how much it costs for a college education (about $250,000 for 4 years of tuition, room, and board at the top ranked private universities including Princeton University), it seems only natural that people would start asking why a 4-year degree costs so much? The answer isn’t as complicated as some people want you to think.
In the most simplistic terms, the answer is: you’re supporting a huge education machine where, in the case of Princeton, half of the total expenses ($920 million of the $1.8 billion in expenses (not including depreciation) are compensation-related costs for the 14,331 employees in 2016 (an average of $64,000 each). The next largest expense categories were grants (primarily to domestic individuals for undergrad scholarships and graduate fellowships) which totaled $320 million and office-related expenses (office, occupancy, IT, insurance) which came to $195 million, and interest ($143 million). Read more
10 Tips to Make Plant-Based Meals Better
Switching from a Standard American Diet (SAD) and/or a diet high in animal products – where milk, butter, cheese, meat, chicken, poultry, pork, fish, processed drinks and foods high in added fats and sugar are center stage – to a plant-based diet is difficult because if you’re not used to eating a diet high in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, and seeds, then the food won’t seem satisfying or tasty at first (but within a few weeks, your taste buds adjust). So, the best way to make a successful transition is to make small changes that include the following tips: Read more
Executive Compensation at the American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society (ACS) was established in 1922 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, although there are 11 geographic divisions. As one of the most recognized non-profits in the country, generating more than $800 million a year and with $1.1 billion (!) in net fund assets, the ACS focuses on making research grants (about $170 million annually or 20% of revenue), providing patient support, prevention programs and education along with disseminating information.
To accomplish the above, ACS reported having 6,679 employees in 2016 at a total compensation cost of $455 million (which equates to an average of $68,000 each). 368 individuals received more than $100,000 in compensation with the 12 most highly compensated individuals listed below: Read more
Best Bagels in NY: Tompkins Square Bagels
Everyone in New York and beyond has an opinion about bagels so I’m just going to put my two cents out there. Tompkins Square Bagels makes the best bagels, period. A great bagel has to be big and round, golden brown and slightly crispy on the outside and doughy on the inside – and that’s what Thompkins Square Bagels are.
With two locations (the original location at 165 Avenue A by Tompkins Square Park and 184 2nd Avenue between 11th and 12th Street) in the East Village, Tompkins Square Bagels is a neighborhood bagel shop but also a destination spot for many New Yorkers who know a good bagel when they taste one. Read more
The House on Mango Street
People who live on hills sleep so close to the stars they forget those of us who live too much on earth.
In 1984, Sandra Cisneros – a woman who “dreamed about having a silent home, just to herself, the way other women dreamed of their weddings” – was a 30-year-old Mexican American writer (having earned a BA in English from Loyola University and a Masters of Fine Arts from Iowa Writers’ Workshop at the University of Iowa) published her first book, The House on Mango Street: the story of a young Hispanic girl named Esperanza Cordero growing up on the west side of Chicago. Read more
Executive Compensation at Harvard
Harvard University (Harvard) is one of the most well-respected institutions of higher learning in the United States and consequently, a popular choice among prospective students. With a 5% acceptance rate (40,000 students apply annually and only about 2,000 are accepted), Harvard is also one of the most competitive undergraduate schools in the country even though the cost to attend is about $65,000 annually ($45,000 for tuition and $20,000 for room, board, and fees).
Harvard is a 501 (c) (3) whose legal name is President and Fellows of Harvard College. There is also Harvard Management Company, Inc. (HMC) – a 501 (c) (3) – whose mission is to provide investment management services to Harvard (managing the $41.9 billion in net fund assets). Both of these organizations are key to understanding the financial aspects of what most people think of as “Harvard.” Read more
Executive Compensation at the V Foundation and Don’t Ever Give Up, Inc.
The V Foundation and Don’t Ever Give Up, Inc. are two separate non-profit 501 (c) (3)’s that can be best described as follows:
V Foundation: Formed in 1993 by Jim Valvano to raise money to fund cancer research; and
Don’t Ever Give Up, Inc.: Formed in 2015 to raise funds for the V Foundation, this organization is the fundraising support arm for the V Foundation.
Although both organizations are separate non-profits,they are related because one exists (Don’t Ever Give Up, Inc.) to support the other (V Foundation). Both organizations operate out of the same office (14600 Weston Parkway) in Cary, NC. Although Don’t Ever Give Up, Inc. reports having no employees, they have compensation related costs because they utilize staff of the V Foundation and reimburse the organization for those costs along with office related and other expenses. Read more
Where Does $100 to the V Foundation Go?
The V Foundation was founded by Jim Valvano, the legendary basketball coach who died in 1993 when he was 47 years old. Based in Cary, North Carolina, the V Foundation was established to raise funds for cancer research so the organization engages in primarily two functions: fundraising and awarding grants. However, it is also important to note that an affiliate organization – Don’t Ever Give Up, Inc. – a non-profit 501 (c) (3) – that operates out of the same office – exists to raise funds for the V Foundation.
It is unclear why Don’t Ever Give Up, Inc. was established (in 2015) to raise funds when one of the two purposes of the V Foundation is to raise funds. Sometimes non-profits form an affiliate organization to focus solely on fundraising so that the primary organization’s fundraising costs appear lower than what they actually are. To fully understand the V Foundation, it is necessary to look at the IRS Form 990’s of BOTH organizations. If both organizations were considered collectively (since Don’t Ever Give Up, Inc. exists to support the V Foundation), then a more accurate picture of revenue and expenses are revealed. Read more
Executive Compensation at the Breast Cancer Research Foundation
The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) is primarily engaged in raising funds and making grants to further medical research to prevent and cure breast cancer. With 51 employees, BCRF is based in New York City. In 2017, the organization raised $73 million and awarded $59 million in grants, which is about 80% of revenue. BCRF has about $22 million in net fund assets, most of which is unrestricted.
Total compensation-related costs were $6.7 million for the 51 employees, which equates to about $131,000 each. However, 14 individuals received more than $100,000 in total compensation with the most highly compensated individuals listed below: Read more
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