News Briefs for May 22, 2014

NAACP CUTS STAFF; L.A. OFFICE HEAD STEPS DOWNOVER RELATIONSHIP WITH NBA CLIPPERS OWNER

The NAACP will lay off 7 percent of its national staff to address financial concerns as it continues to search for a new president to replace Benjamin Jealous. Meanwhile, the president of the group’s Los Angeles chapter, Leon Jenkins, has resigned in light of the organization’s controversial relationship with Donald Sterling, owner of the NBA Clippers. The chapter honored Mr. Sterling with an award in 2009 and had been planning to give him a second award until derogatory race-related comments by Mr. Sterling surfaced recently.

STUDY FAULTS HIGH-PROFILE RESEARCH GROUPSFOR FAILING TO DISCLOSE FUNDING SOURCES

Prominent research and policy organizations on both sides of the political spectrum got low marks for transparency in a first-of-its-kind review of their disclosure of funding sources. Groups such as the Hoover Institution, the Center for American Progress, and the Center for Strategic and International Studies received one star out of five in the survey by Transparify, a nonprofit supported by Open Society Foundations. The Brookings Institution and the Heritage Foundation fared better, with four stars for disclosing donors who give more than $5,000.

7 MORE PHILANTHROPISTS SIGN GIVING PLEDGE

Sheryl Sandberg, the chief operating officer of Facebook, and her husband, Dave Goldberg, are two of seven philanthropists who recently signed the Giving Pledge, the effort by Warren Buffett and Bill and Melinda Gates to encourage the wealthy to give at least half of their fortunes to charity. The other new signers were Ann Gloag, a co-founder of the international transport company Stagecoach; Paul Orfalea, the founder of Kinko’s, and his wife, Natalie; and Craig Silverstein, Google’s first employee, and his wife, Mary Obelnicki. The pledge has now been signed by 127 individuals and families.

HOUSE REVIVES WOMEN’S HISTORY MUSEUM PLANS

The House of Representatives has revived efforts to erect a National Women’s History Museum in Washington, approving by a 383-33 vote plans to study the project’s feasibility. The bill would establish a commission to study potential sites on or near the National Mall. Similar legislation is pending in the Senate. The measure would prohibit federal funding for the facility, a break from previous versions of the bill.

CROWDFUNDING EVENT RAISES $50-MILLION

More than 300,000 donors gave more than $50-million to charities in their communities on May 6 during Give Local America, a crowdfunding event organized by Kimbia, a company that provides technology for online fundraising. The event, designed to showcase the role of community foundations in philanthropy, saw donors give an average of about $113.

NEW WEBSITE WILL CRITIQUE FOUNDATIONS

The National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy has launched Philamplify, a new website that gives users a platform to provide feedback about grant-making organizations. The site will include reports about foundations and their work compiled from existing research data and invite site visitors to offer commentary and participate in polls. Officials of the group said they started the site to provide a place where foundations can learn from one another.

CALIFORNIA BILL BOOSTS POLITICKING DISCLOSURE

The California Senate has approved legislation that would require politically active nonprofit groups to disclose the sources of big contributions to state campaigns. The bill was approved by the State Assembly and now goes to Gov. Jerry Brown for consideration. If enacted, it would force an organization to reveal donor data if it spends or contributes at least $50,000 in one year or more than $100,000 over four consecutive years on California campaigns.

STANFORD UNIVERSITY TO DIVEST COAL STOCKS

Stanford University has announced it will purge its $18.7-billion endowment of stock in coal-mining businesses, becoming the first major university to back a nationwide push to curb universities’ investments in fossil fuels. The university said coal’s role in climate change persuaded trustees to drop stock in about 100 firms that derive most of their revenue from coal extraction.