NAACP’s Plan to Move to Nation’s Capital on Hold

The NAACP, the nation’s oldest civil-rights organization, has announced that its long-planned move from Baltimore to Washington is on hold due to financial problems, reports The Sun, in Baltimore.

In December, the District of Columbia City Council voted to provide $3.5-million to help the organization move to an office complex in the nation’s capital, but three weeks ago, the deal fell through.

The organization’s former president, Bruce S. Gordon, resigned in March, and the group is struggling to raise money and find a buyer for its Baltimore property. NAACP leaders told Washington Mayor Adrian M. Fenty that the group would not be able to afford the estimated $20-million move.

Julian Bond, the NAACP’s board chairman, said on Monday that the organization is still “adamant” about relocating to Washington, saying Washington’s proximity to power and politics is essential for the civil-rights group’s advocacy.

Read The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s article about Mr. Gordon’s resignation.

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