July 25, 2007 | Read Time: 1 minute
In a sign that nonprofit groups need to watch out for organizations with similar sounding names in the age of bloggers, a Canadian foundation was the subject of mistaken identity this month.
Meryl Yourish, a Web designer in New Jersey, raised questions on her blog about the Elders — a new coalition of high-profile philanthropists and former politicians — because it receives support from the “Bridgeway Foundation,” a Christian evangelical fund in Cambridge, Ontario.
One problem though — Canada’s Bridgeway Foundation does not give money to the Elders. On his blog, Open Hands, Bridgeway’s executive director, Mark Petersen, writes that while the Elders Web site lists the Bridgeway Foundation as a supporter, it is not the Canadian fund.
The actual fund supporting the Elders is the Bridgeway Charitable Foundation, in Houston.
Ms. Yourish has corrected her mistake.
Read The Chronicle‘s article about the challenges posed by similar sounding nonprofit names.
Have other nonprofit groups been mistaken for other organizations? What are charities and foundations doing to prevent this? Share your ideas by clicking on the comments link below.
