Virginia Board Lets Scalia Law School Renaming Stand
In a unanimous vote Tuesday, the State Council of Higher Education said it does not have authority to weigh in on George Mason University’s plan to rename its law school for Antonin Scalia per the terms of a $20 million donation, reports the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
Facebook Arm’s Program Promotes Virtual Reality for a Cause
The VR for Good effort by Facebook-owned virtual-reality company Oculus is aimed in part at helping nonprofits showcase their social missions using 360-degree video technology, reports USA Today.
Growing Nonprofit Hospital Groups Reach Out to Investors
Big nonprofit health systems born of rapid consolidation in the industry are increasingly trying to sell themselves to investors to ensure they get the best rates when they borrow, writes The Wall Street Journal.
Foundations Show Signs of Moving Beyond ‘Overhead Myth’
New efforts aim to identify charity’s “true costs” and invest in the financial health of nonprofits.
By Drew Lindsay
Senior Editor, Special Projects
Mont. Lawmakers Question Naming Gift From Candidate for Governor
Democratic legislators contend an $8 million contribution that will rename Montana State University’s computer-science department is aimed at boosting the Republican donor’s gubernatorial campaign, the Great Falls Tribune reports.
$35 Million Gift Establishes Harvard Early-Childhood Program
The university’s Graduate School of Education will use the donation from the Saul Zaentz Charitable Foundation to launch an intensive effort to research and support early-childhood learning, Harvard Magazine writes.
Grants Roundup: Foundation Awards Boost News Outlets and Search for the Universe’s Origins
The MacArthur Foundation committed nearly $25 million to support nonprofit journalism groups, and two science-focused grant makers gave $40 million for a new observatory in the Chilean desert.
By Rebecca Koenig
Contributor
Report Examines Afghan Forces’ Role in Hospital Bombing
The New York Times Magazine delves into the U.S. airstrike that destroyed a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan, last October and whether hostility toward the medical charity on the Afghan military’s part was a contributing factor in the attack, which killed at least 42 people.
Sen. Grassley Questions Wounded Warrior’s Spending
After examining financial statements, the lawmaker said he had doubts about the organization’s assertion that it devotes 80 percent of expenses to programs.
By Timothy Sandoval
Contributor
Knight Foundation and Columbia U. Launch $60 Million Center to Defend 1st Amendment
The institute will work to protect free speech at a time when the influence of newspapers is waning.
By Alex Daniels
Contributor