Ruling Could Mean More Scrutiny by IRS
A recent ruling by the U.S. Tax Court that a charity’s outside fund-raising consultant could be considered an “insider” has given the Internal Revenue Service a new tool to go after charities in search of improprieties, a lawyer who represented the non-profit organization in the case told a meeting…
By Debra E. Blum and GRANT WILLIAMS
Treasury, Congress Review Donor Funds
Foundation leaders met last week with government officials to talk about reining in tax-exempt funds set up by for-profit companies. The foundation officials -- led by John A. Edie, senior vice-president of the Council on Foundations in Washington -- want Treasury officials and lawmakers to…
By Debra E. Blum and GRANT WILLIAMS
Pat Robertson’s Charity Pays Fine to IRS
The Christian Broadcasting Network has announced that it has agreed to pay a substantial penalty to the Internal Revenue Service and relinquish its tax-exempt status for 1986 and 1987, apparently because of political activity related to the failed 1988 Presidential bid of its founder, Pat…
By Debra E. Blum and GRANT WILLIAMS
The following awards have been presented for work in philanthropy, fund raising, volunteerism, and non-profit management: Dance. The American Dance Festival (Durham, N.C.) has announced the recipients of two new dance awards. The Doris Duke Awards for New Work went to the following choreographers:…
Court Finds Boy Scouts Exempt From California Civil-Rights Law
The Boy Scouts of America does not have to abide by California’s civil-rights law, the state’s Supreme Court has ruled in two unanimous decisions. The court found that the Boy Scouts is a private organization and therefore not bound by the law, which prohibits discrimination by business…
By DOMENICA MARCHETTI
Contributor
House Votes to Cut AmeriCorps Budget by 60%
The House of Representatives last week passed an emergency spending measure that would strip $250-million from the AmeriCorps national-service budget to help pay for disaster assistance and military missions in Bosnia and the Middle East. The cut would amount to about 60 per cent of AmeriCorps’…
By Jennifer Moore
Contributor
Debate on Campaign-Finance Bill Stirs Fears That Lawmakers Will Limit Charities’ Lobbying
Last week’s debate in the House of Representatives over campaign-finance legislation has rekindled fears among charity officials that Congress wants to curtail lobbying by non-profit organizations. And some experts worry that states, too, are trying to put a lid on charity lobbying. Until a few…
By Paul Demko
Contributor
On-Line Sources of Information About Lobbying Campaigns
Benton Foundation: Advocacy on the ‘Net http://www.benton.org/Practice/Best/advoc.html The Benton Foundation, an operating foundation in Washington, provides links to the Web sites of non-profit organizations that it thinks use the Internet effectively in their advocacy work, such as the Children’s…
By NICOLE WALLACE
Features Editor
The Internet lets activists reach around the world at little cost The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance faced its toughest battle ever when Congress was considering a bill to open up much of the state to road construction, mining, and other types of economic development that threatened to damage…
By Paul Demko
Contributor
Following are summaries of recent reports by the Council of Better Business Bureaus’ Philanthropic Advisory Service. The service reports on whether charities meet standards for fund raising, governance, financial management, and public information. The service cautions that it does not approve or…
American Association of School Librarians (Chicago): Appointed Sandra Hughes, director of the Philadelphia Library Power Project, to be deputy executive director, effective June 1. American Cancer Society-Westchester Division (White Plains, N.Y.): Appointed Rob Lucas, national account director at…
The following awards have been presented for work in philanthropy, fund raising, volunteerism, and non-profit management: AIDS. The American Foundation for AIDS Research (New York) has presented the following four awards: -- The Award of Distinction for Leadership in Corporate Philanthropy went to…
IRS Clarifies Stance on Charitable Trusts
The I.R.S. has released a notice that clarifies how payments from a charitable remainder trust should be taxed and distributed in light of changes made by the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997. A charitable remainder trust enables a donor to designate a gift to charity, take a tax deduction, and receive…
By Jennifer Moore
Contributor
Small Foundations to Get a Break from IRS Scrutiny
The Internal Revenue Service will not be spending a lot of time and money auditing small private foundations in the immediate future, according to Marc Owens, director of the I.R.S.'s Exempt Organizations Division. Mr. Owens, in a speech at Organization Management Inc.'s annual conference, said a…
By Jennifer Moore
Contributor
Lions Clubs, Jaycees Join Forces
Concern about a decline in memberships has prompted two prominent civic groups to collaborate. Lions Clubs International and Junior Chamber International -- whose members are also known as “Jaycees” -- plan to encourage their local chapters to work together on community-service projects, run joint…
Members of Congress Score Internet Group
The Schools & Libraries Corporation has come under fire from members of Congress who say the charity’s officials earn too much money and that the organization may have been set up improperly. The non-profit corporation was established last year by the Federal Communications Commission to administer…