How a Strategy for Spreading Programs Lost Its Sizzle — and Got It Back
Overshadowed in recent years by strategies that emphasize data and outcomes, “scaling up” is returning to favor.
By Ben Gose
Senior Editor
Gift Deal to Rename George Mason U. Law School for Scalia
The Northern Virginia institution’s law school received $10 million from the Charles Koch Foundation and $20 million from an anonymous donor who stipulated that it be named for the late Supreme Court justice, Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal report.
Seattle Charity Says Debt Forcing Shutdown of Shelters
Seattle Housing and Resource Effort, known as Share, said it is some $70,000 in the red and needs additional city and King County funding to keep operating its 15 overnight shelters, The Seattle Times and local weekly The Stranger report.
Sham Cancer Groups Agree to Dissolve in Federal Settlement
The Cancer Fund of America and Cancer Support Services were accused by the Federal Trade Commission and attorneys general from all 50 states of misusing tens of millions of dollars raised through deceptive solicitations, writes The Washington Post.
Wounded Warrior Project Founder Seeking Board Chair’s Ouster
Reeling from allegations of lavish spending on travel, parties, and executive pay, the Wounded Warrior Project is now undergoing a power struggle between its original leader and the board chairman serving as interim CEO, according to CBS News.
Charities Say Cautious Banks Hindering Syrian Refugee Aid
Regulatory crackdowns on potential terrorism-funding channels are restricting humanitarian groups’ ability to get help to refugees and others affected by conflicts in the Middle East, The Wall Street Journal writes.
Nonprofit Associated With McCain Got $1 Million Saudi Gift
Ethics watchdog Public Citizen says the donation from Riyadh to a policy institute with ties to the Arizona senator reflects a trend exacerbated by the Clinton Foundation’s fundraising from foreign governments, Bloomberg writes.
Nonprofit Experts Fear Dan Pallotta’s Efforts to Defend Charities’ Spending
The Charity Defense Council has been standing up for the Wounded Warrior Project and tangling with a powerful senator, leaving some to worry that its founder is doing more harm than good.
By Eden Stiffman
Senior Editor
Fund Chief’s Charity Says It Was Victim of $25 Million Fraud
Finance billionaire Louis Bacon’s Moore Charitable Foundation said Tuesday that it was the charity allegedly victimized in what authorities say was an investment fraud orchestrated by another Wall Street executive, The New York Times reports.
Maryland Lawmakers OK State Funds for Private Schools
After a 10-year legislative battle over taxpayer support for nonpublic schools, Maryland’s legislature approved a state budget Tuesday that includes a new $5 million grant fund for private-school scholarships, The Washington Post reports.
‘Real Housewives’ Star’s Charity Raises and Spends Little
The youth-focused foundation run by Katie Rost, a model-turned-philanthropist featured in reality show The Real Housewives of Potomac, is “almost nonfunctional” and has granted only a few thousand dollars in its decade of existence, The Washington Post writes.
Wall St. Scion Accused of Stealing $25 Million From Charity
Prosecutors allege Andrew Caspersen, a former managing partner at a private-equity firm, schemed to defraud investors of $95 million, more than a quarter of it from an unnamed charitable organization, The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg report.
Foundation Center Lays Off 14% of Staff as It Moves to Give Grant Seekers More Data Faster
New data systems are allowing the center to vastly increase the speed and volume of information on what foundations and corporations support.
By Megan O’Neil
Contributor
Fundraising Group for N.Y. Schools Installs New Director
Three and half months after the executive director of the Fund for Public Schools abruptly stepped down, the education nonprofit named former Rockefeller Foundation official Sarah Troup Geisenheimer to the post, reports The Wall Street Journal.
Charity Navigator Seeks Feedback Ahead of Changes to Financial Ratings
The watchdog group is asking the more than 8,000 charities it rates to weigh in before finalizing its new criteria.
By Eden Stiffman
Senior Editor
Rockefeller Family Fund to Eliminate Fossil-Fuel Holdings
The charity founded by descendants of oil baron John D. Rockefeller announced Wednesday that it will fully divest from fossil fuels “as quickly as possible” and singled out ExxonMobil for stinging criticism over its handling of climate issues, Reuters and The Guardian write.