Judge Rejects Ala. Bid to Cut Off Planned Parenthood Funding
Following similar rulings in Louisiana and Utah, a U.S. District Court judge in Alabama ordered the state to restore Medicaid money for Planned Parenthood clinics, saying Gov. Robert Bentley’s attempt to do so would likely violate federal rules, reports the Los Angeles Times.
After Post-Sandy Surge, Giving to Red Cross Drops 32%
Donations to the American Red Cross fell from nearly $1.1 billion in 2013 to $734.6 million last year, the Associated Press reports, citing The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s latest Philanthropy 400 ranking of the biggest U.S. nonprofits.
Clinton Foundation Says Donations Are Up for 2015
Pushing back against suggestions that it has been hurt by scrutiny associated with Hillary Clinton’s run for the presidency, the foundation announced Thursday that it raised more money in the first nine months of this year than during the same period in 2014, writes The Washington Post.
Big Nonprofits Capture Increasing Share of Charitable Dollar
The Chronicle’s exclusive annual ranking of the organizations that raised the most private support, which turns 25 this year, shows that upstarts have a hard time breaking into the top tier.
By Drew Lindsay
Senior Editor, Special Projects
Report: U.S. Used Christian Aid Group for N. Korea Espionage
The Defense Department used Humanitarian International Services Group as a front to spy on North Korea for nearly a decade as part of a highly classified intelligence program, according to investigative news website The Intercept.
Pope’s U.S. Visit Was a ‘Shot in the Arm’ for Catholic Charities, Says Group’s Leader
Sister Donna Markham, the head of Catholic Charities USA, tells The Wall Street Journal she is hoping to build on the momentum created by Pope Francis’s recent visit to further serve the poor.
Carson’s Claim That 9 in 10 Nonprofits Fail Is Unfounded
The Washington Post and Factcheck.org are unable to find IRS data to support the statistic on nonprofit failures frequently cited by the Republican presidential contender.
Bias and Funding Struggles Stall Plan for Calif. Mental-Health Residence
A nonprofit raised $600,000 to build a residential treatment center in Contra Costa County, but neighbors worried that the patients would pose danger and that property values would decline, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Weills Pull $20-Million Gift After Court Denies College Renaming
Paul Smith’s College officials said billionaire philanthropists Joan and Sanford Weill withdrew their donation after a judge rejected their condition that Ms. Weill be added to the institution’s name, reports The New York Times.
Texas Investigators Demand Planned Parenthood Clinic Records
Three days after taking steps to cut off government funding for Texas Planned Parenthood affiliates, state health investigators served orders Thursday for years of patient records, staff addresses, and other documents from the women’s health organization, The Washington Post and the Austin American-Statesman report.
Appeals Court Says L.A. Can Audit Union-Linked Nonprofits
Los Angeles officials won long-sought legal authority Thursday to fully comb the books of controversial nonprofits co-run by the city’s Department of Water and Power and the union representing much of its workforce, reports the Los Angeles Times.
Foundations and Endowments Eye Private-Equity Co-Investments
Nonprofit institutional investors are increasingly weighing investment deals in which they put up money alongside a private equity firm rather than simply committing more money to that firm’s equity funds, The New York Times writes, citing a study by Boston investment consulting firm NEPC.
N.D. College Replaces Foundation Mired in Financial Woes
Dickinson State University has formed a new nonprofit alumni and fundraising affiliate pending the state-ordered dissolution of its former foundation, the Grand Forks Herald reports.
Early Berkshire Investors Produce Windfall for Neb. Charities
Schools, hospitals, and other nonprofits in Nebraska have been major beneficiaries of the largely local investors who parlayed early stakes in Warren Buffett’s Omaha-based Berkshire Hathaway into multimillion- and even billion-dollar fortunes, writes The Wall Street Journal.
Minn. Make-a-Wish Parts With Car-Donation Group Facing Inquiry
The Minnesota chapter of the children’s charity said it has severed ties with a national vehicle-donation nonprofit, the finances and solicitation practices of which are under investigation by state authorities, the Associated Press reports.
Singapore Clergyman Convicted in $36-Million Fund Diversion
Kong Hee, the founder and pastor of Singapore’s City Harvest Church, was found guilty Wednesday of conspiring with others to steer charity funds to support his wife’s career as a pop singer, Bloomberg Business writes.