House Votes to Defund Planned Parenthood; Senate OK Unlikely
Citing controversy over Planned Parenthood’s provision of fetal tissue for medical research, the House of Representatives voted largely along party lines Friday to block federal grants to the women’s health nonprofit for a year, but Senate Democrats have enough votes to block the measure in the upper chamber, the Associated Press reports.
Perelman’s Claims ‘Totally Untrue,’ Say Carnegie Hall Trustees
Five ranking members of Carnegie Hall’s board sent a letter to fellow trustees Friday refuting outgoing Chairman Ronald O. Perelman’s allegations of a lack of financial transparency and oversight at the storied New York venue, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal write.
Land Sale to D.C. Private School to Shutter Nursing Home
The Washington Home, a venerable nonprofit care facility for elderly, infirm, and low-income patients, will close by the end of next year with the sale of its property to the elite private Sidwell Friends School, The Washington Post reports.
Perelman to Vacate Carnegie Hall Chair Amid Oversight Clash
A day after circulating an email to Carnegie Hall board members raising questions about governance and financial transparency at the venerable New York venue, billionaire financier and donor Ronald O. Perelman said Thursday that he would not seek re-election as the panel’s chairman next month, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times write.
Calif. Regulators Tighten Rules on Nonprofit Politicking
The state’s campaign-finance watchdog office approved new requirements Thursday that effectively outlaw “dark money,” closing a potential loophole in previous legislation and regulatory moves to compel donor disclosure by nonprofits steering money into state races, reports the Los Angeles Times.
Big Gifts for U. of Wisconsin and Harvard
The University of Wisconsin-Madison announced a $22-million donation Thursday from the Grainger Foundation to boost tutoring and peer-to-peer learning opportunities for engineering students, the Wisconsin State Journal reports, and the research-focused Warren Alpert Foundation pledged $20 million Thursday to Harvard Medical School, Bloomberg writes.
Redskins Charity Cries Foul as Indian Rodeo Renounces Deal
The Indian National Finals Rodeo, one of America’s biggest sporting events for Native Americans, abruptly took a sponsorship deal with the Washington Redskins Original Americans Foundation off the table earlier this month, The Washington Post reports.
$13-Million Funding Round Backs Anti-Poverty Software Firm
A group of investors led by LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman is backing a startup that is developing software for nonprofits and government bodies running anti-poverty programs in developing countries, Bloomberg writes.
Fla. Man Admits $2-Million Theft From Medical Nonprofits
The former executive director of the American Registry of Pathology and treasurer of the International Registry of Pathology faces up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to diverting payments to the organizations into a personal account, the Associated Press reports.
New IRS Rule Likely to Make Impact Investing Easier
The agency offers guidance to grant makers just days before Kresge announces it will commit 10 percent of assets to social investing.
By Alex Daniels
Senior Editor, Foundations
Fraud Alert: Criminals Test Stolen Credit-Card Numbers on Charity Websites
Poorly protected donation pages are a favorite testing ground for cyber thieves, experts say. Credit-card companies put the burden on nonprofits to recoup the costs.
By Rebecca Koenig
Contributor
Clash Flares at Carnegie Hall Under New Chairman Perelman
Seven months into his tenure as chairman of Carnegie Hall’s board of trustees, the billionaire financier and philanthropist Ronald O. Perelman is raising claims of impropriety by the storied music venue’s executive director, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Detroit Museum Promotes From Within to Replace Longtime Head
The Detroit Institute of Arts announced the appointment Wednesday of Salvador Salort-Pons, the museum’s executive director of collection strategies and information, as its new director, president, and CEO, the Detroit Free Press and The Detroit News report.
With Focus on Fundraising, Met Opera Considers Naming Rights
As the Metropolitan Opera edges back into the black, General Manager Peter Gelb tells The New York Times that naming rights for the company’s internationally known opera house could be on the table as it seeks to boost fundraising.
Federal Inquiry Faults Red Cross Oversight, Calls for Audits
A report to be released Wednesday by the U.S. Government Accountability Office calls for “regular, external, independent” evaluations of the American Red Cross’s disaster-relief operations and spending, recommendations echoed in a new House bill, NPR reports.
L.A. County Rejects Nonprofit Exemption to Minimum-Wage Hike
County supervisors voted 3-2 Tuesday to approve the final language of legislation to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2021 after turning down proposals to exempt small nonprofits and those that run job-training programs, reports the Los Angeles Times.