Role of Donor-Advised Funds Prompts Heated Debate
Scholars, lawyers, and nonprofit leaders are divided on whether the federal government should do more to regulate how the fast-growing funds operate.
By Alex Daniels
Contributor
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.
U. of Miami Sues Estate Over Unpaid $3-Million Bequest
The university claims it is owed millions in promised gifts by the estate of Marian Dunlap, a key donor to its marine-research work who died earlier this year, writes Miami New Times.
Gates and Slim Funds Step Up Mesoamerica Health Effort
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Carlos Slim Foundation are preparing to launch the second phase of a cooperative, $170-million program to improve newborn and maternal health in Mexico and Central America, Reuters writes.
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.
U.K. Muslim Group and Charity Watchdog Settle Donations Case
Human rights group Cage withdrew its legal case against Britain’s Charity Commission after the regulatory body agreed not to restrict nonprofits’ ability to donate to the controversial Islamic organization, The Guardian and the BBC report.
Campaign Watchdog Targets Nonprofit’s Ads Featuring Rubio
In a complaint filed Tuesday with the Internal Revenue Service, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington accuses the Conservative Solutions Project, a 501(c)(4) group, of violating restrictions regarding nonprofits explicitly backing political candidates, The Wall Street Journal reports.
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.
British Data Chief Says Big Charities Ignored Law on Donor Information
The British government’s top data-protection watchdog said Tuesday that major nonprofits viewed themselves as “above the law” regarding restrictions on buying and selling donors’ personal data, The Telegraph reports.
Texas Moves to Strip Planned Parenthood Medicaid Funding
Citing secretly shot videos purporting to show that Planned Parenthood traffics in fetal organs, Texas officials moved Monday to cut off state-administered Medicaid funds to the women’s-health group, The Dallas Morning News and USA Today report.
Judge: La. Must Pay Planned Parenthood at Least 2 More Weeks
A federal judge in Baton Rouge ordered Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration to delay its planned cutoff of Medicaid money for the women’s-health group and cast doubt on state officials’ legal rationales for the move, reports Bloomberg Business.
Medical Charity’s Head Says Hospital Strike Was No Mistake
Christopher Stokes, the general director of Doctors Without Borders, tells the Associated Press he does not believe a U.S. warplane bombed the global medical charity’s hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan, by mistake on October 3, as the Pentagon asserts.
Clinton Foundation in Rwanda: Human Progress, Messy Politics
The New York Times takes a close look at the Clinton Foundation’s deep ties to postgenocide Rwanda, a relationship the newspaper says represents a microcosm of the charity’s global presence and the delicate politics that accompany its cooperation with foreign leaders.