Nonprofit Breast-Milk Banks Fight Emerging Commercial Market
Nonprofit and for-profit breast-milk banks are jostling for dominance of a market poised to grow to meet demand from hospitals and neonatal care facilities, the Associated Press writes.
Russian Science Foundation Closes Over ‘Foreign Agent’ Law
Russian mogul Dmitry Zimin has followed through on a threat to shutter his science charity, the Dynasty Foundation, rather than accede to a Kremlin demand that it register as a foreign agent, The Guardian and Nature write.
MacArthur, Mott, and Open Society Foundations Are Under Scrutiny in Russia
The three are on a list of a dozen organizations that Putin is sending to Russian officials to determine whether they pose a threat to the country.
By Alex Daniels
Contributor
Should the Next Independent Sector CEO Be a Superstar Lobbyist or a Tech Geek?
Some nonprofit leaders want an unconventional choice who can rally Silicon billionaires, financial companies, and more.
By Alex Daniels
Senior Editor, Foundations
L.A. Charity Heads Charged With $8.5-Million Fraud
Three leaders of a nonprofit serving Latino women have been accused of participating in a “billing scam” that diverted millions of dollars in taxpayer funds to personal use, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Former N.C. Legislator Gets 2 Years for Nonprofit Theft
Ex-state representative Stephen LaRoque was sentenced Wednesday to two years in prison for stealing $150,000 from a federally backed small-business nonprofit he founded and led, reports the Associated Press.
Kan. Order Shields Faith Groups Objecting to Gay Marriage
Governor Sam Brownback issued an executive order Tuesday barring Kansas from withdrawing tax exemptions or otherwise penalizing religious nonprofits that refuse to recognize same-sex marriages or provide services to gay couples, The Washington Post reports.
Tenn. Investigates Nonprofit Linked to ‘Sham’ Cancer Groups
The Tennessee secretary of state’s office is investigating a Knoxville cancer organization with family ties to four charities accused by regulators nationwide of bilking donors of $187 million, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Major U.K. Charities Investigated for Phone Fundraising
Britain’s data and privacy regulator is investigating four of the country’s most prominent charities following allegations that they cold-called people registered with an official opt-out list for phone solicitations, including Alzheimer’s and dementia sufferers, the BBC reports.
Carnival Adds Cuba Cruises for Socially Conscious Travelers
Cruise company Carnival has received permission from the U.S. government to begin offering trips to Cuba under the aegis of its new line catering to passengers with a social agenda, Bloomberg and USA Today report.
Rubio-Aligned Nonprofit Plans $20-Million Advertising Blitz
The Conservative Solutions Project, a 501(c)(4) “social welfare” group formed last year by supporters of Sen. Marco Rubio’s presidential bid, said it has raised $15.8 million to date and will spend $20 million or more on issue advertising, reports The New York Times.
N.Y. Shuts Down ‘Pay for Success’ Recidivism Program
New York City’s first attempt to implement a social program via the “pay for success” model failed to meet performance goals but was nonetheless hailed by officials because the experiment cost taxpayers nothing, writes The Bond Buyer, which covers municipal finance.
IRS Standing Down for 2016 as Nonprofits Boost Campaign Role
As “social welfare” groups aligned with presidential candidates proliferate, the Internal Revenue Service appears certain to delay any attempt to tighten regulations on nonprofit politicking until after the 2016 election, according to The New York Times.
2014 Calif. Audit Blasted Blue Shield for $4 Billion Surplus
The revocation last year of Blue Shield of California’s state tax exemption came on the heels of a blistering audit by state tax officials who assailed the nonprofit health insurer’s provision of coverage and multibillion-dollar cash stockpile, the Los Angeles Times writes.
Nonprofit Coalition to Press Presidential Contenders to Protect Charitable Deduction
The Charitable Giving Coalition, a group of 44 nonprofits, says the charitable deduction is unique among tax incentives, because it “promotes a selfless act.”
By Alex Daniels
Senior Editor, Foundations
L.A. Charities Get Minimum-Wage Break for Trainee Workers
The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to exempt three area nonprofits that help “transitional workers” enter the labor force from paying such trainees the city’s increased minimum wage, public radio station KPCC reports.