IRS Releases Tax Forms of 9 Nonprofits in Computer-Readable Format
The federal government won’t appeal a court ruling that forced it to release the informational returns, a major victory for open-records activists.
By SUZANNE PERRY
Contributor
Companies Ramp Up Food Giving as Mass. Clamps Down on Waste
Hundreds of Massachusetts businesses and institutions are donating food that in the past would have gone into dumpsters or compost heaps as the state implements new restrictions aimed at reducing food waste and feeding the needy, reports The Boston Globe.
U.N. Report: Governments Failing to Harness Volunteer Power
While more than 1 billion people donate their time for causes worldwide, many governments are not tapping the potential of volunteers to boost development efforts and effect change on corruption, climate, and more, the Thomson Reuters Foundation reports.
Clinton Foundation Raised $26 Million Through Swedish Arm
The Stockholm-based affiliate raised millions of dollars for the foundation from donors in Sweden while that country’s government was urging the Hillary Clinton-led State Department to ease economic sanctions on Iran, according to The Washington Times.
U.S.-Cuba Thaw Is Making American Nonprofit Work on the Island Nation Easier
The easing of travel restrictions is amplifying interest in the country’s culture and health-care system and eliminating some hurdles for charities and foundations.
By Megan O’Neil
Contributor
IRS Grants Nonprofit Status to First Church of Cannabis
Donors to the church, which was formed in part to test the state’s new Religious Freedom Restoration Act, are now eligible to receive a deduction on their federal tax returns, The Indianapolis Star and USA Today report.
Maryland Offers Paid Leave to State Workers for Volunteering
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced a service effort Monday that will give state government employees four hours of paid leave to perform community work through the end of August, The Washington Post reports.
Los Angeles Nonprofits Fear Wage Hike Will Require Program Cuts
The city plans to raise the hourly minimum wage from $9 to $15 by 2020, The Los Angeles Times reports.
Sports Firm Buys Va. Site of Dormant Slavery Museum
A New Jersey company has purchased the 38-acre Fredericksburg, Va., property formerly intended as the site of the long-delayed United States National Slavery Museum, writes The Free-Lance Star of Fredericksburg.
Book on Hershey Trust Makes Clear Self-Regulation Doesn’t Work
An extensive investigation reveals a long-running pattern of ethically compromised decisions by charity, business, and government officials.
By MARK ROSENMAN
Contributor
Consumer Reports Drops 2 Publications After Mailing Costs Increase
ShopSmart magazine and the Money Adviser newsletter can’t survive online only, so they will cease to exist after the final issues go out this year, the publisher says.
By Holly Hall
Contributor
Opinion: 4 Steps to Better Charity Oversight
A New York Times opinion piece suggests four steps for better charity oversight and proposes a new federal bureau to police nonprofits.
Mich. Court Upholds State Limits on Charity Poker Games
The Michigan Court of Appeals ruled Friday in favor of state regulators seeking to impose new restrictions on charity gambling fundraising events known as “millionaires parties,” reports the Detroit Free Press.
$187-Million Fraud Case Puts Charities on the Defensive
Some charities are calling for regulators to do more to weed out abuse, while others say nonprofits themselves need to do more to call attention to con artists.
By SUZANNE PERRY
Contributor
In the Drive to Prove Results, a Los Angeles Charity Gets Snagged in High-Profile Controversy
The Los Angeles LGBT Center became entangled in a national scandal caused by a researcher faking results about its work to promote same-sex marriage.
By Megan O’Neil
Contributor
Court Decisions Buoy White House on Contraceptive Mandate
Federal appeals courts have thus far found that the Obama administration has done enough to accommodate faith-affiliated nonprofits that object to meeting the Affordable Care Act requirement to provide birth-control coverage to their employees, writes The Washington Post.