Boston Professor in Spotlight for Criticism of Foundations
Online magazine Ozy profiles Ray Madoff, the Boston College law professor who has become a controversial figure in the philanthropic world with her views on charitable foundations and donor-advised funds.
D.C. Charter-School Founder to Pay $3 Million to Settle Suit
Kent Amos, who led one of Washington, D.C.'s oldest and largest charter-school groups, and a management company he heads have agreed to the payment to settle a lawsuit brought by the city alleging diversion of public funds for private gain, according to The Washington Post.
Calif. Wins Federal Court Ruling on Donor Disclosure
A U.S. appeals court said Friday that charities that raise money in California are obliged to identify major contributors in state filings, rebuffing an advocacy group that contended the disclosure demanded violated free-speech rights, reports the Los Angeles Times.
Obama Foundation Picks Chicago as Presidential Library Site
The president has signed off on the decision by the nonprofit charged with building his future library and museum to locate the institution on Chicago’s South Side, CNN reports, citing two people familiar with the selection.
Nepal Response Shows Why Donor-Advised Funds Are a Boon to Philanthropy
Despite critics’ concerns that the funds distribute too little, the evidence shows that the accounts are democratizing giving.
By HOWARD HUSOCK
Contributor
IRS Has Improved Application Process for Social-Welfare Groups, Says Watchdog
A new report says the IRS no longer considers groups’ names or policy positions when evaluating their potential for tax-exempt status, CNN reports.
IRS Watchdog Finds 6,400 More Lois Lerner Emails
About 650 of the messages from the former head of the Internal Revenue Service’s nonprofit division are from 2010-11, during the time some conservative activists claim the IRS discriminated against tea-party groups applying for nonprofit status, CNN reports.
Wounded Warrior Project Sues Small Nonprofit Over Similar Logo
A small veterans charity in Pennsylvania says it has spent more than $72,000 defending itself in a lawsuit from the Wounded Warrior Project over the groups’ logos, which both depict silhouettes of one soldier rescuing another, television station WTKR reports.
Jared Foundation Leader Arrested on Suspicion of Child Exploitation
The executive director of the Jared Foundation, a nonprofit formed to raise awareness and money to support childhood obesity programs, was arrested and charged for child exploitation, possession of child pornography, and voyeurism, The Indianapolis Star reports.
Former Philadelphia Nonprofit Group Charged With Defrauding $85,000
Rodnell Griffin, who led the Hunting Park Neighborhood Advisory Committee used the organization’s bank cards to withdraw funds for personal use more then 500 times from January to October 2013, Philly.com reports. At least 10 of the ATMs used were in local casinos.
Nonprofits Report Faster and Bigger Response to Nepal Than to Other Recent Disasters
A donate button added to Facebook news feeds has raised $10 million for International Medical Corps. CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Monday he would match gifts dollar-for-dollar up to $2 million to various nonprofits.
By Megan O’Neil
Contributor
Opinion: Why the NFL Is Relinquishing Nonprofit Status
The National Football League’s announcement Tuesday that it will give up its 501(c)(6) tax exemption is more about image than finance, eliminating a tax break widely viewed as unfair and helping boost the league’s public standing amid knotty controversies over domestic-abuse scandals and players’ head injuries, according to The Atlantic.
Boobies Rock! Founder Faces New Charity-Fraud Charges
A Colorado man who has served prison time and been ordered to pay millions of dollars for charity-related scams is facing new allegations of nonprofit fraud, reports The Denver Post.
How Proposed Accounting Rules Would Affect Nonprofits and Donors
New reporting requirements would aid understanding of charity finances, with minimal hardship for organizations to adopt.
By Brian Mittendorf
Contributor
Bill to Promote Social-Impact Bonds Has Support in High Places
The legislation would appropriate $300 million for state and local pay-for-success contracts.
By NICOLE WALLACE
Features Editor
NFL Will Give Up Nonprofit Status
The National Football League, which generates billions of dollars in revenue annually, will give up the tax-exempt status it has held since 1942, the Associated Press reports.