Obituary: Gerald Walpin, Ex-Watchdog of U.S. Service Agency
The former Corporation for National and Community Service inspector general, whose tenure ended in controversy over an investigation of AmeriCorps grants, died Friday after being struck by a vehicle in a Manhattan crosswalk, writes The New York Times. He was 84.
Dark Money on the Rise in Statewide Elections, Report Says
The amount spent on electioneering in six states by nonprofit organizations that are not required to disclose donors has skyrocketed from $600,000 to $22 million in the last decade, the Associated Press writes, citing a New York University study.
George Lucas Museum Pulls Plug on Plan to Build in Chicago
Two years after the movie mogul formally selected Chicago as the home for his collection of art and film memorabilia, and more than 18 months into a legal battle over the project’s planned waterfront location, officials with the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art announced Friday that they are abandoning their effort to build in the city, the Chicago Tribune reports.
Amid Capitol Hill Criticism, Red Cross Board ‘100 Percent’ Confident in CEO
The charity’s governors issued a strong statement of support for Gail McGovern in the face of Sen. Charles Grassley’s scathing verdict on its disaster response.
By Rebecca Koenig
Contributor
Smithsonian Needs $1 Billion for Air and Space Museum Work
The head of the Smithsonian told Congress he will seek to raise $250 million in private funding to cover a chunk of renovation costs for the 40-year-old museum, writes The Washington Post.
Opinion: Red Cross Faces ‘Trust Deficit’ on Disaster Work
In the wake of a blistering Congressional report on its relief efforts in Haiti, the American Red Cross must improve internal oversight and transparency to retain public confidence in its frontline role in disaster response, The New York Times asserts in an editorial.
Trump Pledges to Lift Ban on Politicking by Churches
Speaking Tuesday to a gathering of conservative evangelicals, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee said that if elected he will end the decades-old bar on churches and other tax-exempt groups making political endorsements, The Washington Post reports.
Opinion: Donor-Advised Funds a ‘Bad Deal’ for Society
Two prominent critics of donor-advised funds lay out their case against the fast-growing giving vehicles in an essay for The New York Review of Books, saying they represent “a major flaw in the financing of charities today.”
Clinton Foundation Reportedly Targeted by Russian Hackers
The organization’s computer network was breached as part of what authorities suspect is a concerted pre-election attack by Kremlin-allied hackers on U.S. entities with political ties, Bloomberg writes, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter.
Pa. Congressman Convicted in Charity-Tied Corruption Case
Rep. Chaka Fattah, who has represented Philadelphia in the House for more than two decades, was found guilty of racketeering-conspiracy charges stemming in part from his use of nonprofit funds to repay a political loan, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Limos and Luxury Hotels on Hershey Trust Board’s Expense Tab
Since agreeing in 2013 to a state demand to curb spending, directors of the Milton Hershey School for impoverished children in Pennsylvania have collectively been paid $6.9 million and charged hundreds of thousands of dollars in travel costs to the organization, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Calif. Legislators Craft $2 Billion Plan to House Homeless
Facing a rising tide of homelessness in otherwise booming regions, state lawmakers are putting the finishing touches on a proposal to channel $2 billion into building permanent housing for the homeless, writes the Associated Press.
Legal Filings Show Conservative Groups Got Most IRS Scrutiny
Right-leaning organizations made up a sizable majority of more than 400 politically active organizations whose applications for nonprofit status received special scrutiny by the Internal Revenue Service, NPR reports, citing recent court filings in a federal suit against the agency.
Orlando to Give $7 Million Directly to Shooting Victims
Orlando officials announced Friday that money contributed to a city-led fund to assist those affected by the Pulse nightclub shooting will go straight to victims and families instead of being distributed through charities, The New York Times reports.
Liberal Group Files IRS Complaint Against Trump Foundation
A pro-Hillary Clinton organization filed a complaint with the Internal Revenue Service Friday accusing Donald Trump of violating tax laws by turning his charitable foundation into a “political tool,” writes The Washington Post.
IRS Toothless When It Comes to Policing Nonprofits, Report Says
An independent study released by the agency says a lack of funding, loss of institutional knowledge, and change in strategy are eroding the IRS’s ability to regulate charities.
By Alex Daniels
Contributor