Regulators Say Limiting Donor ID Could Hit Anti-Fraud Work
State authorities charged with ferreting out nonprofit malfeasance are concerned their efforts could be hamstrung by legislation now before Congress that would lift the requirement that tax-exempt groups disclose major donors to the Internal Revenue Service, Reuters writes.
Aid Summit Produces ‘Grand Bargain’ to Cut Overhead Costs
Meeting in Turkey this week at the World Humanitarian Summit, governments and aid groups reached agreement on a plan to reduce relief groups’ administrative spending by about $1 billion a year and ensure more donor money reaches people in crisis, reports the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Former Trustee Jailed in $52 Million Alaska Charity Fraud
Mark Avery was sentenced to 13-plus years after being convicted of using charitable funds for a spending spree on aircraft, boats, and personal expenses in the mid-2000s, The Boston Globe and Alaska Dispatch News write.
Congressional Study Says NFL Tried to Steer Research Funds
A report released Monday by a House committee asserts that the National Football League sought undue influence over the National Institutes of Health’s use of what was billed as an unrestricted donation to study brain injuries, writes The New York Times.
Land Gift for Proposed Maine Park Mired in Controversy
The Washington Post reports on the latest developments in the battle over Burt’s Bees founder Roxanne Quimby’s proposal to donate 88,000 acres of land valued at $40 million to establish a national park in Maine’s pristine North Woods, which has generated heated local opposition.
Opinion: Foundation’s Ties Would Dog Clinton Administration
A Hillary Clinton presidency would likely be buffeted by questions of conflict of interest in relation to support of the Clinton Foundation by wealthy donors, corporations, and foreign governments, a Bloomberg columnist writes.
Planned Parenthood Takes Funding Fight to Nation’s Courts
The nonprofit’s lawsuit against Ohio, filed last week to challenge the state’s revocation of funding for non-abortion health services provided by Planned Parenthood clinics, is the 15th the organization has filed since July amid a wave of such state-level restrictions, Bloomberg writes.
Red Cross Draws More Criticism for Miss. Flood Response
Emails among emergency-response officials in Mississippi in the wake of record flooding across the state in March fault the American Red Cross for poor deployment of resources and a lack of coordination with local teams, reports ProPublica, which obtained the communications.
Russia’s ‘Foreign Agent’ Law Ensnaring Service Charities
Russian nonprofits addressing HIV, refugees, and other social issues are increasingly facing pressure under a law restricting groups deemed by authorities to be engaging in foreign-funded political activity, according to International Business Times.
San Diego Commission Made Grants to Member’s Nonprofit
First 5 San Diego, which allocates tax dollars for early-education programs, has awarded or committed $1.4 million in recent years to a children’s charity headed by one of its board members, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune.
More Nonprofit Employees Qualify for Overtime Under New Regulation
Full-time salaried workers who make up to $47,476 a year will soon be eligible for overtime pay. The new rules also clarify which types of nonprofit employees are eligible.
By Rebecca Koenig
Contributor
L.A. County Seeks ‘Millionaires Tax’ to Tackle Homelessness
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to push for state legislation authorizing the county to levy a new tax on $1 million-plus incomes to fund housing and programs for the homeless, the Los Angeles Times writes.
Virginia Board Lets Scalia Law School Renaming Stand
In a unanimous vote Tuesday, the State Council of Higher Education said it does not have authority to weigh in on George Mason University’s plan to rename its law school for Antonin Scalia per the terms of a $20 million donation, reports the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
Mont. Lawmakers Question Naming Gift From Candidate for Governor
Democratic legislators contend an $8 million contribution that will rename Montana State University’s computer-science department is aimed at boosting the Republican donor’s gubernatorial campaign, the Great Falls Tribune reports.
Report Examines Afghan Forces’ Role in Hospital Bombing
The New York Times Magazine delves into the U.S. airstrike that destroyed a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan, last October and whether hostility toward the medical charity on the Afghan military’s part was a contributing factor in the attack, which killed at least 42 people.
Sen. Grassley Questions Wounded Warrior’s Spending
After examining financial statements, the lawmaker said he had doubts about the organization’s assertion that it devotes 80 percent of expenses to programs.
By Timothy Sandoval
Contributor