Congress Likely to Float Ideas This Year — for the Next President
Lawmakers and nonprofits see President Obama’s final year as a practice lap for a tax fight that’s expected when his successor takes office in 2017.
By Alex Daniels
Contributor
IRS Improperly Granted Charity Status to EZ Filers
More than a third of nonprofits that used the short form did not qualify for tax-exempt status, says a watchdog report.
By Alex Daniels
Contributor
Pa. Charities Assess Budget-Fight Hit as State Aid Resumes
Some nonprofits have begun receiving state funding again as Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf and the Republican-controlled legislature partially resolved a six-month budget standoff, but charity leaders say impact from the impasse could be lasting, the Reading Eagle writes.
India Lifts Restrictions on Ford Foundation Activities
Ending an eight-month dispute with the Ford Foundation, India’s government removed the U.S. philanthropy from a list of foreign organizations requiring official clearance to spend money in the country, The Hindu reports.
British Proposal Calls for Private School to Aid Public Schools
Britain’s opposition Labour Party has introduced legislation that would oblige private academies to provide more support for state-run schools in their communities as a condition of their charity status and tax breaks, BBC News reports.
IRS Reverses Course on Controversial Donor-Data Proposal
After hearing a barrage of complaints about privacy concerns, the agency withdrew a plan that would have given nonprofits the option to report donors’ personal information to the agency.
By Alex Daniels
Senior Editor, Foundations
Court Rules Calif. Can Seek Koch-Backed Group’s Donor List
A panel of federal appeals-court judges said California Attorney General Kamala Harris can demand that the Americans for Prosperity Foundation turn over to the state the contributor information it provides the IRS, Bloomberg reports.
Major Companies Join Fight Against Ga. Religious-Liberty Bills
Some of the world’s largest corporations, including Google and AT&T, have enlisted in an advocacy campaign against Georgia legislation that opponents say would enshrine anti-gay discrimination and make the state an economic pariah, writes the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Ex-Supermarket Executive Pleads Guilty to Foundation Fraud
A former vice president of the British supermarket chain Asda admitted in court Wednesday to steering some $263,000 from the company’s charity fund to benefit a ballet troupe headed by his partner, reports The Guardian.
Sunlight Foundation President Is Stepping Down
The government-transparency nonprofit announced Tuesday that Christopher Gates is leaving his job after less than a year and a half at the helm, Poynter.org reports.
OECD Aid Hits New High, but Poor Countries Get Lesser Share
The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development doled out a record $137.2 billion in 2014, but for the second straight year the proportion of aid going to poorer countries declined, the Thomson Reuters Foundation writes.
Ex-Official at Newark Water Nonprofit Admits Corruption
A former manager of the nonprofit agency that oversaw the New Jersey city’s water supply pleaded guilty Monday to federal charges involving nearly $1 million in kickbacks from contractors, Bloomberg reports.
Common Core Fight Embroiled Big Donors and Top Executives
Fortune examines the roles big business and big philanthropy played in developing the Common Core standards for public-school curricula and how they responded when the widely adopted guidelines sparked a largely conservative-led backlash.
N.J. Hospital Group Backs Plan for Fees in Lieu of Taxes
The New Jersey Hospital Association, which represents the state’s 62 nonprofit hospitals, endorsed legislation that would require the medical centers to make annual payments for local government services, reports the Press of Atlantic City.
Ex-Field Museum Employee Acknowledges $410,000 Theft
The 11-year staff member admitted in federal court Monday to stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Chicago natural-history museum by pocketing cash payments by visitors, the Chicago Tribune reports.
She’s addressing the causes of climate change by placing AmeriCorps members with local governments throughout California to work on energy projects.
By NICOLE WALLACE
Features Editor