Charity Governance

PRESERVATIONIST GROUPS AND CORPORATE DIRECTORS SHOULD TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AT A LAWSUIT NOW PENDING IN CHICAGO

DATELINE: August 11, 2009, Chicago

About three miles up the block from us sits a large Victorian villa.  Anybody who wants to pinpoint the neighborhood need only watch the opening sequence to the old Bob Newhart series.  Dr. Bob’s and Emily’s high-rise apartment is close by (but the villa is not visible in the opening sequence, as we recall).  

The owner of what strikes us as the lovely house sold it to a local real estate developer, who planned to tear down the house so that he could construct an eight-unit condominium.  Enter the Edgewater Historical Society, a Section 501(c)(3) organization.  They did what many preservationist groups do—try to stop the destruction of what they viewed as an important historical building.

Mark J. Konkol, a reporter with the Chicago Sun-Times, reports today that the owner of the house, Brigitta Riedel, thinks Edgewater and several members of its board of directors...

GOOD FOR THE ACLU: REPORT ON CHILLING EFFECT OF OFAC

DATELINE: June 16, 2009, Chicago

Mainstream charities have been upset since President George Bush (43) first began his efforts to identify and shut down charities that finance terrorist activities.  Everyone acknowledges that some charities have been used as fronts to finance terrorism.  Nobody disputes the need to shut those charities down.

What has troubled many U.S. charitable organizations that make foreign grants, provide disaster relief, and provide aid to third world nations has been the...

TRANSPARENCY RUN AMOK: DEEPLY TROUBLING DEMANDS MADE ON THE DALLAS MUSEUM OF ART—REPORTER BROOKS EGERTON HAD BETTER WATCH OUT

DATELINE: May 20, 2009, Chicago

The Dallas Morning News understandably is looking for a good story.  Wouldn’t we all like to know the financial arrangements behind the “Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs” exhibit that has been traveling around the country during the last several years?  To find out, the Morning News this past January asked the Dallas Museum of Art to disclose the details.  The Morning News apparently asserted that it was entitled to the information under...

FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION MEANS FREEDOM TO DISPOSE OF PRIVATE PROPERTY: NY YORK LEGISLATURE PROPOSES NATIONALIZING MUSEUM COLLECTIONS

DATELINE:  March 18, 2009, Chicago

There has been a lot of ruckus the last few days about AIG and bonuses.  We are sympathetic to the public outcry, but are more sympathetic to the sanctity of contract.  People should be very nervous about a 100% tax on these bonuses.  Works fine in an isolated case, but once Congress goes there, will they do it again and will you be the one paying the tax?  Congress, the Bush Administration, and the Obama Administration should have done better due diligence.

We were particularly amused by the blogger referred to in the Chronicle of Philanthropy yesterday who suggested that the bonuses be...

A VERY PRIVATE COLLECTION IS CORRECT: SO WHY WRITE THE ARTICLE?

DATELINE: June 12, 2008, Chicago

Angela Valdez's article on Mitchell Rales' private museum is fascinating, seemingly well-written, and completely misguided. A Very Private Collection: Billionaire Mitchell Rales Runs the Best Modern Museum You Can't Get Into, Washington City Paper, June 4, 2008. It aptly demonstrates one of the problems about how some members of the media...

FEDERAL DISTRICT COURT RULES AGAINST THE STATE OF WISCONSIN’S REQUIREMENT THAT RELIGIOUS GROUPS SIGN NONDISCRIMINATION AGREEMENTS BEFORE THEY CAN PARTICPATE IN GOVERNMENT-SPONSORED WORKPLACE GIVING PROGRAM

Several months ago, the State of Wisconsin was sued; specifically the Department of Administration.  The plaintiff was the Association of Faith-Based Organizations, a Virginia-based nonprofit.  It claimed that Wisconsin denied several faith-based organizations their constitutional rights when it denied the organizations the opportunity to participate in Wisconsin’s version of the Combined Federal Campaign (known as Wisconsin’s State Employees Charitable Campaign).  The Department of Administration apparently barred participation because these organizations refused to sign a nondiscrimination statement. 

On Friday, September 29, 2006, Judge John C. Shabaz, of the United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin,...