Charity Governance

THIS BUD'S NOT FOR YOU: WHY NEPOTISM IS A PROBLEM

DATELINE: May 27, 2008, Chicago

Today's Wall Street Journal carries a fascinating story written by David Kesmodel regarding Anheuser-Busch, the brewer of Budwesier beer. Anheuser CEO Fights for His Legacy: As Rival Weighs a Bid, Busch Heir Still Seeks Father's Approval. The story should freighten shareholders because it raises serious questions whether upcoming decisions will ...

IT MUST BE NICE TO BE A SMITHSONSIAN REGENT

DATELINE: May 20, 2008, Chicago

This past weekend, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported on the ongoing efforts by the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution to implement a number of governance reforms. The report is generally favorable, but we are nevertheless left with the impression...

BUILD IT AND THEY WILL FUND IT: WRONG

DATELINE: May 6, 2008, Chicago

The Museum of Broadcast Communications was located in the Chicago Cultural Center, a temporary location, for many years.  Over the last several years, the museum has been constructing a new museum on Chicago's State Street. The museum archives hold over 85,000 hours of broadcast and radio programming.

We hadn't been actively following the construction's progress, but we did notice when we walked past the facility that it was taking what seemed to be a...

MONTANA SUPREME COURT DELIVERS LANDMARK OPINION: 13 STATE ATTORNEYS GENERAL INTERVENE

DATELINE: April 30, 2008, Chicago

We read the e-mail alert (courtesy of Google) at 5AM this morning. Stephanie Strom and Jim Robbins of the New York Times reported in Montana Museum Board Breached Duty, Court Says that the Montana Supreme Court had delivered a decisive defeat to the board of advisors to The Charles M. Bair Family Trust, removing the entire board and instructing that it be replaced. The dispute centered on the board's decision to close the Charles M. Bair Family Museum in 2003.

The Bair Family Trust was created by Alberta M. Bair, the daughter of Charles M. Bair. There were two provisions in the trust agreement that lead to the dispute in this case. The first...