sacbee.com -- Politics -- State to turn a critical eye on its charities

sacbee.com -- Politics -- State to turn a critical eye on its charities: "State to turn a critical eye on its charities
Governor signs law that requires tighter auditing procedures.
By Will Evans -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PDT Sunday, October 3, 2004
California's donation to charity this year is a law making the state a leader in regulating nonprofit organizations amid a nationwide crackdown on them.
The number of groups applying for charitable status each year has surged nearly 30 percent since 1997, drawing the attention of regulators as a series of prominent scandals erodes public confidence in charities. The new scrutiny is coming not only from California's capitol, but from Congress "