Let's Put An End To Restricted Giving - Forbes

Let's Put An End To Restricted Giving - Forbes: "We like to think that private charitable giving is inherently different to, say, buying a service. This is why governments subsidize the one but not the other (tax exemptions amount to $55 billion per year in the US alone). In practice, however, donations are much more transactional than most donors admit. Through restrictions, donors can tell grantees how to spend their money. A typical case would be a donor giving to a relief organization in response to a specific disaster, or a foundation giving to a university for a specific line of research."



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Smithsonian Institution Goes to Court Seeking to Modify Donor Restrictions | Planned Giving Design Center

Smithsonian Institution Goes to Court Seeking to Modify Donor Restrictions | Planned Giving Design Center: Nearly fifty years ago, entomologist and Smithsonian researcher Dr. Carl Drake left the Smithsonian Institution his collection of insects subject to certain restrictions. In addition, he created an endowment at the Smithsonian with $250,000 (worth about $4,000,000 today) for the Smithsonian to add insects to his collection. Today, the Smithsonian asserts that the restrictions imposed by Dr. Drake on his collection and endowment are no longer feasible and has filed a court petition seeking to use the collection and endowment in a manner different from that prescribed by Dr. Drake.

Deal Close in $300-Million Huguette Clark Estate Dispute - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Deal Close in $300-Million Huguette Clark Estate Dispute - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: he main parties in the court fight over reclusive mining heiress Huguette Clark’s $300-million estate have tentatively agreed to a settlement that would keep a proposed California arts charity as her main beneficiary, reports NBC News.

N.Y. Library Systems Struggle with Legacy of Carnegie Gift - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

N.Y. Library Systems Struggle with Legacy of Carnegie Gift - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: A $5-million donation from industrialist Andrew Carnegie that built 67 New York libraries in the early decades of the 20th century has produced unanticipated burdens for the city’s three library systems, writes The Wall Street Journal.

Court Throws Out Suit Claiming Columbia U. Misused 1927 Gift - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Court Throws Out Suit Claiming Columbia U. Misused 1927 Gift - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: A New York judge on Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit alleging that Columbia University violated the intent of donors who gave money 85 years ago to establish a campus center for Italian-American studies, Bloomberg reports.

Columbia U. Professor Sues Over Use of Endowment Funds - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Columbia U. Professor Sues Over Use of Endowment Funds - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: Columbia U. Professor Sues Over Use of Endowment Funds

March 20, 2013, 10:07 am

A Columbia University journalism professor filed suit against the New York institution Tuesday, claiming it inappropriately spent $4.5-million in funds related to a Knight Foundation endowment, reports The New York Times.

Museums Grapple With Onerous Restrictions on Donations - NYTimes.com

Museums Grapple With Onerous Restrictions on Donations - NYTimes.com: For museums and other institutions confronted with the sometimes onerous restrictions that donors place on major gifts, forever can be a very long time.

Donor Intent Decision Appealed - TheNonProfitTimes

Donor Intent Decision Appealed - TheNonProfitTimes: Donor Intent Decision Appealed - 12/06/2012

A dispute regarding the development of a suburban Maryland farm will continue as the family behind the original lawsuit has filed an appeal.

Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge Ronald Rubin sided with Johns Hopkins University (JHU) in granting summary judgment, saying that the sale of the 138-acre Belward Farm for $5 million was an arm’s length real estate transaction rather than a gift. A formal trial was scheduled to begin Nov. 13 but both parties filed for summary judgment in September.

Group Mounts Legal Challenge to Barnes Art Move, Citing Misleading Status - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Group Mounts Legal Challenge to Barnes Art Move, Citing Misleading Status - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: Activists who unsuccessfully fought the relocation of the Barnes Foundation art collection to a downtown museum in Philadelphia are seeking to reopen their legal case, citing a blog post in which a former foundation leader said the group was not close to broke when it sought the move, the Associated Press reports.

UCLA Donor's Heirs Sue Over Plan to Sell Japanese Garden - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

UCLA Donor's Heirs Sue Over Plan to Sell Japanese Garden - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: UCLA Donor’s Heirs Sue Over Plan to Sell Japanese Garden

May 10, 2012, 10:40 am

Heirs of the late philanthropist Hannah Carter have gone to court to block the University of California at Los Angeles from selling a Japanese garden that the university purchased with donated funds, reports the Los Angeles Times.

In a suit filed Monday, the plaintiffs contend the sale breaches a contract in which University of California Board of Regents committed to maintain the Hannah Carter Japanese Garden permanently.

Brooke Astor Estate Case Finally Settled: AG | New York Daily News

Brooke Astor Estate Case Finally Settled: AG | New York Daily News: “Brooke Astor was at the center of New York philanthropy for nearly half a century,” Schneiderman said. “Her legendary generosity and charisma touched New Yorkers of all backgrounds. I am pleased that my office led the way to an agreement that honors Mrs. Astor’s final wishes and benefits New York's landmark educational and cultural institutions.”

Spending Down vs. Existing in Perpetuity: The Historic Foundation Debate Continues - NPQ – Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting an active an engaged democracy.

Spending Down vs. Existing in Perpetuity: The Historic Foundation Debate Continues - NPQ – Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting an active an engaged democracy.: n this WSJ op-ed, Meyerson raises a common concern of conservative philanthropists: the issue of “donor intent.” Many conservatives have argued that modern foundations such as Ford, MacArthur, and Pew have strayed far from the intentions of their founders. For example, J. Howard Pew’s stated intention was that the Pew Charitable Trusts “acquaint the American people” with “the evils of bureaucracy,” “the values of a free market,” and “the paralyzing effects of government controls on the lives and activities of people.”

Johns Hopkins lawsuit highlights questions about schools’ obligations to donors - The Washington Post

Johns Hopkins lawsuit highlights questions about schools’ obligations to donors - The Washington Post: It took two years to negotiate the deal. But in the end, her family says, Elizabeth Beall Banks, well known in Montgomery County for her opposition to development, sold the 138-acre parcel where she raised Black Angus cattle to Johns Hopkins University for one simple reason: She believed that officials shared her vision for what would become of her beloved farm.

Now, seven years after Banks’s death, her heirs have taken Hopkins to court, alleging that the university has violated the terms of the deal it made with Banks 23 years ago. University officials maintain that they are abiding by Banks’s wishes as outlined in the two-page agreement.

Ray Charles Foundation Demands Gift Back as Arts Center Never Built - NPQ

Ray Charles Foundation Demands Gift Back as Arts Center Never Built - NPQ: Between 2001 and 2002, Ray Charles gave Albany State University in Georgia $3 million to build a performing arts center named after him. The celebrated artist never lived to see the center built, dying in 2004 at age 73. In fact, were Charles still alive today, he would still not see the center because it has never been built; and now the Ray Charles Foundation wants its money back.

Donors Settle Lawsuit Over Brandeis Art Sales - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Donors Settle Lawsuit Over Brandeis Art Sales - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: "Donors Settle Lawsuit Over Brandeis Art Sales

July 1, 2011, 10:25 am

Brandeis University officials have agreed to pledge in writing that its Rose Art Museum will not sell any of its prized modern-art collection, The Boston Globe reports."

Nevada Court Says Donor-Advised Funds Can Ignore Donor Advice - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Nevada Court Says Donor-Advised Funds Can Ignore Donor Advice - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: "The Nevada Supreme Court last week decided in favor of a donor-advised fund that was sued by a client for going against his wishes on spending his contributions, Dow Jones Adviser reports."

In the Arts: New York's Abolition of Rules on Museum Art Sales Draws Rebukes - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

In the Arts: New York's Abolition of Rules on Museum Art Sales Draws Rebukes - Philanthropy Today - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: "In the Arts: New York's Abolition of Rules on Museum Art Sales Draws Rebukes

Several New York State museum executives and legislators are criticizing a state board’s surprise decision last month to abandon regulations barring institutions from selling works to cover operating expenses, says The New York Times.

The New York State Board of Regents had been expected to make the two-year-old temporary ban on such sales permanent but instead voted to let the rule expire."

Leona Helmsley's gift to rescue organizations stalled

Leona Helmsley's gift to rescue organizations stalled: "ASPCA Asks Court to Direct Helmsley Money Back to Dogs

The ASPCA, along with the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and Maddie’s Fund, filed suit this week in New York Surrogate’s Court to intervene in the matter of the late Leona Helmsley’s $5 billion estate. The suit seeks to overturn an earlier ruling that allows the Helmsley Trustees—those responsible for issuing charitable grants from the estate—to disregard Mrs. Helmsley’s specific instructions that her wealth be used to help dogs."

The NonProfit Times - Judge Rejects Donor's Intent, Rules For Tulane

The NonProfit Times - The Leading Business Publication For Nonprofit Management: "Judge Rejects Donor's Intent, Rules For Tulane

By Mark Hrywna

A New Orleans judge has ruled in favor of Tulane University in a donor intent dispute over a century-old bequest.

Civil District Court Judge Rosemary Ledet on Monday granted the university’s motion for summary judgment while denying the plaintiffs’ motion. She ruled that language in the will of Josephine Newcomb contained “no enforceable conditional obligation to support” claims by plaintiffs, The Future of Newcomb College (TFNC). Language in the will “clearly gives the university full and complete control over how her donation will be used,” according to a statement from Tulane University."

PhilanTopic: What Did Leona Want?

PhilanTopic: What Did Leona Want?: "What Did Leona Want?

Trust_instrument Word that three prominent animal welfare organizations have petitioned Manhattan Surrogate Court to intervene in the matter of Leona Helmsley's $5 billion estate shouldn't surprise anyone who has followed the story in PND or here on PhilanTopic."