Harvard Law Donor Redirects Gift After Campus Palestine Talk - The Chronicle of Philanthropy

Harvard Law Donor Redirects Gift After Campus Palestine Talk - The Chronicle of Philanthropy: "A New York-based law firm that pledged $1 million to Harvard Law School to sponsor student events has asked the institution to shift the money to other purposes after the money was used support a discussion hosted by a group that favors an independent Palestine, the Associated Press writes.

In a statement, Harvard said internatio"



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Restricted and Unrestricted Funds for a Nonprofit

Restricted and Unrestricted Funds for a Nonprofit:



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The Baker’s Dilemma and the inequity of restricted funding | Nonprofit With Balls

The Baker’s Dilemma and the inequity of restricted funding | Nonprofit With Balls: "Today, I want to talk about unrestricted funding. A couple of weeks ago, Paul Shoemaker published this piece speaking against what he calls “Quite Damaging Dollars” (QDD), funds that come with burdensome restrictions and are not just unhelpful, but actually detrimental to nonprofits’ work."



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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.

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.

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.”

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.

Just Give ’Em the Money: The Power and Pleasure of Unrestricted Funding (August 3, 2011) | Opinion Blog | Stanford Social Innovation Review

Just Give ’Em the Money: The Power and Pleasure of Unrestricted Funding (August 3, 2011) | Opinion Blog | Stanford Social Innovation Review: "When I stumbled into philanthropy, seven years out of medical school, I had no idea that there was an accepted set of practices to follow. Through a combination of cluelessness, hubris, and too much time in remote field sites I remained blissfully unaware of the mores and norms of the grant-making world. In my ignorance, I figured that the best thing for the Mulago Foundation to do was to find high-impact organizations focused on the things we cared about most—and give them a bunch of money.

That’s worked out pretty well for us, and unrestricted funding remains a cornerstone of our funding strategy."

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."

MinnPost - When gifts to nonprofits come with strings attached

MinnPost - When gifts to nonprofits come with strings attached: "Last year, a donor offered Simpson Housing Services a $10,000 gift to create an endowment to help recently homeless families get beds, bedding and other basics for their apartments.

It seems like a no-brainer: Take the money and start helping people who desperately need help.

Turns out, it’s not that simple."

Use of charitable funds is at heart of Princeton case | Philadelphia Inquirer | 04/09/2008

Use of charitable funds is at heart of Princeton case | Philadelphia Inquirer | 04/09/2008: "New Jersey judge has just set an Oct. 1 trial date in a billion-dollar lawsuit alleging that Princeton University misused tens of millions of dollars donated to a charitable fund. Fallout from the case is expected to reach far beyond the Ivy League campus, dramatically reshaping nonprofit fund-raising and administrative practices."

Judge Rules Fisk Cannot Sell Priceless Art Collection for Any Reason

Judge Rules Fisk Cannot Sell Priceless Art Collection for Any Reason: "in a major setback for Fisk University, a Tennessee judge has barred the school from selling any or all of its priceless 101 piece Stieglitz Collection of art to raise money to support the financially troubled school."

Randolph-Macon case is about donor intent -- dailypress.com

Some related articles on Donor Intent

Randolph-Macon case is about donor intent -- dailypress.com: "A Virginia Supreme Court panel has agreed to hear an appeal on a case that will help decide the future of Virginia's historic Randolph-Macon Woman's College."

The Cavalier Daily-Coeducation and donor intent

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The Cavalier Daily: "Coeducation and donor intent A 19th-century donor's intent can't overrule every educational concern for Tulane Christa Byker, Cavalier Daily Columnist IT IS no secret that frivolous law suits permeate the American legal system. Bordering on the tedious and inane, many cases are not worth a second glance. But one law suit recently grabbed my attention: A peer institution, Tulane University, is engaged in a court battle over donor intent after the dissolution of Newcomb College, the all-female coordinating college associated with Tulane for 120 years. Many relevant groups, most importantly the closest living relatives to the donor who made Newcomb possible, Parma Matthis Howard and Jane Matthis Smith, believe that the Tulane administration acted illegally by violating donor intent. They lost the first lawsuit -- Howard v. Tulane -- and are currently appealing the case. However, by holding on to old loyalties and an outdated institution, this lawsuit is unneeded and misguided."

N.M. museum drops claim for O'Keeffe pic - USATODAY.com

N.M. museum drops claim for O'Keeffe pic - USATODAY.com: "NASHVILLE (AP) — The Georgia O'Keeffe Museum in New Mexico on Tuesday dropped its lawsuit to claim a 101-piece art collection from Fisk University in Nashville. The Santa Fe, museum moved to withdraw its lawsuit one day after a judge denied a settlement agreement that would have sent a prominent O'Keeffe painting to the museum for $7.5 million."

The Southern Illinoisan

The Southern Illinoisan: "JAMES KILPATRICK: CASE OF THE DISENCHANTED DONORS

If and when it goes to trial next year, the civil suit of William Robertson, et als, v. Princeton University promises to be a jawdropper. The case dates from 1961, when the Robertson family made a huge gift to the university. Now the heirs want their money back, and Princeton won't return it.

In the rarefied air of major philanthropy, the case has its breathtaking aspects. These are among the charges brought by the Robertson family:

That Princeton 'improperly and systematically diverted to its own use and benefit more than $100 million from the Robertson Foundation and has fraudulently concealed its wrongdoing.'

That the university engaged in 'flagrant disregard of donor intent.'

That Princeton 'has acted unilaterally and covertly for decades to subvert the Robertsons' intent.'"