Where Most Needed

Honolulu Newspaper Presses Case for Charity Registration

Although the vast majority of Hawai'i's 5,000 public charities follow the rules and have financial safeguards in place, the Honolulu Advertiser thinks they should have to pay for the misdeeds of a few.  There is no evidence offered to demonstrate that registration reduces fraud in other states. 

National Night Out Founder Thinks He's Worth a Quarter Million

About a third of the organization's budget goes to pay the president's salary, approved by a five-person board that includes his brother.   And we track down the source of its funding. 

Small Groups Push for Recognition of Slavery in Philadelphia

A tiny nonprofit and an unincorporated group kept the pressure on the National Park Service to tell the story of how President George Washington held on to his slaves in the original US capital after Pennsylvania abolished slavery. 

Oregon Nonprofit Association Enters with a Whimper

Anemic dues structure will hamstring the new 140-member association.  My analysis suggests that the members have much more capacity than they are willing to commit to the organization. 

Catholic & Jewish Charities Consume the Most Pork

An analysis of the New York Times' data on religious earmarks reveals details that confound stereotypes about faith-based lobbying. 

Charities Pay Dearly for Ad Council Campaigns

Charities have to commit a minimum of nearly two million before the Ad Council will consider taking on a public relations campaign. 

Media Watchdog Double Dips from Charities

President and founder of two prominent organizations monitoring television and media, one in Washington and one in Los Angeles, claims to work full time for both of them. 

Ferret Follies and Civil Society Silliness

California ferret advocacy group releases poll results showing that people are overwhelmingly opposed to legalizing the little creatures as pets.  Other advocates say that sometimes it might be better just to keep your mouth shut. 

Charity Navigator Maligns Human Rights Campaign

Andrew Sullivan's blog takes a pot shot at the HRC using a misleading Charity Navigator report that covers just the 20% of HRC that operates as a charity, not the 80% that operates as an advocacy organization. 

Professors Making Little Progress against Institutional Censorship

Dissatisfaction with the involvement of Institutional Review Boards in social science research has yet to generate movement toward reform.