Where Most Needed

Acorn and Wall Street Have the Same Problem

The Wall Street Journal accidentally connects the dots between two current scandals making it plain that compensation issues are at the heart of management problems with US organizations: non-profit and for-profit, small and large. 

Acorn: Where's the Oak?

Pulled down by an embezzlement scandal and a lightning rod for right-wing attacks, the deeper tragedy at Acorn is how Wade Rathke turned community organizing into a personality cult that prevented the emergence of a new generation of leadership. 

Animal Philanthropy: Dollars Chasing Dogs

The millions that Leona Helmsley left to her dog Trouble are a puddle compared to the pile earmarked for dog care in the Helmsley's charitable foundation.  But it could be that the foundation's goals are far from frivolous. 

Fearful Symmetry in San Francisco

Christmas Day tiger escape is a grim reminder of the risks of nonprofit mismanagement and the flaccid oversight that comes with self-regulation.  No one is keeping an eye on the tiger, or its keeper. 

Indicted Orange County Sheriff's Charity Fiasco

His foundation's inability to keep up with annual filing requirements turned out to be symptomatic of larger troubles. 

Philadelphians Dare to Question WHYY Executive Salaries

Staff, a newspaper columnist, and a local magazine take on the CEO of the local public broadcasting outlet for excessive compensation and poor performance. 

Diversity in Funding Sources More Talked About Than Practiced

A study of more than fifty organizations in Baltimore with income from $1 million to $50 million shows that close to 90% rely on just one line on the Form 990 for more than half their income.  Even more notable: the lion's share of private contributions go to organizations that make private contributions their primary source of income.

Foundations Swimming through Apologies (Sorry)

Major foundations are stumbling over themselves to report lessons learned on disappointing initiatives, but there is a suprising sameness in What Doesn't Work. 

James Irvine Foundation Turns Whoops into White Paper

When a huge foundation initiative failed to show much progress, they brought in outside help to turn it around, completely revamped the project, and wrote it all up for the world to see. 

Kitchen Democracy Turns into Online Oligarchy

A tiny nonprofit operates a web site that allows citizens to weigh in on local issues like zoning changes without attending city council meeings.  But there are complaints of ballot stuffing in online polls, which a little analysis shows is a credible claim.