Government & Regulation
November 24, 2015 at 9:55 am
A new voluntary gift-substantiation regime proposed by the IRS is being opposed by the National Council of Nonprofits (NCN), as well as a number of individual state associations of nonprofits. The system would provide an alternative to the “contemporaneous written acknowledgements” now in use by providing 501(c)(3) nonprofits with the option to report gifts more…
November 23, 2015 at 9:45 am
As of 4 p.m. Friday, several Houston organizations complied with Gov. Greg Abbott's deadline order to stop providing help to Syrian refugees. It comes in response to the deadly terror attacks in Paris on Nov. 13. A letter from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission went out to several local nonprofits last week asking…
November 20, 2015 at 10:24 am
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has closed down the Veterans Support Organization (VSO) as a settlement from legal action. According to a news release from Paxton's office, VSO collected more than $2.5 million in Texas between 2010 and 2012. But an investigation found 70 percent of the money went to VSO's Florida headquarters and to…
November 16, 2015 at 10:37 am
In September, a judge ruled that music licensor Warner-Chappell doesn't own the copyright to "Happy Birthday." The question now seems to have become: who does? A charity called the Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI) has stepped forward now to say that if Warner loses the copyright, it should become the rightful owner. Earlier this week,…
November 12, 2015 at 9:14 am
A federal judge did not rule Tuesday on the city's motion to dismiss the lawsuit filed by Friends of the Parks to stop the Lucas Museum project, allowing the preservation group time to respond to the city's effort to end the legal wrangling. The proposal for the museum between Soldier Field and McCormick Place has…
November 5, 2015 at 10:42 am
The U.S. Supreme Court will consider this week whether to hear a potentially landmark First Amendment case on donations to nonprofit groups, marking a flashpoint in a battle over money and free speech increasingly taking place in courts instead of legislatures. At issue is a California regulation requiring all nonprofit groups that solicit donors in…
November 5, 2015 at 10:25 am
FOX23 learned the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame’s nonprofit status was revoked by the Internal Revenue Service. FOX23 previously reported about ongoing financial problems at the Jazz Hall, like the nonprofit bouncing checks to Tulsa County for insurance payments, part of its lease agreement. The Jazz Hall of Fame also is behind on its Downtown…
November 5, 2015 at 10:19 am
The Arizona attorney general's office says it shut down a veterans-charity scam that bilked about $750,000 from seniors across the U.S. suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and other memory-related disorders. Attorney General Mark Brnovich and his office terminated three Phoenix telemarketing companies owned by Robert Foster—Happy Hands LLC, Standing Tree LLC and Action Point LLC—as part…
October 22, 2015 at 10:11 am
At least seven U.S. cities and counties have stopped firefighters from collecting charitable donations at busy intersections citing safety concerns. For nearly 61 years, career and volunteer firefighters around the country have participated in “Fill-the-Boot” roadside charity campaigns, often around the Labor Day and Memorial Day weekends. They raise money, while on duty and in…
October 9, 2015 at 9:55 am
A court-sanctioned investigation has found state Sen. Jeff Hayden, DFL-Minneapolis, and his wife Theresa received at least $3,486 in improper reimbursements from a now-defunct nonprofit organization. A report filed in Ramsey County District Court Thursday alleges Community Action of Minneapolis paid for plane tickets, hotel stays, travel expenses and spa services for the Haydens. With…
