Data-Driven Program Evaluation Hurts Equity Efforts, Say Critics

Plus, Silicon Valley Community fund’s severance and legal costs exceeded $1.4 million, tax forms show, and how a family foundation invests responsibly [Philanthropy Today] Was this newsletter forwarded to you? [Please sign up]( to receive your own copy. Results [Data-Driven Program Evaluation Hurts Equity Efforts, Nonprofits and Critics Say]( By Alex Daniels Chronicle reporter Foundations should rethink the way they measure success if they want to achieve progress, say advocates for change. (PREMIUM) ADVERTISEMENT [advertisement]( Foundations [Silicon Valley Community Fund Severance and Legal Costs Exceed $1.4 Million, Tax Forms Show]( [Image]( VICKI THOMPSON/SILICON VALLEY BUSINESS JOURNAL By Marc Gunther Chronicle contributor Public documents show the toll of a workplace scandal that led to the ouster of Emmett Carson, the foundation’s CEO, and its top fundraiser, Mari Ellen Loijens. (PREMIUM) Online Tools and Advice [Why We Place Our Family Foundation Assets in Socially Responsible Investment Vehicles]( By Daniel Shaw and Isa Catto Leaders of Catto Shaw Foundation Two philanthropists share their story to help others considering an investment strategy that is both profitable and beneficial to society. (PREMIUM) More Tools and Resources Plus see more than [1,100 other items]( in our resource center, exclusively available to subscribers. Paid for and Created by Central Park Conservancy [Supporting Green Spaces and Partnerships]( A leader in the field of urban park management and public-private park partnerships, the Central Park Conservancy revitalizes and sustains urban green spaces, sharing its expertise and resources with other park professionals. ADVERTISEMENT [advertisement]( Nonprofit News From Elsewhere A new tax break meant to encourage development in poor areas is being investigated by the Treasury Department’s inspector general after reports that it has benefited wealthy investors and affluent neighborhoods. The tax break, part of the 2017 tax overhaul, allows investors to defer capital gains taxes on the sale of stocks or other assets if they plow the proceeds into areas certified as “opportunity zones” by the Treasury. Among the cases being examined is Treasury Secretary’s Steve Mnuchin’s insistence that a Nevada census tract be included, over the objections of Treasury staff. That move benefited financier Michael Milken, a longtime friend of Mnuchin’s. Other potential beneficiaries have been billionaire financier Leon Cooperman, former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, New York developer Richard LeFrak, and the family of Jared Kushner. The inquiry was requested by three Democratic lawmakers. ([New York Times]( The University of Southern California offered private meetings, personalized campus tours, and special attention to admissions applications for some students whose parents they courted for large donations, emails show. Actress Lori Loughlin and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, are using those emails, which they received, to argue that they believed the $500,000 they gave to the institution’s athletic department and another nonprofit were legitimate donations. Loughlin and Giannulli are among the dozens of parents ensnared in a college-admissions bribery scandal, for which some have received prison terms. Documents released earlier in the case included a spreadsheet kept by USC athletics officials of “special interest” applicants whose families had or could donate large sums. ([New York Times]( Plus: Officials Investigating College Scam Heard Call Between Ringleader and Lori Loughlin ([Boston Globe]( And: A Dad Allegedly Paid $220,000 to Bribe His Son's Way Into USC. Then He Claimed the Bribe as a Tax Deduction, Prosecutors Say. ([Buzzfeed]( A federal judge has struck down a Trump administration executive order allowing local officials to block resettlement of refugees in their jurisdictions. The lawsuit was brought by three faith-based nonprofits — Church World Service, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, and HIAS, a Jewish organization — which argued that the Refugee Act of 1980 took that authority away from local officials. The judge agreed. A representative from one of the groups said it has spent time and resources trying to get local officials’ consent rather than helping refugees. So far, they had received consent from 42 states. ([Associated Press]( More News Phil Knight's $1.6 Billion Gift Makes His Foundation One of Oregon's Largest ([Portland Business Journal]( — subscription) Microsoft Adds $250 Million to Seattle Housing Pledge, Bringing Total Commitment to $750 Million ([GeekWire]( Vulcan Hires a Finance Chief from the Ford Foundation as Paul Allen’s Philanthropic Legacy Takes Shape ([Seattle Times]( What Top US Nonprofits Think Will Be the Biggest Issues of the New Decade ([Hill]( Erie Woman in Art Museum Case: ‘He Disrespected Me’ ([Echo-Pilot]( Archivist and Bookseller Plead Guilty to Pilfering $8 Million in Rare Texts From Carnegie Library ([Washington Post]( Children’s Nonprofit Board Member Arrested in Eugene, Ore., Child Sexual Corruption Sting ([KEZI]( Former U. of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Administrators Sentenced in Felony Misconduct Case Related to Foundation ([Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]( Tennis Stars Raise Millions for Australian Wildfire Victims ([Associated Press]( Southern Poverty Law Center Sues Commission Investigating Fla. High-School Massacre on Behalf of Student Groups ([Associated Press]( Op-Ed: Bickering Environmental Groups Are Holding L.A.'s Last Surviving Tidal Wetland Hostage ([Los Angeles Times]( Obamas Pledge $1 Million for Obama Foundation ([Chicago Sun-Times]( Arts and Culture Gift From ‘Not Those Sacklers’ to Vermont Museum Sparks Questions ([VTDigger]( ‘The Witcher’ Star Teams Up With New Gaming Mental-Health Charity ([Forbes]( Subscribe to the Chronicle As donors become increasingly selective in their giving, it’s more important than ever that you have unlimited access to the tools and resources needed to show your impact. A subscription to the Chronicle of Philanthropy provides you with the knowledge you need to generate excitement for your nonprofit, grow your donor base, and stay ahead of emerging trends. [Subscribe Today]( What Everyone Else Is Reading [Donations Grew Last Year. Here's What You Can Learn for 2020]( Nonprofits and consultants attribute the increase to a strong stock market and intensified efforts by fundraisers. (PREMIUM) [Calif. Bill Would Require Greater Disclosure of Donor-Advised-Fund Activity]( The legislation could create momentum for national efforts to boost the transparency of donor-advised funds. (PREMIUM) [Syracuse U. Gets $75 Million From the Samuel I. Newhouse Foundation (Grants Roundup)]( Also, the Center at Sierra Health Foundation is accepting applications for $20 million in grants to help young people battling addiction in California. [How to Land Donor-Advised Fund Gifts]( The rules keep fundraisers in the dark, but some groups are breaking through to donors. (PREMIUM) [Stop Focusing on the Charitable Deduction. Tax Policy Isn’t Causing the Long-Term Slide in Giving. (Opinion)]( Philanthropy is ultimately driven by what donors can and want to do, not what politicians want to spur them to do. 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