Controversial Report on State Charity Regulation Touches Off Debate

Plus, after the trust of one person propelled her successful business career, a foundation leader puts that same trust in grantees and low-income beneficiaries (opinion) ADVERTISEMENT [Philanthropy Today Logo]( Did someone forward you this newsletter? [Sign up free]( to receive your own copy. You can now follow The Chronicle on [Apple News]( [Flipboard]( and [Google News](. GOVERNMENT AND REGULATION [New Report on State Charity Regulation Touches Off Debate About What Helps Nonprofits Thrive]( By Alex Daniels [STORY IMAGE]( The Philanthropy Roundtable, a group of foundation and donors that advocates for a hands-off approach to regulating charities and giving, says states with too many regulations stifle nonprofit creation. But regulators say the study was sloppy and misleading. ADVERTISEMENT OPINION | WHAT WE'VE LEARNED [I Know Trusting Grantees Works Because It Propelled My Own Successful Career]( By Holly Fogle [STORY IMAGE]( When others doubted me, one man showed his faith in my ambition to become a business leader. Today, I’m putting that same trust in the grantees and low-income mothers my foundation supports. Webinars [Today: Fundraising Events in 2023: How to Plan and What to Know]( [STORY IMAGE]( Join Our Next Webinar — Fundraisers planning events have a lot to juggle: keeping people safe from illness, entertained, and inspired — while staying within budget as expenses rise. How can you plan a successful event this year — and maximize results — amid uncertainty? Join us today, Thursday, February 9, at 2 p.m. Eastern for actionable advice and real-world examples from two experts. They’ll share proven ways to build community, raise more money, and create a plan that can be adapted if circumstances change. [Register now]( and join us this afternoon. SPONSOR CONTENT | Plan International [What Does Equality Look Like? Girls Have the Answer]( Nonprofit News From Elsewhere Online Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson’s philanthropy has given much less to charity than it has suggested, while spending heavily on administration, according to a USA Today investigation. The Why Not You Foundation, which Wilson launched in 2014 while playing for the Seattle Seahawks, has taken credit for helping to raise more than $10 million for pediatric cancer research, donating more than 70 million meals to Feeding America, and helping to create a United Way service delivering food and other necessities to underserved communities. But the newspaper found that Why Not You often touts “the entire impact of joint efforts” rather than its own work. Meanwhile, tax filings show the organization spent almost $600,000 on charity in 2020 and 2021 combined, compared with $1.1 million on salaries and employee benefits. Other red flags include a small group of directors, most of whom have other business relationships with Wilson and his wife, Ciara, and a highly paid full-time executive who also claims to work full time for the Wilsons’ family office. In a statement responding to the report, a foundation executive said Why Not You has “partnered to deliver over $13 million benefiting education, pediatric cancer research and hunger prevention” and that its “partnerships have allowed for more direct delivery and impact.” ([USA Today]( and [Seattle Times]( Plus: NFL Players’ Nonprofit Fundraising Doesn’t Always Reach Those in Need ([USA Today]( Turks and Syrians around the world are gathering money and goods to send back to their homelands, even as aid groups struggle to reach areas devastated by an earthquake that has killed more than 17,000 people. In Berlin; Melbourne, Australia; and London, people are frantically packing boxes, loading shipping containers, or shuttling donations to the airport. They are scraping together whatever cash they can and finding ways around Western sanctions on some parts of Syria to send it home. Meanwhile, aid groups worry about local airports, which were backed up by weather-related woes even before the earthquake and will become more congested as passenger service shuts down to make way for aid shipments. Roads still must be cleared of rubble, and even a port in southern Turkey has shut down due to earthquake damage. ([New York Times]( and [Wall Street Journal]( — subscription) More News - James O’Keefe Is on Paid Leave From Project Veritas ([New York]( - Valparaiso U. Museum’s First Director Threatens to Remove His Name From Building Over Sale of Georgia O’Keefe, Other Pieces ([Chicago Tribune]( - Years After a Corruption Scandal, the Mayor’s Fund Is Rebranding as the Philadelphia City Fund ([Philadelphia Inquirer]( Nonprofits and Unions - Pro-Union Ordinance Aimed at Chicago Nonprofits Draws Rebukes, Including From the Archdiocese ([Chicago Tribune](. Background From the Chronicle: [Here Come the Nonprofit Unions]( - Pittsburgh Nonprofit Fires 3 Employees In Alleged Anti-Union Campaign ([Pittsburgh City Paper]( - Amid Proposed Legislation, Walters Art Gallery Workers Submit Plan for Union Election as Standoff With Museum Leaders Nears ‘Breakthrough’ ([Baltimore Sun]( Opinion - A Shakeup for Unaccountable State Attorneys General ([Wall Street Journal]( — subscription) - The Tasteless, Dangerous Rise of Charity Porn Content ([New Statesman]( - Can a Museum Embody Environmental Justice? ([Guardian]( SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for unlimited access to nonprofit news and analysis. Editor's Picks WHY THEY GIVE [Muslim Couple Give Big to Autism and Promoting Religious Understanding]( By Maria Di Mento [STORY IMAGE]( Rafat and Zoreen Ansari are Indiana physicians who are devoting their fortune to fostering a better understanding of the world’s religions and ensuring people with autism get the care they need. OPINION [The Rule of Law Faces Threats in the U.S. and Abroad. Philanthropy Needs to Pay More Attention.]( By William H. Neukom [STORY IMAGE]( Addressing myriad societal problems depends on a strong rule of law. Unfortunately, developing, promoting, and enforcing this fundamental component of healthy democracies isn’t on most donor radars. GIVING [Nonprofit Leaders Want More Volunteers but Say It Is Tough to Recruit Them]( By Sara Herschander [STORY IMAGE]( A new study finds that half of nonprofit leaders say they can’t find enough volunteers, a sharp contrast from two decades ago. At the same time, far more chief executives say volunteers help them become more efficient than felt that way in the past. [28 Foundation Leaders Urge Peers to Channel More Funds to Black-Led Nonprofits]( By Alex Daniels [STORY IMAGE]( Prompted by the police murder of Tyre Nichols in Memphis, grant makers say it’s time to stop the erratic flow of money to organizations that work to advance racial justice and ensure money goes to such organizations generously and consistently. GIVING DATA [Millennials Had the Biggest Increase in Giving Among the Generations, New Survey Finds]( By Emily Haynes [STORY IMAGE]( Millennial donors turbocharged their giving over the past six years, according to a new report by Giving USA and the fundraising firm Dunham+Company. In 2022, millennial households gave 40 percent more, on average, to charity than they did in 2016 — bumping their average annual contribution up from… ADVERTISEMENT RECOMMENDED WEBINAR [Watch Our Webinar]( — Fundraisers planning events have a lot to juggle this year: keeping people safe from illness, entertained, and inspired — all while staying within budget as expenses rise. How can you plan a successful fundraising event this year — and maximize results — amid uncertainty? Join us for a 75-minute webinar on Thursday, February 9, at 2 p.m. Eastern as two successful executives share actionable advice and real-world examples of what's working now. Whether you’re planning in-person galas, small gatherings, or virtual events, our expert guests will share proven ways to build community — and raise more money at your next event. Plus, they'll highlight ways to create a flexible plan that can be adapted if circumstances change. 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