Opinion: 2016 Shaping Up as a Big Year for ‘Dark Money’
Presidential politics and congressional action are further opening the floodgates for funds from “social welfare” nonprofits to flow into this year’s campaigns, a Bloomberg View columnist writes.
Obamacare Opt-Out Spurs Growth of Faith-Based Health Plans
Health-care ministries that offer coverage outside the insurance system have grown rapidly in recent years as consumers take advantage of an exception for such nonprofit providers in the Affordable Care Act, writes The Wall Street Journal.
Right Plans Hiatus in Planned Parenthood Funding Fight
A largely symbolic House vote next week to halt federal payments to the women’s health nonprofit will likely be the last on the issue until a Republican moves into the White House, conservative activists tell The New York Times.
Twin Cities Foundations Part of Influential Civic Effort
The New York Times looks at the Itasca Project, a network of Minneapolis and St. Paul business and philanthropic leaders that over the past dozen years has a played a key behind-the-scenes role in shaping the Twin Cities’ economic agenda.
Congressman Seeks More Data on Red Cross Downsizing
A ranking member of the House committee that oversees the American Red Cross is pressing for more information on how layoffs and chapter closures have affected the aid organization’s disaster-response mission, ProPublica reports.
Israeli Leaders Advance Bill on Nonprofits’ Foreign Funding
A committee of government ministers approved legislation Sunday that would require nonprofits to disclose if they get more than half their funding from other countries, The Wall Street Journal and The Times of Israel report.
Charity Navigator Removes Clinton Foundation From Watch List
The watchdog group says the filing of several years of new and updated IRS information has addressed concerns about transparency.
By Megan O’Neil
Contributor
Audit Faults NYC Homelessness Office on Shelter Monitoring
A review by New York City’s fiscal watchdog found that the city’s Department of Homeless Services has too few employees to properly oversee nonprofit-run shelters that serve some 12,000 families, reports The New York Times.
Nonprofit Insurer Raises Rates Despite $9.9 Billion Surplus
The Houston Chronicle reports on the finances of Health Care Service Corp., the nation’s largest customer-owned insurer, which is raising premiums and eliminating some coverage plans while maintaining a reserve fund one health-policy expert called “unusually aggressive.”
Obama Foundation Shortlists Seven Firms for Library Design
Architects from New York, Chicago, and Europe were named as finalists for the sought-after commission of designing Barack Obama’s $500 million presidential library and museum, the Chicago Tribune reports.
Congress Extends Some Charitable Tax Provisions Permanently
The move is a victory for nonprofits, which have complained of having to fight repeatedly on Capitol Hill to renew expiring tax breaks that benefit charities.
By Alex Daniels
Contributor
Nonprofits Battle Governors Over Resettling Syrians
The debate over relocating Syrian refugees in the United States is fueling a fight between charities that provide large-scale assistance for migrants and governors who want to stop such resettlement in their states, The Wall Street Journal writes.
N.J. Judge Orders ‘Gay Conversion’ Charity to Shut Down
Six months after being found liable for consumer fraud, a Jersey City nonprofit that provided therapy it said would eliminate same-sex attraction has been ordered to close, writes the Associated Press.
Court Finds Wash. Hospital Violated Charity Care Law
A Yakima County, Wash., judge ruled that a regional medical center breached state law by demanding payment from indigent patients before providing treatment, the Yakima Herald reports.
Gay Man Wins Case Over Lost Job at Mass. Catholic School
A Massachusetts court ruled Wednesday that the private Fontbonne Academy illegally discriminated against a would-be employee by retracting a job offer after discovering he had a same-sex spouse, The Boston Globe reports.
NYC Mayor Outlines New Outreach to Homeless on Streets
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a new task force Thursday to reach people living on the streets and usher them into long-term housing, The Wall Street Journal reports.