Friday Rewind

1. One of the longest held rules in charity is that nonprofits don’t have to publicly disclose who has given them money. It’s a First Amendment issue. But that concept is now being challenged by two major court cases that have had the odd effect of uniting nonprofits on far sides of the political spectrum. Read the Full Story Here.
2. After months of investigation, the Better Business Bureau has cleared the Wounded Warrior Project, one of the nation’s largest veterans charities of “lavish spending,” and gave the nonprofit organization its seal of approval. Read the Full Story Here.
3. President Trump promised last week to “totally destroy” the Johnson Amendment which forbids churches and other 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations from engaging in official electioneering. In this article, Jon Levine and David Callahan argue that the biggest loser if it is repealed will be the philanthropic sector. Read the Full Story Here.
4. There are wealthy white philanthropists in every city saying that they want to change urban education, but few are able to save their own organizations from whiteness. That’s because few funders are serious about social justice. And taking their money erodes the seriousness of those who take it. Read the Full Story Here.
5. On a last note this week, we want to acknowledge the passing of Diana Gurieva. Diana served as the President of the Dyson Foundation for 24 years and passed away on February 6th, 2017 following a courageous battle with cancer. Mrs. Gurieva also served on the board of directors for the Grantmakers Forum of New York (which merged in 2015 to form the NY Funders Alliance), and we join all those in the Hudson Valley — and around the state — who mourn her passing. Read the Full Story Here.

Friday Rewind is published each Friday by NY Funders Alliance staff. To submit a story for the Friday Rewind, please email programs@nyfunders.org.