Abusing Donor Intent

Abusing Donor Intent
Author: Doug White
Publisher: Paragon House
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2014-04-01
Genre: Law
ISBN: 9781557789099

It was the largest one-time amount—$35 million—anyone had ever donated to benefit a university. The Robertsons were specific about the way the money was to be used. It was intended to help Princeton's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs focus on sending its graduates into those areas of the federal government concerned with international relations. "But the university," the son says, "was ignoring my parents' intentions." Furthermore, Princeton's administrators were "harming the country." That's not, as you might imagine, the way Princeton saw it—or sees it today. How much control over a gift does a donor have after the gift is given? How accountable is a non-profit recipient for the use of the gift? "Robertson v. Princeton may be the most important case higher education has faced over the question of honoring the wishes of the donor." Wall Street Journal "Doug White's careful and fair study of the seminal Robertson Foundation endowment litigation against Princeton University should be read by all donors and donees. As a former head of the New York State Law Department's Charities Bureau, I know donors have to have both courage and resources to enforce their rights, especially against iconic donees. Fortunately, the Robertsons had both." Bill Josephson, Former head of the Charities Bureau, New York State Attorney General's office This book is based on extensive research and interviews with leading attorneys Victoria Bjorklund and Douglas Eakeley (Princeton) and Ron Malone and Seth Lapidow (Robertson family), experts for both sides, representatives of other major nonprofits, philanthropists, and high-profile public figures including George H.W. Bush, Brent Scowcroft, Chuck Robb, and Paul Volcker.

Protecting Donor Intent: How to Define and Safeguard Your Philanthropic Principles

Protecting Donor Intent: How to Define and Safeguard Your Philanthropic Principles
Author: Jeffrey Cain
Publisher: The Philanthropy Roundtable
Total Pages: 72
Release: 2012-02-22
Genre: Reference
ISBN: 0985126523

The need for this guidebook is clear. Donors have made large gifts to charitable causes only to have the funds eventually spent on purposes they never would have supported. All too often, the trustees and staff of grantmaking institutions drift from intended goals, lose accountability, or pay insufficient attention to the principles that governed their founders' charitable giving. In some cases, assets have been put to uses that would have repelled the original benefactors, turning a generous and well-intentioned gift into a punchline. This guidebook offers detailed guidance to philanthropists who want to ensure that the assets they dedicate to charity are disbursed as they intend. It identifies common pitfalls, explains relevant tradeoffs, and describes successful strategies used by other donors. It lays a broad range of options before you, and suggests ways you can define, secure, and perpetuate your charitable intentions.

The Nonprofit Challenge

The Nonprofit Challenge
Author: D. White
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 373
Release: 2010-10-25
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0230114008

This book describes the challenges facing charities, explains how they must reassess their commitment, and pushes charities to be their best. It also examines how two sectors of society - business and government - would benefit from a similar corrective journey.

Protecting Your Legacy

Protecting Your Legacy
Author: Joanne Florino
Publisher:
Total Pages:
Release: 2020-04-30
Genre:
ISBN: 9780997852639

The importance of respecting donor intent is frequently mentioned in discussions of philanthropic practice, but often misinterpreted or given only lip service. Wise donors, though, know that energetically guarding their gifts and their mission is the only way to ensure the integrity and effectiveness of personal giving.This comprehensive, easy-to-read book outlines-with a clarity and authority never before achieved-all of the vital steps need to protect your giving legacy. It carefully avoids one-size-fits-all solutions, addresses the central matters in depth, and incorporates the wisdom of scores of donors, foundation leaders, and consultants who generously share their experiences, from horror stories to triumphs. No matter where you are in your philanthropic journey, you can take steps to avoid losing control of your charitable gifts. And you must. As this thorough and practical book demonstrates, there is a high likelihood of bitter disappointment if you don't act to enshrine your philathropic principles in careful codes, staff choices, governance rules, and management procedures. Study this guide to make sure the fruits of your hard work and generosity actually go to the causes you hold dear.

Donor Intent

Donor Intent
Author: Robert H. Bork
Publisher:
Total Pages: 27
Release: 1993
Genre: Charities
ISBN:

Just Giving

Just Giving
Author: Rob Reich
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 258
Release: 2020-05-05
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 0691202273

The troubling ethics and politics of philanthropy Is philanthropy, by its very nature, a threat to today’s democracy? Though we may laud wealthy individuals who give away their money for society’s benefit, Just Giving shows how such generosity not only isn’t the unassailable good we think it to be but might also undermine democratic values. Big philanthropy is often an exercise of power, the conversion of private assets into public influence. And it is a form of power that is largely unaccountable and lavishly tax-advantaged. Philanthropy currently fails democracy, but Rob Reich argues that it can be redeemed. Just Giving investigates the ethical and political dimensions of philanthropy and considers how giving might better support democratic values and promote justice.

The Art of Planned Giving

The Art of Planned Giving
Author: Douglas E. White
Publisher:
Total Pages: 394
Release: 1995
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN:

"A unique book with a unique approach, this is destined to become a classic." --Charitable Gift Planning News In this deeply humane and informative book, Douglas White deftly weaves together personal insight and level-headed advice in a probing look at the human side of planned giving. He helps you understand, develop, and use the interpersonal skills that are an essential part of every successful planned giving officer's art. White provides practical answers to such crucial questions as: How do I successfully approach a prospect for a planned gift? What are the steps to building a prospect's trust and instilling a sense of mission? How can I tell if I'm being too aggressive--or not aggressive enough? How do I handle a donor's lawyer and other advisors who don't support the gift? Tracing the entire process of acquiring a planned gift from the first phone call to managing the gift's assets, White offers many helpful pointers on how to deal with donors, their families, and their professional advisors, as well as executive directors and board members within your organization. He also helps you translate technical knowledge into planned gifts that are better for both donors and charities. The first book to take you beyond the mere mechanics and into the very soul of planned giving, The Art of Planned Giving is an important working resource for planned giving officers, fund-raising professionals and consultants, as well as nonprofit executives and board members.

Strategic Giving

Strategic Giving
Author: Peter Frumkin
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Total Pages: 471
Release: 2008-09-15
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0226266281

The philanthropic landscape is changing dramatically as a new generation of wealthy donors seeks to leave its mark on the public sphere. Peter Frumkin reveals in Strategic Giving why these donors could benefit from having a comprehensive plan to guide their giving. And with this thoughtful and timely book, he provides the much-needed framework to understand and develop this kind of philanthropic strategy. After listening for years to scores of individual and institutional funders discuss the challenges of giving wisely, Frumkin argues here that contemporary philanthropy requires a thorough rethinking of its underlying logic. Philanthropy should be seen, he contends, as both a powerful way to meet public needs and a meaningful way to express private beliefs and commitments. He demonstrates that finding a way to simultaneously fulfill both of these functions is crucial to the survival of philanthropy and its potential to support pluralism in society. And he goes on to identify the five essential elements donors must consider when developing a philanthropic strategy—the vehicle through which giving will flow, the way impact will be achieved, the level of engagement and profile sought, the time frame for giving, and the underlying purpose of the gift. Frumkin’s point is that donors must understand strategic giving as the integration of these five critical dimensions to giving. Essential reading for donors, researchers, and anyone involved with the world of philanthropy, Strategic Giving provides a new basis for understanding philanthropic effectiveness and a promising new way for philanthropy to achieve the legitimacy that has at times eluded it.