Journalism and Charities
The interconnectedness of registered charities and journalism is growing. In this era of digital content explosion and “fake news”, traditional media outlets — especially newspapers — are seeking new ways to serve their communities and survive. Increasingly, public benefit non-profit journalism is becoming a charitable activity. There are estate donors who are interested in supporting this space.
Foundation vs. Charitable Organization
The WE Charity scandal has been fascinating to charity watchers. On July 22, it was revealed that the Canadian Government contracted with the WE Charity Foundation for the Canada Student Service Grant (CSSG) program, not the WE Charity as previously reported.
Complaining about a Charity
Charity regulators all have processes for members of the public to make complaints about the charities. These processes reveal as much about the regulator and the underlying laws as they do about charity malfeasance.
Are Charities Second-Class Beneficiaries?
Charities face a bizarre challenge when administering gifts by will. It should be simple. After the donor’s death, a charity named as a recipient of an estate donation becomes the beneficiary of a trust. The money is owed to the charity and the interest in the trust is legally enforceable. Charities, however, are often considered to be second-class beneficiaries.
Does Charity Data Matter?
What role do data and metrics play when we make charitable donations? Often very little. And that, in certain cases, is a good thing. This was brought home to me twice recently