Protecting Nonprofit Rights

New Posts

Feb 8, 2016

Top 400 Taxpayers See Tax Rates Rise, But There’s More to the Story

As Americans were gathering party supplies to greet the New Year, the Internal Revenue Service released their annual report of cumulative tax data reported on the 400 tax r...

read in full
Feb 4, 2016

Chlorine Bleach Plants Needlessly Endanger 63 Million Americans

Chlorine bleach plants across the U.S. put millions of Americans in danger of a chlorine gas release, a substance so toxic it has been used as a chemical weapon. Greenpeace’s new repo...

read in full
Jan 25, 2016

U.S. Industrial Facilities Reported Fewer Toxic Releases in 2014

The Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data for 2014 is now available. The good news: total toxic releases by reporting facilities decreased by nearly six percent from 2013 levels. Howe...

read in full
Jan 22, 2016

Methane Causes Climate Change. Here's How the President Plans to Cut Emissions by 40-45 Percent.

  UPDATE (Jan. 22, 2016): Today, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released its proposed rule to reduce methane emissions...

read in full
more news

Call for Investigation into White House

Jun 28, 2010 by Amanda Adams*

An article from the New York Times last week detailed the widespread use of the Caribou Coffee on Pennsylvania Avenue as a meeting place between White House officials and lobbyists. Now, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) asked the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform for an investigation.

read in full

Supreme Court Rules Against Charities' Challenge to the Patriot Act

Jun 22, 2010 by Amanda Adams*

In a 6-3 ruling, the Supreme Court ruled that the government can ban all forms of aid to designated terrorist organization, even if that aid includes advice about nonviolent and legal activities. In Humanitarian Law Project v. Holder, the Humanitarian Law Project (HLP) and other charities allege that sections of the USA PATRIOT Act violate the First Amendment. The plaintiffs said they only wanted to help the groups' nonviolent activities.

read in full

DISCLOSE Act Delayed Again

Jun 18, 2010 by Amanda Adams*

Facing trouble from all sides, House Democrats again decided to delay consideration of the DISCLOSE act. As the Washington Post describes, "One of President Obama's top legislative priorities is in serious doubt after top House Democrats' attempt to satisfy the National Rifle Association backfired badly.

read in full

June 16, 2010 Charity and Security Network Newsletter

Vol. 2, Issue 11
Featured articles, blogs and abstracts (click on headline to read full article):
1. Anniversary of Cairo Speech Passes Without Reforms on Rules for Charities
2. Analysis of the Treasury Department’s FAQ for charitable giving
3. USIP Report: Reform Listing Procedures to Turn Groups Away From Violence
4. Update: Coalition of Nonprofits Asks Obama to Put Humanitarian Imperative First
5. State & Justice: Respect for Human Rights Fundamental in Combating Terrorism
6. NGOs Tell House Committee That Foreign Aid Rules Need Fixes
7. NGO Impartiality May Upset Some, But Is Important for All
8. One Year After Cairo Speech, Obama Needs to Address Charitable Problems

read in full

Changes to DISCLOSE Act Spark Debate

Jun 16, 2010 by Amanda Adams*

Some controversy has developed after news that the DISCLOSE Act has been modified to exempt certain large 501(c)(4) organizations. Reportedly, organizations that have more than 1 million members, have been in existence for more than 10 years, have members in all 50 states, and raise 15 percent or less of their funds from corporations would be exempt from the disclosure requirements.

read in full

Wrangling over DISCLOSE Act Slows Bill Down, but Deal May Be Near in House

Some members of Congress have started to explore exempting certain nonprofits from the DISCLOSE Act, the bill developed by Democrats to respond to the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision from the U.S. Supreme Court. While some nonprofits are concerned about donor disclosure requirements in the bill, other groups are concerned that exemptions or changes to the bill would render the legislation ineffective. These organizations worry that without strong disclosure requirements, the bill would allow political ads sponsored by anonymous sources to flood the airwaves at election time.

read in full

BP and Environmental Nonprofits: Conflicts and Complaints

Nonprofit organizations are working diligently to counter the effects of the catastrophic oil spill that followed the failure of BP’s Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf of Mexico. Groups are aiding in cleanup efforts, protesting, raising money, and engaging in various other activities to turn anger into action. However, some nonprofits are also facing harsh criticism for accepting donations and other gifts from the oil company, and the worst oil spill disaster in the country's history has jeopardized partnerships between energy companies and environmental nonprofits.

read in full

With Changes to DISCLOSE Act, it May Be Considered This Week

Jun 14, 2010 by Amanda Adams*

POLITICOreports that House Democrats have reached an agreement with the National Rifle Association (NRA) on the DISCLOSE Act. "The NRA had objected to some of the disclosure requirements for the new campaign finance proposals, and that had kept moderate, pro-gun Democrats from backing the legislation. The NRA said it would not comment until specific legislative language is revealed."

read in full

SpeechNow.org Can Collect Unlimited Contributions, Other Groups Likely Follow

Jun 4, 2010 by Amanda Adams*

On May 27, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia entered a judgment declaring that SpeechNow.org may accept unlimited donations. The judgment also prevents the Federal Election Commission (FEC) from enforcing contribution limits against the group and its prospective donors.

read in full

GAO Finds Grants to Nonprofits Insufficiently Cover Costs

Jun 4, 2010 by Amanda Adams*

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently released a report on federal grants and nonprofits. Federal policy permits nonprofits to keep a share of contract funds for indirect costs, costs not exclusively associated with particular programs or projects, such as overhead. Unfortunately, state and local governments often keep the money for themselves. "GAO found differences in the rate in which state and local governments reimburse nonprofits for indirect costs."

read in full

Pages

Resources & Research

Living in the Shadow of Danger: Poverty, Race, and Unequal Chemical Facility Hazards

People of color and people living in poverty, especially poor children of color, are significantly more likely...

read in full

A Tale of Two Retirements: One for CEOs and One for the Rest of Us

The 100 largest CEO retirement funds are worth a combined $4.9 billion, equal to the entire retirement account savings of 41 percent of American fam...

read in full

Blowing Smoke: Chemical Companies Say “Trust Us,” But Environmental and Workplace Safety Violations Belie Their Rhetoric

Large chemical companies a...

read in full

Gasping for Support: Implementation of Tougher Air Quality Standards Will Require New Funds for State Agencies

New scientific research shows that the current levels of...

read in full
more resources
  • ©2025 Project On Government Oversight
  • All Rights Reserved.
  • This an archive site of the materials produced by the Center for Effective Government (formerly OMB Watch) and is maintained by the Project On Government Oversight.