Nonprofit news roundup May 6, 2009

May 6, 2009

First lady Michelle Obama said President Obama's budget for next year will include $50 million to help expand nonprofit programs to promote national service, the Washington Post reported May 5 (see national service story). Mrs. Obama said the White House initiative, a part of the new Serve America Act known as the Social Innovation Fund, would provide capital to support innovative nonprofit organizations and help social entrepreneurs expand "their successful approaches to tackling our most pressing national challenges."

The 56-year old Communities Foundation of Texas has surpassed $1 billion in donations to charities, The Dallas Morning News reported May 5 (see Texas Communities Foundation story). The foundation, which provided $80 million in grants in the fiscal year that ended in June, says that despite the economic downturn, it expects to distribute that same amount this fiscal year.

The Lilly Endowment in Indianapolis said the value of its assets fell 26 percent in 2008 to $5.7 billion from $7.7 billion, the Indianapolis Business Journal reported May 5 (see endowment decline story). The Endowment says in its annual report it paid grants totaling $330.9 million last year and approved grants totaling $310.9 million, with roughly three-fourths of the funds in both categories staying in Indiana, the Indianapolis Star reported May 6 (see Lilly Endowment story).

The PGA Tour and its tournaments have raised over $1.4 billion for charity over the last 70 years, a total that does not include the $35 million the Tiger Woods Foundation has contributed through grants and scholarships, the Associated Press reported May 5 (see PGA charity story).

The former finance director of the National Children's Alliance, a nonprofit that that helps child abuse victims, pleaded guilty Tuesday to stealing eight payroll paychecks totaling over $15,800 from the organization, the Associated Press reported May 5 (see nonprofit theft story). Based in Washington, the group has over 500 Children's Advocacy Centers across the U.S. devoted to helping victims of child abuse and is funded in large part by grants from the Justice Department.

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