Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette today announced a Notice of Intended Action and Cease and Desist Order against VietNow National Headquarters, Inc., an Illinois-based charity, for allegedly violating the Charitable Organizations and Solicitations Act. Continue reading “Michigan Attorney General Files Cease and Desist After Veterans Charity Admits to Lying to Donors about Helping Michigan Vets”
Florida Charity to Pay Over $100k to Breast Cancer Research, and is Banned from Soliciting in Michigan for Ten Years Due to Deceptive Fundraising
Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette today announced a settlement with Florida nonprofit Breast Cancer Outreach Foundation, Inc. The settlement resolves the Attorney General’s claims that, in 2015, the group deceptively raised $1.4 million nationwide, including at least $36,372 in Michigan. The group’s solicitations told donors that funds raised would be used for breast cancer research grants. In reality, all the money raised, except for one $8,235 grant, went to professional fundraisers and other expenses—not breast cancer research. Continue reading “Florida Charity to Pay Over $100k to Breast Cancer Research, and is Banned from Soliciting in Michigan for Ten Years Due to Deceptive Fundraising”
Nonprofit Quarterly: Colorado AG Seeks Dedicated Charity Oversight Unit
Last year, NPQ released an edition of our print magazine that focused on the changing landscape of nonprofit and philanthropic regulation. In that edition, we noted that regulatory mechanisms varied at the state level: Some had strong, dedicated charity oversight units, and others treated it almost as an afterthought, with oversight responsibilities spread across different agencies. We also suggested that the network of state charity regulators were becoming more connected in their work, pursuing their first lawsuit in common only recently. Therefore, it is no surprise to see some states with more distributed regulatory systems start to try to build central units.
Full article available here.
New York Attorney General Announces Suit Against Brooklyn Telemarketing Firm Under Investigation For Possible Deceptive Fundraising Practices And Harassment
Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced a suit to compel Brooklyn professional fundraiser, Menacola Marketing, d/b/a Neighborhood Outreach (“Menacola”), and the husband and wife team that ran it — president and owner, Katherine DeGregorio, and Joseph DeGregorio, vice president – to comply with an ongoing fraud investigation. From 2010 to 2015 Menacola reported raising donations of $5.04 million from New York donors from the approximately twenty charities it represented. During this same period Menacola retained, on average, 85% of the donations, or at least $4.4 million, for its fundraising services. Continue reading “New York Attorney General Announces Suit Against Brooklyn Telemarketing Firm Under Investigation For Possible Deceptive Fundraising Practices And Harassment”
Michigan Attorney General Files Cease and Desist Against Dearborn-based Fundraiser for Illegally Operating Clothing Donation Bins
Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette today announced a Notice of Intended Action and Cease and Desist Order against professional fundraiser Golden Recyclers, Inc., alleging over 2,000 violations of the Charitable Organizations and Solicitations Act. Continue reading “Michigan Attorney General Files Cease and Desist Against Dearborn-based Fundraiser for Illegally Operating Clothing Donation Bins”