Tag: yost

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AG Yost Recovers Donations from Phony Charity Claiming to Benefit East Palestine

Under a settlement reached with the Ohio Clean Water Fund, the sham charity must turn over more than $131,000 in pocketed donations so the money truly does benefit East Palestine residents, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced today.

“I stand by my word to fight for the community of East Palestine,” AG Yost said. “We sued to make sure the contributions improperly solicited from well-intentioned donors get into the hands of people who will use them for their intended purposes. Our fight isn’t over, but this is a win.”

Yost’s initial lawsuit alleged that the Ohio Clean Water Fund (OCWF), while claiming to be operating on behalf of Second Harvest Food Bank, raised more than $141,000 to provide bottled water and emergency aid to the residents of East Palestine following the February train derailment disaster.

The food bank had not given OCWF permission to fundraise on its behalf, and Yost’s lawsuit revealed that the “charity” had pocketed at least $131,000 of the donated funds, while sending only $10,000 to the food bank.

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Fraud Free in 2023: AG Yost Launches ‘Charitable University’ to Help Protect Ohio Nonprofits

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost today announced the launch of a new training and accountability resource for Ohio nonprofits called Charitable University or CharitableU.

This online learning platform is designed to educate members of charity boards about both their legal obligations, as well as best practices for running their organizations.

“Every time an Ohioan gives money to charity, he or she is performing act of faith,” AG Yost said. “We want to make sure that board members and charity leaders are faithful stewards of the money they receive.”

The Ohio Attorney General’s Office oversees more than 60,000 active nonprofit organizations annually, with combined assets of more than $300 billion. The AGO’s Charitable Law section is charged with ensuring public trust in the charitable sector through transparency and accountability; enforcing standards; and holding bad actors accountable.

Users registering in the CharitableU system will find a series of short webinars and resources that are critical for effective leadership. Trainings on the platform cover the following “pillars”: board governance, financial operations and internal controls, filings and recordkeeping, and fundraising. Additional webinars will be added to each CharitableU curriculum pillar throughout the year.

To encourage organizations to be fraud free in 2023, completion of CharitableU will now be required for nonprofits who wish to apply for grant funds available from the Attorney General’s Office.

For transparency, organizations who complete CharitableU will be listed on the CharitableU website. Users will receive a certificate for completing the training, which will expire after three years as laws and best practices continually evolve.