Nonprofit Newswire | McInnis Mum on Foundation Deal he Once Called "Sweet"
Rick Cohen
June 16, 2010; Source: Colorado Independent | Some foundations are exceptionally generous. The Republican candidate for governor in Colorado, former congressman Scott McInnis, was fortunate to have had a two-year gig with the Hasan Family Foundation. He told a radio interview that the position was "pretty sweet."
You bet. He was paid $300,000 to write a total of 150 double-spaced pages titled, "Musings on Water." Neither the Foundation nor the candidate has released "Musings" for public review. But wait, he was paid not as a staff member, but as a "fellow"—but the payments were listed in the Foundation's 990 as payments to "Scott McInnis Invest 2 LLC" (the foundation's other fellow, a Professor Albar Ahmad, was paid directly rather than as a corporation, albeit for only $30,000). It's pretty rare, we think, that foundation or academic fellows are paid as LLC's rather than individuals.
The politics of the foundation are on the conservative side. The son of the founder ran for and lost the Republican nomination as state treasurer. Among the major grants from the foundation are grants to conservative think tanks such as the Americans for Tax Reform Foundation (Grover Norquist's organization) and the Independence Institute (with a tagline, "Freedom's Front Line"); bipartisan groups such as the Center for the Study of the Presidency; and a variety of cultural organizations such as the Kennedy Center. There's nothing wrong with foundations with conservative leanings or liberal tendencies, but if foundations of either political stripe settle to serve as between-election way-stations for politicians, that's simply wrong.—Rick Cohen
Rick joined NPQ in 2006, after almost eight years as the executive director of the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP). Before that he played various roles as a community worker and advisor to others doing community work. He also worked in government. Cohen pursued investigative and analytical articles, advocated for increased philanthropic giving and access for disenfranchised constituencies, and promoted increased philanthropic and nonprofit accountability.
Remaking the Economy: Advocacy and Community, the Delicate Balance
Steve Dubb and Rudy Espinoza
Dimensions of Thriving: Learning from Black LGBTQ+/SGL Moments, Spaces, and Practices
Dr. Kia Darling-Hammond
Where Are New Co-ops Emerging? The Changing Map of Co-op Development
Courtney Berner
Beyond Equity: Targeted Universalism and the Closing of the Racial Wealth Gap
john a. powell
Fundraising Medicine: Creating Gift Acceptance Policies
A Veterans Day Call for Cleaning Out Scamming Faux Veterans...
A City in Remission: Can the "Grand Bargain" Revive...