logo logo
Donate
    • Membership
    • Donate
  • Social Justice
    • Racial Justice
    • Climate Justice
    • Disability Justice
    • Economic Justice
    • Health Justice
    • Immigration
    • LGBTQ+
  • Civic News
  • Nonprofit Leadership
    • Board Governance
    • Equity-Centered Management
    • Finances
    • Fundraising
    • Human Resources
    • Organizational Culture
    • Philanthropy
    • Power Dynamics
    • Strategic Planning
    • Technology
  • CONTENT TYPES
  • Leading Edge Membership
  • Newsletters
  • Webinars

Penn. Considers Clamping Down on Politicians’ Nonprofits

Rick Cohen
March 7, 2012

March 5, 2012; Source: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Pennsylvania’s state Senate Rules Committee has given initial approval to a resolution introduced by state Sen. Dominic Pileggi (R-Delaware County) prohibiting government funding from going to nonprofits that are affiliated with state senators and their family members.

Sign up for our free newsletters

Subscribe to NPQ's newsletters to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use, and to receive messages from NPQ and our partners.

Before you get too excited about the Pennsylvania state Senate’s sudden burst of ethical concerns about nonprofits controlled by state politicians and their families, know that Pileggi’s resolution has been sitting around since he introduced it in April of 2011.

So what makes Pennsylvania suddenly sensitive to this issue? Hours before the vote on Pileggi’s resolution, former House Democratic Whip Mike Veon (D-Beaver Falls) was convicted of eight felonies and two misdemeanors for misusing moneys from the Beaver Initiative for Growth, which had received $10 million in state government grants over a 10-year period. A couple of years ago, state Sen. Vincent Fumo (D-Philadelphia) was convicted in federal court of defrauding the nonprofit Citizens Alliance out of millions of dollars (see here and here for some of NPQ’s coverage of Fumo). Let’s hope this new bill helps Pennsylvania avoid such problems in the future.—Rick Cohen

About the author
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.

More about: Nonprofit NewsPolicyPolitics

Our Voices Are Our Power.

Journalism, nonprofits, and multiracial democracy are under attack. At NPQ, we fight back by sharing stories and essential insights from nonprofit leaders and workers—and we pay every contributor.

Can you help us protect nonprofit voices?

Your support keeps truth alive when it matters most.
Every single dollar makes a difference.

Donate now
logo logo logo logo logo
See comments

You might also like
Summer Camp in a Climate-Changed World
Alison Stine
IRS Weakens Johnson Amendment—Nonprofits Push Back
Isaiah Thompson
New York and Other States Move to Fix Nonprofit Contracting Delays
Lauren Girardin
Seeking the Willing: A Friendship Across Political Lines
Venu Gupta
The US Bombing of Iran—How Nonprofits and Civil Society Must Respond
Phyllis Bennis
Crafting Elements of a 2029 Agenda: A New Fair Deal
Ann Lehman

Upcoming Webinars

Group Created with Sketch.
July 24th, 2:00 pm ET

Organizing in Divided Times

The Relational Infrastructure We Need to Protect Democracy

Register
Group Created with Sketch.
September 24th-25th, 2:00 pm ET

Advanced QuickBooks for Nonprofits

Expert Guidance for Experienced QuickBooks Users

Register

    
You might also like
Two young people watch from shore as a canoe with a child in a life vest enters a lake.
Summer Camp in a Climate-Changed World
Alison Stine
A view of the inside of a small church, with a wooden ceiling and stained glass windows.
IRS Weakens Johnson Amendment—Nonprofits Push Back
Isaiah Thompson
An aerial view of New York City buildings during the daytime.
New York and Other States Move to Fix Nonprofit Contracting...
Lauren Girardin

Like what you see?

Subscribe to the NPQ newsletter to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

See our newsletters

By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use, and to receive messages from NPQ and our partners.

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Copyright
  • Donate
  • Editorial Policy
  • Funders
  • Submissions

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

 

Non Profit News | Nonprofit Quarterly
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.