I sent the following to Western Carolina University officials yesterday, with a copy to Gannett Foundation Executive Director Tara Connell. My questions concern $40,000 in foundation grants given to the North Carolina school for an endowed scholarship fund recommended by CEO Craig Dubow.Nov. 30, 2008
Clifton Metcalf, Jim Miller and Bill Studenc:
The Gannett Foundation gave $20,000 in 2006 and $20,000 in 2007 to the Western Carolina University Foundation in Cullowhee, N.C., for endowed scholarships. Both grants were recommended by Gannett Chairman and CEO Craig Dubow, the foundation's public tax returns show.
My questions:
Aren't Form 990s more accurately described as "informational returns," rather than "tax returns," since the nonprofits don't pay taxes? I read that someplace, but can't find it now.
ReplyDelete12:33 pm: Possibly; whatever the formal name, it's a form filed with the Internal Revenue Service.
ReplyDeleteJim,
ReplyDeleteThis is bullshit reporting you are doing. Why don't you just leave this alone. Seriously. I think the fact that Gannett has a foundation to make contributions toward charities, Universities, or anything that would help others is very noble.
Why don't you report on some of the positive things the foundation is donating toward?
You do not intimidate anyone with your bullshit, negative reporting.
Can you imagine if that university was now able to do research on the cure for aids or cancer and this money went toward some research?
I am not suggesting that this university is using these funds to do just that, but how about you also tell your readers how much money the Foundation has given to young journalists at universities and diversity programs?
7:51 pm: I believe you missed this post on foundation grants to diversity-related programs; please see: http://tinyurl.com/4oad94
ReplyDelete7:51 PM
ReplyDeleteI believe Gannett does a very nice of telling people about its foundation, including the guidelines. Jim, I think, does an equally nice job pointing out the guidelines and questioning whether or not they were followed.
I absolutely agree with 7:51. Jim has questioned whther the rules have been bent, and wants to know why. We as Gannett employees would never get away with this stuff. Agreed, the foundation is a great thing, but let's all be given the same choices on where we send the money.
ReplyDelete