In a Letter to the Editor of The Kansas City Star entitled “On Donor Trust,” Philanthropy Roundtable’s Director of Policy Research Jack Salmon and Director of Government Affairs Megan Schmidt celebrated the passing of the Donor Intent Protection Act, signed by Kansas Governor Laura Kelly on April 19, 2023. Philanthropy Roundtable testified in favor of this legislation at the committee hearing on March 10, 2023, and applauds the enactment of this important bill.
Read the Letter to the Editor, published in The Kansas City Star, below:
“On behalf of 501(c)(3) nonprofit Philanthropy Roundtable, we were pleased to see Gov. Laura Kelly sign the Donor Intent Protection Act into law recently. We work with donors and charities all over the country, and we hope other states will follow Kansas’s lead to enact legislation that fosters accountability and builds trust between donors and charities. Both are critical to ensuring charitable giving remains an effective avenue for providing essential support to those in need.
“Donors often give to charities with a specific purpose and expectation for how their donations will be used. Sadly, at times, donor intent has been violated, resulting in complicated legal battles. The Donor Intent Protection Act safeguards the intentions of Kansas donors and provides a way to correct violations, specifically offering a legal pathway for enforcing written endowment agreements.
“Giving donors confidence that their contributions will not be misused encourages generosity, potentially resulting in additional charitable giving for the nonprofits working to strengthen Kansas communities and improve the lives of those who live there.
“We’re grateful that Kansas chose to protect donor intent as a cornerstone of philanthropy, which continues to play a critical role in helping communities address some of our most complex social challenges.”
Read “On Donor Trust,” at The Kansas City Star.
Letter to the Editor: Jack Salmon and Megan Schmidt applaud Kansas Donor Intent Protection Act in The Kansas City Star
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