Washington Examiner reports on Greenlining’s efforts in California and beyond
The Washington Examiner has printed a week-long investigative series on Greenlining’s past and current activities.
Below are links to the full series:
Day 1 (4/12/10)
Article: Radical Greenlining Institute perfected legal bank heists
Sidebar: Greenlining founders emerged from civil right movement
Day 2 (4/13/10)
Article: Uncle Sam opens the bank vault to activists
Sidebar: Two peas in a pod?
Day 3 (4/14/10)
Article: The Little bank that fought back
Sidebar: More info on Greenlining
Day 4 (4/15/10)
Article: California bill pushed ‘diversity’ standards on charities
Sidebar: Bullets in Greenlining’s ‘diversity gun’
Day 5 (4/16/10)
Article: Greenlining hits the road, targets private foundations
Sidebar: Is Greenlining in financial trouble?
For more background information on this legislation, click the “AB 624” tag below.
ACR continues to identify and respond to challenges to the charitable community in the states as well, particularly those originating from interest groups and activist organizations. For example, last year the California Legislature considered AB 624, a bill that would have significantly increased onerous reporting requirements for foundations and their grantees. The legislation was promoted by Greenlining Institute, an aggressive activist organization.
We believe the impetus for comprehensive reporting was merely a veil for the true goal - influencing and ultimately directing foundations to fund causes preferred by Greenlining itself. Again, ACR activated many in the charitable community to add their voices in opposition to this legislation. While the legislation ultimately failed, Greenlining has expanded its focus to other states and has recently opened an office in Washington, D.C.
In 2008, the California legislature began formal consideration of legislation (California AB 624). Under the guise of transparency and disclosure, this legislation would have, we believe, channeled foundation grantmaking to a limited, statutorily-prescribed group of charities. This legislation would have created winners and clear losers in the charitable community.
The legislation, which was never enacted into law, served as a direct threat to the philanthropic freedom of foundations and the charities they support. Now, even after a few of California’s leading foundations made unprecedented commitments of tens of millions of dollars, it remains unclear whether members of the California legislature will try to advance similar legislation in 2009.
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