NonprofitWatch.org
Title
Nonprofit Watch - Home
Description
NonprofitWatch.org is an independent project being developed by Bernardo Issel. The project's goal are to investigate public interest groups and raise issues regarding transparency, conflicts of interest, and accountability within the nonprofit community. While numerous groups exist that evaluate nonprofits by a variety of criteria, primarily accounting measures, none of these groups examine ethical issues related to conflict of interest matters and strategic differences among public interest groups. It is my belief that the widely accepted thesis regarding the influence of big money on politics also applies to the nonprofit sector. NonprofitWatch.org's seeks to provide the general public with knowledge to make better informed philanthropic decisions. While such would not affect the ability of special interests to fund nonprofits, it may encourage some individuals to direct their energies and donations to different groups.
The political "right" is highly adept in its criticism of nonprofits. The Capital Research Center (CRC) criticizes corporations for giving to charities and other non-governmental organizations oriented toward public interest goals. But CRC seldom if at all criticizes donations to trade associations or lobby groups as misplaced expenditures, probably for the obvious reason that this funding serves the corporate interest. CRC ignores the question as to whether corporate donations to the nonprofit sector also serve the corporate interest --purchasing influence to alter discourse and public debate within civil society. NonprofitWatch.org intends to invert this criticism and raise the question of what ill effect arises from nonprofits receiving corporate and other special interest funding.
Mr. Issel owns no stock what so ever, not even for the purpose of shareholder resolutions. His background is that of blue collar working family. He has no trust fund, though admittedly he has known people who do.
