The Clinton Foundation Reveals Its Donors: Should You?
June 04, 2015
A fundraising foundation has two world-famous founders, a global network of generous donors, and a track record of grantmaking success. One of the founders plans to run for higher office, and the foundation makes the decision to be highly transparent about its donor base to ensure that there can be no suspicion of undue influence on the potential candidate. End of story.
Unless your founders happen to be Bill and Hillary Clinton.
Over the past several weeks, Foundation Center has been approached by numerous reporters asking — in some cases literally — "There's smoke, right? What about a fire?" Our response has been an immediate "No," followed by an explanation as to why the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation in fact represents a model of transparency when compared to other grantmaking public charities. (Unlike private foundations endowed by a single donor or donor family — think Ford Foundation — grantmaking public charities like the Clinton Foundation sustain their work by raising funds from a variety of donors.)
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