Charity News Roundup

A digest of news stories from the week ending Friday, June 6.

As the presidential race narrowed to two candidates this week, nonprofits showed up in stories from both camps:

• An Associated Press story, People who might complicate Obama’s campaign, reminds us of two religious leaders, Jeremiah Wright and Michael Pfleger, whose radical rhetoric has proved to be an embarrassment to Democrat Barack Obama.
• The Washington Post investigated potentially improper political activity by Citizens Against Government Waste, a 501(c)(3) charity that supports Republican John McCain.

Controversy continues to dog the American Red Cross, as their program to aid the victims of tornados in Iowa drew criticism from Iowa senator Charles E. Grassley.

We note with sadness the passing of Anne d’Harnoncourt, director of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

The troubled economy is a concern to many nonprofits across the country, as exemplified by these stories from Boston, Massachusetts and Columbus, Ohio. However, there are also positive aspects to the situation, as we see in this story from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Finally, we are pleased to note that grassroots charity is alive and well and making a difference in the world. See what kids all over the country are doing to combat the problem of malaria in Africa, as reported in the New York Times.