The NonProfit Times - October 1, 2008 - (Page 7)

DONOR INTENT Continued from page 1 Meier and John Robertson are children of Charles and Marie Robertson. William Robertson and Katherine Ernst are family members on the board of trustees, as is Robert Halligan, a relative of the Robertsons. John Robertson has since died. The board of trustees consists of seven people, four representing the university and three representing the family. The case has dragged through the legal system, with each side blaming the other for the delays. Jennifer Berkowitz, whose North Carolina-based firm is handling public relations for the Robertson family, said two main issues led the family members to object to the way the foundation was being run and to resort to legal action in 2002. One issue was the use of $13 million for the construction of a building, Wallace Hall, and the other was the merging of Robertson Foundation money into the Princeton University Investment Company (PRINCO), an investment firm that manages university finances. Wallace Hall houses several social science departments and programs that the Robertson family claims have nothing to do with the mission of the foundation.The university, however, claims that they are an essential part of it. Foundation money was given to CHARITIES DRY damage assessments, more meals and family assistance. “It’s going to be very difficult to raise funds to cover the expenses we are going to put out.The national media is walking away from this pretty much. I think what’s going to happen is the urgency that was communicated prior to the storm got everyone geared up for a Katrina-like event. Luckily, it did not turn out to be so, and our attention turned quickly to the Republican national party or something else,” said Maj. Hogg, who said the organization launched damage assessments after the storm. The Red Cross said Hurricane Gustav spurred its biggest relief response since Hurricane Katrina – costing the organization more than $45 million and counting. ARC is faced with a “challenging fundraising situation,” according to Jeffrey Towers, chief development officer. Donors are saying the organization “dodged a bullet,” and donations are reflecting that mindset, according to Towers. In the days after Gustav, online donations plummeted – from $1.3 million on Labor Day, $325,000 on Tuesday and a mere $70,000 on Wednesday – and just $5 million raised overall as of early September. ARC decided on that Thursday to launch a comprehensive fundraising campaign the following Sept. 8 mailing within all 740 ARC chapters with a $100million goal across all areas of fundraising, including online and direct mail. Towers said the organization began calling foundations, corporations and major donors for support. ARC spent nearly $12 million for mobilization and supplies, such as cots, blankets and meals, before Gustav’s landfall, according to ARC spokesman Rob Levine. The organization had almost 900 shelters serving nearly 265,000 people after Gustav and Ike took their toll. ARC estimates it will cost more than $45 million to support people in the Gulf Coast area affected by Gustav alone, according to Towers, and the costs to feed people affected by prolonged power outages is expected to increase. As of the morning of Sept. 14, ARC had sheltered 264,165 overnight stays, served more than 1.2 million meals and distributed 50,000 comfort kits, with the help of more than 13,000 Red Cross workers. Expenses for Ike are anticipated to be “substantially larger than for Gustav,” Towers said, though it was still being assessed at presstime Sept. 15. There are some 600,000 homes in four affected counties with major damage that makes them uninhabitable. To date,only $10 million has been raised through the national ARC, not including fundraising by chapters, with about $3.4 million of that coming via the Web and another $4.1 million in corporate gifts. Charities Dry, page 22 PRINCO after members of an investment committee expressed concern about the foundation relying on a part-time volunteer committee to manage the investments. Robertson family members opposed the move, saying that the original endowment required that foundation’s funds be managed independently. “Two individuals who were fortunate to have the resources wanted to make a really big impact on the future of this country, and they chose to gift the money to a foundation which was specifically designed to train U.S. government professionals to improve and maximize the quality of our leadership in this country,” said William Robertson, speaking of his parents’ intentions. “And the institution that was chosen to conduct that program simply accepted the opportunity in bad faith,” he said. “They never ever intended to do their best to place students in the U.S. government. We have innumerable documents back to the early days showing that the president and dean and faculty never intended to do what my parents wanted.Yet they continued to mislead and make excuses to my father and when he became ill they simply reverted to their initial program of training scholars, not people for government service,” he said. Robertson said that his parents’ wishes, and the thrust of the foundation endowment, should be toward producing individuals who will go right into government service. He said that, among other issues, Donor Intent, page 9 OCTOBER 1, 2008 THE NONPROFIT TIMES www.nptimes.com 7 http://www.sage360.com/goodwill http://www.sage360.com/goodwill http://www.nptimes.com

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The NonProfit Times - October 1, 2008 Near Miss & Direct Hit Donor Intent The Focus Of Suit North Dakota AG Investigating The Grant Institute Contents Who...When...Where...How...What? Calendar Kumbaya Tying The Knot Filing Changes Philanthropy Caucus Big Bucks For Capital Campaigns 5 Things NOT To Do In A Capital Campaign Acquisition: Staying The Course ServiceNation Summit Fundraising Guide NPT Jobs Resource Directory

The NonProfit Times - October 1, 2008

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