AG Peterson to Serve on NAAG Special Committee on Charities

Attorney General Peterson to Serve on National Association of Attorneys General Special Committee on Charities

Lincoln, Nebraska-– Attorney General Doug Peterson has been appointed to serve as co-chair of a new Special Charities Committee of the National Association of Attorneys General.  The Committee, which held its first meeting yesterday, was formed because of the importance of a transparent and accountable charitable sector and the responsibility of state attorneys general in ensuring that the public interest in charitable funds and purposes is upheld and protected.

"The recent investigation into Cancer Fund of America and its related charities, and the resolution of that matter, is an excellent example of how fraudulent actors can deceive thousands of well-meaning donors to give to sham charities,” said Attorney General Peterson. “It is imperative that we as Attorneys General protect the public from these reprehensible actors.”

The Committee is co-chaired by Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen. Other Committee members include the attorneys general of Colorado, Kansas, New Hampshire, the Northern Mariana Islands, Utah and Vermont.

The nonprofit sector contributed an estimated $905.9 billion to the United States' economy in 2013, composing 5.4 percent of the country’s gross domestic product, according to the federal Bureau of Economic Analysis. Approximately 1.41 million nonprofits were registered with the Internal Revenue Service in 2013 – an increase of 2.8 percent from 2003, of which 783,000 are public charities that solicit donations from the public, an increase of 20.6% since 2003 – according to the Urban Institute, and total private giving from individuals, foundations and businesses totaled $358.38 billion in 2014, an increase of just over 5 percent from 2013 after adjusting for inflation.

Please visit the Consumer Protection Division of the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office at https://protectthegoodlife.nebraska.gov/ for additional information about the Attorney General’s role in regard to charities and charitable assets.  For information on the Cancer Fund of America, Inc. et al. matter, please visit the National Association of State Charities Officials’ website at http://www.nasconet.org/category/cfa-lawsuit/.  To learn more about the National Association of Attorneys General, click here.