Commentary: The Virtue of Nonprofits

The Virtue of Nonprofits
by Karen Woods

The cultural assumption of late has been that Sarbanes-Oxley was necessary; the corporate agenda is greed and CEO indulgence. Similar revelations have surfaced among charities such as National Capital Area United Way and “questionable” nonprofits collecting millions for tsunami relief.

So in the naive belief that virtuous decisions can be legislated—and despite the onerous cost of Sarbanes-Oxley—the rush to more charity oversight began. The United States Senate and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) are at the forefront; the benefit to the uniquely generous and often sacrificial compassion sector remains in question.