Epidemic Of Broken Promises

Americans have become accustomed to politicians' broken promises, both alleged and real. But other public institutions--charity, higher education, medicine and the military--still enjoy the public's trust.

Trust, however, is a fragile commodity. For example, consider the following: What if Bill and Melinda Gates announced plans to spend some $350 million over the next 10 years to prepare top college graduate students for federal government careers in diplomacy and international affairs? Ten years from now, what if there is evidence that much of the Gates gift was spent on other things and that few program graduates went into government service? That would raise some serious questions.

So here's the kicker: Such a program already exists. It was established in 1961 by my late parents, Charles and Marie Robertson. Some $350 million has already been spent. Another $35 million per year (at least) is in the pipeline (over the next 10 years--you do the math). Relatively few of the program's nearly 2,000 alumni have pursued government careers; fewer still have pursued careers in diplomacy and international affairs.

Who's responsible for this tragic waste of talent, time and money? The answer: my alma mater, Princeton University. And that's why my sisters and I are suing the school.

Unfortunately, a mounting body of evidence indicates that Princeton is not alone. Many nonprofits apparently walk away from promises they make to donors.

This revelation comes at a time when Americans are giving record amounts to charity. On June 25, the Giving USA Foundation announced that charitable contributions hit an all-time high last year: $295 billion, up 4% from 2005. The record total, Giving USA officials said, included contributions from "hundreds of millions" of Americans--including 65% of all households with family incomes below $100,000, "higher than the percentage who vote or read a Sunday newspaper."

Three weeks after the Giving USA report was released, the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service announced plans to create a new program to attract students to federal service (sound familiar?).

Named in honor of Theodore Roosevelt, the program is intended, Partnership officials said, "to encourage top talent to pursue careers in mission-critical positions." Unlike the program established by my parents, however, the new program would be funded by U.S. taxpayers.

As Washington Post columnist Stephen Barr reported, the idea "is the latest in a series of proposals aimed at luring the best and brightest into government careers," including bipartisan legislation to create a U.S. Public Service Academy. These proposals come at a time when the federal government has a pressing need for new blood. A recent Partnership for Public Service report, for example, estimated that federal agencies will need to fill 193,000 jobs in the next two years alone, because of anticipated Baby Boomer retirements and homeland security needs.

The program established by my parents 46 years ago was intended to be precisely the kind of public service academy now being championed in Congress. As then-Princeton President Robert Goheen told The New York Times when the program was announced, the gift was to be used to "establish professional education for public service at a level of excellence comparable to the country's best schools of medicine and law…"

The June 2007 issue of CPA Journal, publication of the New York State Society of CPAs, reported that "more than 20 separate states' attorneys general have launched 30 investigations into nonprofits all over the United States." Some of these investigations, no doubt, involve the nonprofit world's epidemic of broken promises, such as Princeton's betrayal of my parents and Tulane University's alleged betrayal of Josephine Newcomb, who endowed the university's women's college some 125 years ago.

Americans of good conscience need to take a stand. If top officials of universities and other tax-exempt organizations can solicit tax-deductible contributions for one purpose and use the money for other purposes, donors will stop giving. If that happens, trust in the nonprofit sector will be gone--and many Americans will be hurt.

William Robertson, Princeton '72, is lead plaintiff in Robertson vs. Princeton, the largest "donor intent" lawsuit in U.S. history, which seeks to end Princeton's control of the Robertson Foundation and its $900 million endowment.

"the idea "is the latest in a series of proposals aimed at luring the best and brightest into government careers,""

I guess that leaves out "sociology departments". While they train the next generation of socialist bureaucrats, they hardly have the "best and brightest". More like the least capable and most robotic dupes.

Speaking of scholarships for diplomats, statesmen, and bureaucrats, that is the Rhodes Scholarship. Founded by the late 19th century father of British socialism, Cecil Rhodes, it is dedicated to the socialist indoctrination of the supposed world's cream of the crop.

yitbos

Ohh well I guess it is time to voice what will (probably) be an unpopular viewpoint.

Universities are businesses that operate in order to make money. Having been both a student and an employee I can tell you this with 100% certainty. If you doubt me ask yourself why an undergrad math book costs $135+ and there is a new book (for the same class and material) every year.

They are NOT charities.

Frankly, I cannot even fathom how people would think they are.

"why an undergrad math book costs $135+ and there is a new book (for the same class and material) every year."

Eh, eh. UCLA, literature class I has in 1965. Professor assigns 10 books. Professor: "I know, I know, but they are all short paperbacks and yes I get a cut of the revenue."

1964-1969 I went to UCLA at taxpayer expense (I was a taxpayer). The university system had no tuition until Ronald Reagan became governor in 1968. I paid $76/semester for "incidental fee (football, basketball seats and student union) and $102/mo. for dormitory room/board.

yitbos

I think most charitable foundations end up being co-opted or defrauded. Just look at all the foundations founded by conservative businessmen that are now funding extreme left causes.

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