By Michael Poliakoff*  Forbes.com “Few donors understand their legal recourse when a charity ignores—or blatantly disregards—the terms of their gift agreement.” Generosity continues to define the American people. Last year, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, charitable giving surpassed $471 billion. This new milestone was announced with well-deserved fanfare and extensive media coverage. What […]

University Gift Fees Are Under Scrutiny as State Lawmakers Weigh a Bill Protecting Donor Intent   Last September, I spoke with Jeffrey Moritz, an Ohio State University alumnus, who said that in 2016, he discovered that his father’s 2001 endowment gift had decreased in value and that the school failed to provide the requisite amount […]

Before the Ohio Senate, Workforce & Higher Education Committee Statement of Jeffrey Moritz in support of Senate Bill 135 May 19, 2021    Good afternoon Chairman Johnson, Vice Chairman Cirino, Ranking Member Williams and members of the committee. My name is Jeff Moritz. I live in Rocky River, Ohio and I am here today as […]

Proponent Testimony of Greer Rouda Senate Bill 135 Workforce and Higher Education Committee May 19, 2021 Chairman Johnson, Vice Chairman Cirino, Ranking Member Williams and members of the committee: My name is Greer Rouda. I am Vice President at Monarch Title Services and a 1977 graduate of Ohio State University. My father Harley Rouda founded […]

Proponent Testimony for Senate Bill 135 Nathan Rush, Past Speaker of the Ohio State Student Government Senate Ohio Senate Workforce & Higher Education Committee May 19, 2021     Good afternoon Chairman Johnson, Vice Chair Cirino, Ranking Member Williams and members of the committee. My name is Nathan Rush and I am an OSU student […]

Before the Ohio Senate, Workforce & Higher Education Committee Statement of David Marburger in support of Senate Bill 135 May 19, 2021     Good afternoon Chairman Johnson, Vice Chair Cirino, Ranking Member Williams, and members of the committee. I am David Marburger. I live in Lakewood, Ohio. I support Senate Bill 135. I am […]

Ohio State University’s fundraising took a hit during the summer and early fall. Unsurprisingly, the drop in donations compared to last year is related to th pandemic, OSU’s top fundraising official said during a recent Board of Trustees meeting. But it’s not limited to that: 2020 has been a tough year for several reasons. “The […]

BY CULLY STIMSON AND ROBERT ALT Even during tough times—perhaps especially then—American generosity abounds. The United States has been the most philanthropic country in the world (per capita) over the past 10 years. In 2019, individual Americans gave an estimated $310 billion to charity, with the country’s foundations donating an additional $76 billion and its […]

BY EMILY KOONS JAE Ohio State University is undergoing criticism from Jeffrey Moritz for drawing endowment fees out of his father’s $30 million endowment gift and failing to fulfill the gift’s intentions. “Hidden fees” typically conjures up images of a used car lot or a credit card company—not the endowment policies of a prestigious university. Yet […]

Inside PhilanthropyMichael Scutari In 2001, attorney Michael Moritz gave his alma mater, Ohio State University, a $30.3 million endowment gift, restricted for purposes that include four faculty chairs, student leadership awards, and 30 full-ride law school scholarships awarded annually. A year later, he tragically and unexpectedly passed away. In 2016, his wife Lou Ann Moritz […]