Garth may have started something Big!

Our own Garth Brooks may have set the humanitarian world abuzz.

In January he won a lawsuit against Integris Canadian Valley Regional Hospital of Yukon, Okla. for not using his $500,000 gift.

He filed the lawsuit in 2005, after the hospital promised to name a building after his mother, Colleen Brooks, who died of cancer in 1999, but did nothing.

The Rogers County mega-star received his $500,000 plus $500,000 in punitive damages.
Integris had to admit they were making Brooks work to get his money back.

Non-profit organizations and businesses, like Integris, shouldn’t be so arrogant, especially when a donor gives them such a large donation.

In the Intregis case, hospital officials actually sought Brooks out to recruit a donation, then apparently led him on.

Now word comes from down in Georgia that the Ray Charles Foundation has asked Albany State University for a $3 million donation it gave a decade ago.
He gave $1 million to the university in 2001 and another $2 million a year later. Charles, a native of Albany, died in 2004.

The singer was specific with his donation, according to the foundation. He wanted a new performing arts center built at the university.

As of yet there is no construction underway, and according to the foundation it is only on the drawing board.

Sounds similar to Brooks and Integris.

Musical mega-stars with humanitarian hearts giving of their resources to help public institutions, but being dismissed by their respective charitable recipients.

What is it with organizations that receive sizable donations, but just sit on them and then do nothing?

The Ray Charles Foundation should get its money back. And get this, a university spokesman claims the donation was unrestricted and could be used for whatever the institution wants.

It sounds very familiar.

Here’s the catch - Albany State still has the initial donation in the bank. However, they gave the remaining $2 million away to 125 “Ray Charles Presidential Scholars.”

They gave it away despite the donor’s wishes to build a performing arts center.

Three million dollars is a significant donation to not be used like the donor wished.

Non-profit organizations need donations, but when donars see a lack of good stewardship over the gifts they receive, it is no wonder they are less than giving.

After Hurricane Rita and Katrina, several nationally known charities came under fire for not using donations for real needs, how donors wanted it to be used.

If there was anything learned from the Brooks vs. Integris lawsuit, non-profit board of directors should remember their fudiciary responsibilities and follow to the letter what donors say on how to the donated funds.

Look for the two parties to land in court with similar results as the Brooks trial.
And maybe they should be playing Charles’ song “What’d I Say?” when they enter the court.