Accountability

Loss aversion can cause you to make bad decisions in order to preserve the status quo, which you perceive as a more positive condition than the unknown. But biases compete. The optimism bias can help you by crowding out loss aversion, helping you make necessary changes. But optimism bias can hurt you, too, by leading you to make high-risk decisions...

When Jeff Vinik bought the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2010, he wanted to connect with his new community. Born in New Jersey, he had lived most of his adult life in Massachusetts, not Florida, and as an owner, Vinik said he believed that helping the local community was not just the right thing to do,…

Hillary Clinton now is supporting a federal investigation of Exxon Mobil Corp. following the latest disclosures that the giant oil company worked to hide the effects of climate change. Her call for an investigation comes only months after the company decided to stop sponsoring her family’s foundation. The Clinton Foundation has accepted at least $1…

How do you turn a charitable donation into a scam? Take the donated item and sell it for a profit, instead of giving it to the needy. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said his office has reached a settlement with a for-profit company accused of doing just that, by way of more than 1,100…

A nonprofit located near Ferguson, Mo., was awarded $1.6 million by the Department of Justice to promote child safety issues, but then neglected a multitude of federal grant laws and regulations. The nonprofit ignored federal stipulations intended to ensure that tax dollars are spent efficiently and ethically, including cost analyses, competitive bids for goods and…

A week after donating $10,000 to a group opposing HERO ordinance, the Houston Texans owner wants his money back. In a tersely worded statement, Texans owner Bob McNair recently asked the Campaign for Houston to return his donation. McNair claims the group attributed statements and beliefs to him without his authorization. The donation was first…

A few years back, famed Princeton philosopher Peter Singer had a student who, like many new graduates, wanted to change the world for the better. The student, Matt Wage, decided that the best way for him to do that wouldn’t be to join the Peace Corps or take a low-paying job at a nonprofit. Instead,…

NPQ has written many times about the fact that embezzlement thrives in informal situations, which is a good description of many small nonprofits. But in such organizations, the damage done to internal culture and external reputation may prove hard to heal. Nonprofits that take the issue on with transparency may avoid some of that damage;…

Jared Fogle, the former Subway pitchman who used his foundation to access child victims, in August pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography and sex with minors. Now, as part of his plea agreement, Fogle has begun issuing restitution. According to The Associated Press, Fogle has already paid a total of $1 million to 10 victims...

Forty years ago, she was a struggling computer programmer for AT&T in Philadelphia. Today, she is the only woman on the President's Management Advisory Board. How did Gail McGovern, CEO of American Red Cross, manage to get there? And what can we learn from her? Here are five of the watershed moments that helped her…