NEW: EngageRI will Not Release Donor Names
Monday, January 07, 2013
EngageRI, the powerful pension reform advocacy group, will not release the names of its donors, the organization announced today.
In a press release sent this morning, the organization said it would “continue to follow the tax, lobbying and any campaign finance laws to which it is subject and continue to allow its donors to determine whether to publicly support the organization.”
State law allows any 501(c)(4) organization to keep its donors private.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST“We believe that our supporters (financial and other) are proud of EngageRI and we encourage them to support us publicly. However, werespect the right that any donor to a 501(c)(4) entity has to remain anonymous, supporting a mission without being subject to the ‘political fray.’ Like most, if not all nonprofits, we’re willing to let our record speak for itself and accept the support of both those that wish to do so publicly as well as those that wish to remain anonymous,” said John Galvin, chair of EngageRI.
The organization has come under fire for refusing to release donor names in recent months and even General Treasurer Gina Raimondo, a major supporter of the group, has called for more disclosure.
“While boycotts and other forms of retribution have frequently been used to further legitimate and worthy social, economic and political goals, we believe that the harassment and boycotts inflicted uponsome EngageRI supporters like Collette Vacations, Crossroads, Family Services and a number of local chambers of commerce last year in an effort to intimidate them from taking a position on pension reform both crossed the line of fairness and is an understandable reason why some supporters may want to remain private,” Galvin said.
