Recently, the Washington Post revealed the multiple connections of one Linda Chavez; her husband, Christopher Gersten; and her sons, Pablo and David Gersten, in a number of 501(c)(3) nonprofits and political action committees (PACs). Chavez and the Gerstens drew multiple salaries for themselves and often delivered little in the way of program resources to constituents or, in the case of PACs, their intended political beneficiaries.[1] It is a story of the well-connected taking care of themselves, but hardly those they claim to serve.

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A presidential candidate’s nonprofit history may serve as a mirror for the kinds of decisions he might make about philanthropy once he’s seated in the Oval Office. That history of nonprofit involvement by a candidate or his spouse may also shine a light on the political values of the future putative leader of the Western world.

Barack Obama has had no major reportable nonprofit connections show up on disclosure forms filed during his brief time in the U.S. Senate or during his run as a presidential candidate. In some previous years, his name appears as a former trustee of the Joyce Foundation and the Woods Fund in Chicago, both highly reputable foundations. Joyce is known for many areas of program grants, though its long-standing dedication to campaign finance issues is notable given the senator’s White House aspirations.[1]

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It was slow-pitch baseball at the House of Representatives Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight’s Hearing on Tax-Exempt Charitable Organizations chaired by Democrat John Lewis of Georgia on July 23, and the witnesses in the heart of the batting order belted the ball around the infield. Steve Gunderson of the Council on Foundations and Diana Aviv of Independent Sector pitched, batted, and fielded easy grounders like the pros that they are.

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