To what extent should the charitable intent of a donor be honored?

The debate continues to rage on regarding the extent to which a donor’s charitable intent needs to be honored by the entity that receives the gift.

For example, an extensive website has been established by the plaintiffs in the case of Robertson v. Princeton University, which is looking at the issue of “[w}hether a charitable organization, such as a college, when it accepts a gift for a specific purpose, should be able to use that gift for other purposes without the express approval of the donor, the donor’s legal heirs or a court order permitting such a diversion.”

This issue was recently addressed in an editorial Our view on charitable giving: Honor donors’ intent, USA Today, May 28, 2008.  After discussing the Princeton case and one involving the Randolph-Macon Woman’s College, the writer concludes that “[t]hese are two of the most prominent examples of institutions that have shown a remarkable disregard for the wishes of their donors. Such behavior threatens to discourage wealthy individuals from giving money and complicate the business of philanthropy for generations to come.”