Are national and local frat liable for party shooting?

Liability for injuries at fraternity events is a frequent issue in litigation. (See Nonprofit Issues^®, Vol. XXXVI, No. 5).

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November Webinar

Fiscal Sponsorships: For the Present and the Future
Wednesday, November 11, 2026
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This year and next are likely to be critical years for legal regulation of fiscal sponsorships.

Fiscal sponsorships have been a time-honored method to spawn new charitable activity when the people with the vision and the energy to do the work do not have recognition of federal charitable exempt status. But they have operated primarily on the basis of a legal handbook, with no formal legislative regulation and relatively few legal precedents to guide them.

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EDs and Meds Report

Who's on Board: Gender & Race in Nonprofit Board Rooms is now available

The report shows modest gains in board diversity but a sharp decline in the willingness to talk about it. This is the third demographic report on Philadelphia “Eds” and “Meds” that says leadership does not reflect the population served.

40 of the largest nonprofit educational and medical organizations in the Philadelphia region were polled; the report shows modest gains in gender and racial diversity but a “troubling decline” in the number and percentage of organizations willing to share data on board demographics.

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Most nonprofits don't spend a lot of time looking at their Bylaws until there is a question or a dispute. That's when you need bylaws that are clear and unambiguous, so your questions on how to proceed are already answered. That's when bad bylaws can lead to unnecessary controversies or even costly litigation. Nonprofit Issues editor Don Kramer will review your current or proposed Bylaws to see if they work for you.

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August 27, 2026

I got an email request for a political contribution recently: “Today, I’m asking you for $100 — the same donation you made [to my last campaign]. The reason being: I don’t spend my time asking corporate bigwigs for massive checks.” I was pleased that they were treating me as a real person who had helped out before.

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Are national and local frat liable for party shooting?

Are national and local frat liable for party shooting?