Philanthropy: Charity Fat Cats

THE IRS IS CRACKING DOWN ON EXCESSIVE PAY AND PERKS AT NONPROFITS. COULD THE SCRUTINY GO TOO FAR?

There was no particular reason for Steven J. McCormick's salary to raise a red flag. In fact, his 2003 remuneration as CEO of the Nature Conservancy, the world's largest environmental charity--at $275,000 plus health and retirement benefits--might even have seemed inadequate. With operations in 28 countries and claims of having nearly a million members, the Conservancy that McCormick was running was, after all, the nonprofit equivalent of a multinational. But it turned out that McCormick had also received a $75,000 sign-on bonus, $75,000 to cover living expenses, a $1.7 million loan to buy a new house and a no-strings-attached discretionary fund...

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