Stanford Law visiting professor Joanna L. Grossman and professor Lawrence M. Friedman discuss the tension between donors who place restrictions on their charitable gifts and the organizations that receive those gifts, focusing on the current legal battle involving the Orlando Museum of Art’s attempt to use funds from the Margaret Young trust for purposes other than those specified by the donor. Professors Grossman and Friedman argue that while the law generally favors upholding donor intent, there are situations where courts may allow modifications to the terms of a charitable gift, especially when the original purpose becomes impractical or wasteful over time, and they suggest that donors should be cautious about being too specific in their instructions to avoid such issues.
BU Law emerita professor Tamar Frankel explains why the Mitsubishi Bank’s Museum of Trust in Tokyo, Japan, which opened a few years ago, could serve as a model for the United States to reduce the cost of mistrust and breach of trust in this country. Frankel describes the museum and considers how it affects people’s perception of the importance of trust in society.
