Don’t Mess with Family Intent
Feb 10, 2009

Undoubtedly, you followed the bitter legal dispute between Princeton University and the Robertson family, of the A&P supermarket fortune, over donor intent. The Robertson Foundation endowment supported Princeton's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. While Princeton and the Robertson family settled out of court over the endowment of more than $900 million (as of June 2008), hard feelings remain. According to William S. Robertson, a trustee of the family foundation, "This is a message to nonprofits . . . that donors expect them to abide by the terms of designated gifts or suffer the consequences." Besides the article on philanthropy.com, don't miss Neal B. Freeman's piece on "Princeton Pays $100 Million to Settle Robertson Lawsuit," in the American Spectator.