English – The Conversation | Nonprofit fraud: Amid high-profile prosecutions, an accountant explains what’s really going on by Sarah Webber, Associate Professor of Accounting, University of Dayton AI generated summary, Read the full article for complete information. Nonprofit fraud has surged into the spotlight with several high‑profile cases, including a $250 million COVID‑19 child‑nutrition scheme in Minnesota and the April 2026 DOJ indictment of the Southern Poverty Law Center, which has sparked concerns about heightened federal scrutiny of charities. While the False Claims Act generated $6.8 billion in settlements in 2025, reliable data on how common nonprofit fraud is remain scarce; the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners estimates nonprofits lose about 5 % of annual revenue, with an average loss of $76 000 per incident, yet only 52 % of nonprofit staff receive fraud‑awareness training compared with 83 % in publicly traded firms. Federal oversight is limited—IRS audits covered merely 660 of roughly 1.9 million charities in 2024—leaving most monitoring to under‑staffed state attorneys general. The most frequent external fraud involves fake charities that siphon donations, exemplified by the collapse of “Providing Hope VA” after its founder misappropriated $9 million, while internal fraud often stems from inadequate internal controls and a reluctance to prioritize fraud prevention amid pressure to keep overhead low. Experts argue that stronger training, transparent reporting, and robust whistle‑blower mechanisms are essential to curb abuse and protect public trust in the charitable sector. Read more: https://theconversation.com/nonprofit-fraud-amid-high-profile-prosecutions-an-accountant-explains-whats-really-going-on-282233 #SPLC #DonaldTrump #TrumpFoundation #ProvidingHope #Federalgovernment