From the Dead Hand to the Living Dead: The Conundrum of Charitable-Donor Standing

This Article examines the current confused state of the law that applies to the private enforcement of restricted charitable gifts, and describes the first steps toward a tailored legal regime that appears in the American Law Institute's draft project on Principles of the Law of Nonprofit Organizations,for which this author is reporter. That regime addresses not only standing, but also proposals for notification of the attorney general, time limits on private (but not attorney general) enforcement, and a circumscription of appropriate remedies in order to protect the charity. Several of the issues, however, will likely require a legislative solution.