Ep. 411: Hillsdale College, GRACE, Operation Underground Railroad

On today’s program, a lawsuit against Hillsdale College has been dismissed after students alleging they were raped sued the college for Title 9 violations. We’ll have details. And, the nonprofit Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment—known as GRACE for short—turns 20 years old. We’ll look back at where they started—and where they’re going. Plus, those subscriptions you forgot your paying for?...A new law will make it easy for you to unsubscribe, but it could also impact the recurring gifts to Christian ministries. But first, Operation Underground Railroad…who continues distancing itself from its embroiled founder Tim Ballard…is moving its headquarters. Operation Underground Railroad Rescue is moving its headquarters from Salt Lake City, Utah, to Minneapolis, Minnesota, according to reporting by Twin Cities Business. The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh. We get database and other technical support from Stephen DuBarry, Rod Pitzer, and Casey Sudduth. Writers who contributed to today’s program include Kim Roberts, Jessica Eturralde, Paul Clolery, Richard Levey, and Christina Darnell. A special thanks to The NonProfit Times for contributing material for this week’s podcast. Until next time, may God bless you.   MANUSCRIPT   FIRST SEGMENT Warren:  Hello everybody. I’m Warren Smith, coming to you from Charlotte, North Carolina. Natasha: And I’m Natasha Cowden, coming to you from Denver, Colorado. And we’d like to welcome you to the MinistryWatch podcast. Warren: On today’s program, a lawsuit against Hillsdale College has been dismissed after students alleging they were raped sued the college for Title 9 violations. We’ll have details. And, the nonprofit Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment—known as GRACE for short—turns 20 years old. We’ll look back at where they started—and where they’re going. Plus, those subscriptions you forgot your paying for?...World Vision is encouraging donors to cancel those and give to people in need around the world. They’re calling it Subscribe to World Change. We’ll take a look. Natasha: But first, Operation Underground Railroad…who continues distancing itself from its embroiled founder Tim Ballard…is moving its headquarters. Warren: Operation Underground Railroad Rescue is moving its headquarters from Salt Lake City, Utah, to Minneapolis, Minnesota, according to reporting by Twin Cities Business. Tammy Lee, OUR Rescue CEO said about Minneapolis. “There is such a strong foundation here, in the legal community as well as the philanthropic community and the survivor support community,” The global headquarters’ relocation is planned for January 2025. Lee also said the mission of the organization will adjust to focus more on domestic trafficking and rescues. Natasha: How do they plan to do that? Warren: Lee said, “In this coming year, we’re going to be building out direct services for survivors of human trafficking and sexual exploitation,” “We’re also looking at supporting key populations that are really underserved, looking at the indigenous populations and partnerships with other non-governmental organizations to do that work.” Lee joined OUR Rescue as CEO in February 2024 with the task of rebuilding and rebranding the organization. OUR Rescue was founded by former homeland security agent Tim Ballard in 2013 as Operation Underground Railroad. In April, Lee and the board renamed the group OUR Rescue. In the MinistryWatch database, Operation Underground Railroad has a 1-star financial efficiency rating, a C transparency grade, and a donor confidence score of 45, meaning donors should exercise caution when giving to this group. Natasha: Next up, A lawsuit against Hillsdale college has been dismissed Warren: Last October, one present and one former student of Hillsdale College filed a federal lawsuit alleging the institution failed to adequately investigate their claims of ...