Attorney General Ellison enters into settlement dissolving charity for governance violations
Give Hope failed to register and meet basic governance standards, maintain its tax-exempt status
May 23, 2025 (SAINT PAUL) — Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison today announced that he has reached a settlement, also known as an Assurance of Discontinuance, with Minnesota nonprofit Give Hope and its founders Brian and Sarah Ingram dissolving Give Hope due to multiple governance violations and causing confusion between the Ingrams for-profit and nonprofit enterprises.
In the Assurance of Discontinuance filed in Ramsey County, Attorney General Ellison alleges that Give Hope entered into conflicted transactions with businesses affiliated with the Ingrams. This included reimbursing certain Purpose Driven Restaurants, an umbrella of for-profit restaurants owned by Brian Ingram, for food, groceries, and toiletry items provided by Give Hope as community kitchens and food shelves during the COVID-19 pandemic, without following the conflicted transaction requirements under the Minnesota Nonprofit Act. Further, Give Hope’s board of directors met infrequently, failed to maintain adequate books, financial records and policies and procedures and did not have a designated Treasurer. Give Hope also failed to follow legal requirements such as maintenance of tax-exempt status and registration with the Attorney General’s Office, preventing donors and regulators from gaining insight into Give Hope’s finances.
“Minnesota requires nonprofits to follow laws about transparency and governance that help protect charitable assets and promote public trust,” Attorney General Ellison said. “Minnesotans are a generous people, and we expect our charities to obey these rules, keep proper records, and work to help people who need it. Give Hope fell short of these obligations, leaving its assets vulnerable and preventing public and regulator transparency, so I’m ensuring they dissolve.”
In Minnesota, the Attorney General through the Charities Division has civil enforcement authority over the state’s nonprofit corporation, charitable-solicitation, and charitable-trust laws. The Charities Division does not enforce criminal laws.
The Minnesota Attorney General’s Office makes available a number of publications and pamphlets providing information about charitable organizations, charitable trusts, professional fundraisers, and nonprofit organizations generally:
- “A Guide to Minnesota’s Charities Laws” discusses key laws including the Minnesota Nonprofit Corporation Act, the Charitable Solicitation Act, and the Supervision of Charitable Trusts and Trustees Act, among other laws that require certain organizations to register with and provide notice to the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office.
- “Guide for Board Members” covers fiduciary duties of directors of nonprofit corporations and is meant to assist board members with the important responsibilities they assume when elected to a charity’s board of directors.
- “Nonprofit Organization Resources” contains a listing of resources covering charitable solicitation, professional fundraiser, and charitable trust registration, government agency contacts, and training and technical assistance providers.
Minnesotans with concerns about governance or other issues at a nonprofit may submit a complaint on the Attorney General’s website. Minnesota consumers may also contact the Attorney General’s Office by calling (651) 296-3353 (Metro area), (800) 657-3787 (Greater Minnesota), or (800) 627-3529 (Minnesota Relay).
