Last Sunday evening’s broadcast of the CBS news show “60 Minutes” raised some important questions about “Three Cups of Tea” author Greg Mortenson and the governance of the charity he founded, the Central Asia Institute (CAI).   I watched the episode, reviewed the Central Asia Institute’s latest 990 form, and also read the CAI’s response to 60 Minute questions, which is now posted on their website.

Both CBS and the Central Asia Institute agree that only 41% of the Central Asia Institute’s spending actually went to build schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan.  Furthermore, while the CAI spent $1.7 million for book related expenses (i.e., advertising, events, film, publications, and travel)  what is much murkier is how much of Mr. Mortenson’s royalties from sales of “Three Cups of Tea” have been donated back  to the charity, raising the very reasonable question of whether Mr. Mortenson is deriving excess benefits from the charity he founded.

I personally felt the 60 Minutes segment was the product of some outstanding investigative journalism while I did not find the responses posted on the CAI website very reassuring.  Read them both, decide for yourself, and add a comment here, or on the 60 Minutes website, which has 379 viewer comments, and counting.