However, a number of key court cases in this area have arisen when non-profits have rebuffed requests for information under a state's right-to-know laws.
The court wrote, "In this appeal, we are asked to decide whether a government body may outsource one of its core functions to a private corporation, making that part of its operation nongovernmental and not subject to public scrutiny.
We hold the Iowa State University Foundation, a recipient of such outsourcing, is performing a government function, and therefore its records are subject to disclosure.
In 2006, a Tennessee appeals court agreed with The Tennessean, ordering Powers to turn over a copy of the settlement to the newspaper.
However, the Charleston Area Alliance has refused to provide information about the salaries its officers receive, on the grounds that it is a private organization.