Employees steal from child abuse nonprofit
WASHINGTON — A national nonprofit that helps victims of child sexual abuse across the country was ripped off in a scam orchestrated by three of its own employees, according to federal court documents.
Prosecutors say the Washington-based National Children’s Alliance lost more than $50,000 in a payroll scheme run by the organization’s former chief financial officer and two of his subordinates.
As described in court documents, each person’s take in the scheme appears based on their position in the organization.
On Friday, Michael Young, a staff accountant from Washington, pleaded guilty to taking nearly $10,000 in five extra paychecks. Young showed no emotion as he acknowledged he stole the money, and he told the judge, U.S. Magistrate Judge Alan Kay, he now has a new job at another nonprofit.
Last month, former finance director Sharon Martin of Upper Marlboro, Md., who pleaded guilty earlier this month to stealing eight payroll paychecks totaling more than $15,000. Young and Martin each face up to six months in prison at sentencing in August.
The former CFO, Marvin Perry, is scheduled to plead guilty on June 11. He has been charged with stealing $27,114.43 in additional paychecks.
The alliance’s executive director, Teresa Huizar, said the theft was discovered after she took over in February 2008 and asked an outside auditing firm to review the finances.
Huizar said she had no indication that employees were stealing until auditors came to her with their suspicions. “It was a very unpleasant surprise,” she said.
“Obviously it’s a terrible thing whenever an employee betrays their employer’s trust,” Huizar said. “What’s particularly horrible about this situation is they stole from an organization that helps victims of child sexual abuse.”
The alliance, based in Washington, has more than 700 Children’s Advocacy Centers across the country devoted to helping children who have suffered sexual or severe physical abuse.
When there are reports of abuse, the centers intervene with teams of legal, medical, social service and clinical experts. They work to stop the abuse, provide counseling and try to help prevent the continued cycle of violence of victims from becoming perpetrators themselves one day.
Their work is funded mostly by grants from the Justice Department — more than $76 million since 1995 — with other revenue coming from membership fees. Huizar said the theft hasn’t affected programing — the former employees are being ordered to pay back what they took as part of their plea agreements — but damaged the organization’s reputation.
NCB Capital Impact benefited from the latest wave of New Markets Tax Credits from the Treasury Department.
The Arlington-based nonprofit affiliate of NCB, which supports health, housing and education facilities in low-income areas, was one of 32 organizations competitively picked to get a total of $1.5 billion in New Markets Tax Credits through the stimulus package.
The $90 million in credits, which aim to help retain and generate jobs and forge economic development in distressed communities, will help NCB Capital Impact and its partners create 1,000 new jobs, 3,000 new school seats for low-income children, 100 units of workforce housing, and provide 25,000 working families with quality, affordable health care across the U.S., said NCB.
Since mid-2005, NCB Capital Impact has closed on $205 million in credit transactions that have leveraged over $500 million in capital for underserved populations. NCB used funds to help Media and Technology Charter High in Boston reduce its debt service costs by 40 percent.
Last year, NCB Capital Impact gave out a record $208.1 million for education, health care and affordable homeownership programs that benefit low- and middle-income communities nationwide.
The New Markets Tax Credit Program, created by Congress in 2000, lets individual and corporate taxpayers receive a credit against federal income taxes for making qualified equity investments in investment vehicles.
Other local organizations to get funding were McLean-based Capital One Community Renewal Fund LLC, which received $90 million, and McLean-based Solomon Hess Loan Fund LLC, which received $50 million.
Over the weekend, a 4-year-old Molalla boy tumbled from his family's second-story window and later died from his injuries. In another tragic case that grabbed national headlines this week, Mike Tyson's 4-year-old daughter died after getting tangled in a cord on a treadmill.
Falls, burns from house fires or appliances and poisoning are the most common causes of injury and death in young children. Infants and young children are especially vulnerable to falls - one recent study found 60 percent of all infant injuries were due to falls. The most common culprits: falling from furniture, down stairs and falling in an infant walker.
Portland area hospitals typically see more than a dozen children who are injured from window falls each year. Last year's numbers included three Canby toddlers who fell from windows within four days of one another. All three survived, even though one fell headfirst into a flower bed and another onto concrete. All three pushed out screens that were meant to keep insects out, not children in, according to a recent Oregonian report.
Nationwide, more than 4,000 children, most 5 years old or younger, visit emergency rooms each year because they fall from windows. An average of 18 die.
It was those numbers that persuaded administrators at Legacy Emanuel Hospital & Health Center to apply for a federal grant for a store dedicated to keeping kids safe at home. The hospital was one of 6 nationally to share the $1 million grant. A couple weeks ago, Legacy Emanuel opened its Safety Store, which sells childproofing products at prices below retail.
The shop is a sobering reminder of the everyday perils and risks our homes pose to young children. The store offers safe crib bedding - those pillowy bumpers are a big no-no, by the way - window guards, smoke detectors that let parents record their own voices to alert children to danger. The shop also sells plastic covers for knobs on the stove and bike and water safety supplies.
The store also carries a line of products designed for families with special needs and disabled children.
"Every child is at risk, and at greater risk than you realize," said Sandy Nipper, nurse and child safety coordinator at Emanuel.
And here's the thing: No question is too basic or silly for Nipper and her colleague Jan Berichon. Just walk in and talk to them about your house and they'll help you identify possible risks and hazards. The store hours are 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday through Thursday. (Go here for directions.)
"It's OK that you don't know it all yet," Nipper said. "It's OK to come in and ask questions."
CHINO - Danny Mendoza and his friends are using their skills as well as their hearts to promote fitness and inspire young people.
They have formed a nonprofit that puts together sports camps for foster children in Chino Valley and, ultimately, throughout the Inland Empire.
The nonprofit, called "Together We Rise," held a football workshop in January. Recently, it was awarded $12,000 in federal Community Development Block Grant funds from the Chino Hills City Council.
To date, the nonprofit has raised about $30,000 for its work, and, next year, hopes to raise $100,000 in order to expand to areas outside of Chino.
"It's all a bunch of people doing it for free and having a good time," Mendoza said.
"Foster kids don't get to have much contact with their parents and I am what I am because of my parents. So we're trying to influence them to do more exercise and physical fitness with sports. We're trying to reduce obesity rates and we're trying to inspire them to have a second chance."
For Mendoza, the quest to help foster children started in 2006, when he wanted to help out his 10-year-old cousin who had become homeless. But, because he was not 21 at the time, Mendoza was too young to become a guardian.
Mendoza said he wanted to help young people living without parents and who were unable to hang out with friends.
Mendoza logged onto the social-networking site Facebook and made phone calls to other young.
people who were willing to contribute their time to better the lives of local foster children.
Project Unity USA plans to make its presence here known Saturday by having a "Unity Day and March Celebration" against violence in North Charleston.
The nonprofit organization started in Columbia by working with local law enforcement, churches and businesses to create programs that reduce violence and educate the public. Marlvis "Butch" Kennedy, director of the organization's Charleston branch, said Saturday's event is aimed at letting criminals know that the community is fighting back and raising awareness about health and social issues.
The 10 a.m. march will be led by North Charleston and Stall high schools' marching bands.
The celebration will feature vendors, entertainers and speakers. Entertainers include several gospel choirs, rap performances and an aquatic animal display by the South Carolina Aquarium. There also will be a health fair, jump castles and face painting.
"This is sort of like our coming out party," Kennedy said. "It's going to be a multi-cultural, big diverse day. To me, it's going to be a historical day."
Kennedy said the organization already has joined with local business and community leaders to establish new programs in the Charleston area, such as a mentor program and a summer internship program that has found government-contracting jobs for 14 high school and college students.
Kennedy said the organization also sponsors the REALMAD program, which teaches students that "Real men don't hit women."
"When you get churches together, when you get businesses together, when you get community leaders together all as a group, you can get so much more done than just as one person," he said.
Moscow Ballet is showing fundraising professionals around America that nonprofit organizations can still succeed in 2009 by participating in its CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM (“CDPP”).
Moscow Ballet’s CDPP is a comprehensive, performance-art based fundraising program for charitable organizations looking for a sure-fire holiday development campaign. Every organization that has participated in the CDPP has enjoyed success.
With businesses either shrinking or eliminating their budgets for charitable giving
and foundations scaling back on grant-giving, nonprofit organizations increasingly need new, creative solutions when crafting their development strategies. The CDPP is that solution!
Charity events centered on Moscow Ballet’s “Great Russian Nutcracker” with receptions offer nonprofit organizations the opportunity to stimulate their supporters while attracting new ones. As well, corporate sponsorship is easier
to attain when a high quality Moscow Ballet event is the basis for the campaign.
If your organization would like to know more about the CDPP, please contact Timothy Kushi (tim@nutcracker.com) at 413 499 1733 ext. 102.
As budgets and fundraising levels for non-profits get smaller, more organizations are turning to using social networking online as an essential part of their overall marketing strategy. Non-profits see online social media as an inexpensive way to build relationships, increase involvement, and help out with publicity and education efforts.
According to the Nonprofit Social Network Survey conducted in March 2009 by NTEN, Common Knowledge, and ThePort, social networking has become an increasingly important part of nonprofits’ online strategy.
This survey provides a rare snapshot of how non-profit organizations are embracing and using social media online, and provides concrete evidence that the use of social networking is becoming essential to a successful non-profit marketing plan.
- Of the 929 survey respondents, nearly three-quarters (74.1%) of non-profits reported having a presence on Facebook, with an average community size of 5,391 members. YouTube (46.5%) and Twitter (43.2%) were cited as alternate social networking tools.
- Despite having decreased resources, staffing and budgets for social network marketing on commercial social networks, like Facebook, are real although relatively small. Over 80% of respondents are committing at least one-quarter of a full-time staff person to social networking online. Additionally, more than half (55%) of survey respondents intend to increase social networking staffing over the next twelve months.
- Funding for external resources dedicated to helping social networking online is also expected to increase, according to nearly one-quarter (24.1%) of respondents.
- The survey revealed that social networks provide little real revenue for non-profits via fundraising, and are mainly utilized for traditional marketing efforts (promoting their website, email lists, and events.)
Non-profit organizations are realizing that while social networking online may not directly translate into fundraising dollars, by using social networking as a part of their marketing plan, they are able to engage supporters and prospective donors by building relationships, as well as gaining trust and loyalty towards their cause. Social networking also allows non-profit organizations a cost effective way to promote events, educate and raise awareness, and ultimately, create an ongoing conversation and involvement between the organization and its supporters.