The Rundown - September 23, 2022
The latest news and notes from the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors
FBI Claims $250 million fraud at Minnesota Nonprofit
It’s noteworthy when a nonprofit organization makes national headlines, it’s even more remarkable when said nonprofit actually is a trending topic on Twitter. It’s truly sad, when the reason for this new found notoriety is based solely on the bad actions of those in the sector.
Such were the events of the last week when the Federal Bureau of Investigation announced that 47 defendants, all related in some form or fashion to the Rosemont, Minnesota nonprofit, Feeding Our Future.
The FBI alleges that the 47 defendants worked to defraud taxpayers in a $250 Million scheme using Pandemic funding to purchase cars, vacations, coastal properties, electronics and other luxury items. A full press release from the FBI can he read here.
The scheme involved Feeding Our Future to create fake Federal Child Nutrition Program sites throughout Minnesota and also created a list of fake names and ages of children that were supposedly served by the program. In the end, Feeding Our Future claimed to have opened more than 250 feeding sites across the state and distribute more than 125 Million meals to children. All of which are alleged to be false.
This work by the Federal Bureau of Investigation follows months of investigation. Public awareness was arisen that things weren’t going well at the organization when Feeding Our Future abruptly dissolved back in January. State officials that administered the pandemic relief-funded program became increasing suspicious of the high dollar amounts being requested by the nonprofit. To put it into context, Feeding Our Future received $2.9 Million in federal funding in 2019. By 2021, that number skyrocketed to $197 Million.
There is no other way to say it other than these stories are painful. They are painful to those who were to be served that weren’t. They are painful to taxpayers who had no choice to see their tax dollars go to this organization. They are painful to funders who support this work through their own private donations. And this pain will not go away anytime soon. These stories erode the trust people have in our sector and this comes at a time when trust in nonprofit organizations is shrinking and not growing.
As governmental programs become more large and more context, nonprofit agencies are filling the role of developing and implementing government funded programs. And while nonprofits are more than willing to take advantage of new funding, these opportunities come with a price. Agencies not only have a new set of regulatory and legal standards to meet, they also begin to have their own perceptions in the public eye be challenged. One could be forgiven if a nonprofit, funded to the tune of $197 Million by the government, is seen as an arm of the government.
Nonprofit organizations are finding themselves in a more and more precarious spot. Economic struggles are making donations harder to come by (when many of our service requests are up), many volunteers have shed themselves away after the pandemic. External factors such as declining trust in our work and stories like this will continue to be struggles we have to bear.
Our Question of The Week
I’ll admit, this is not a question I want to ask, but given the story of what happened at Feeding Our Future, I feel like I need to ask it.
Registrations now open for Paul G. Duke Academy for Community Leadership!
Registrations are now open for continuing education offered by Edison State Community College in Piqua for the Paul G. Duke Academy for Community Leadership! I have been a proud alumni of both programs and have even been asked to help present sessions and teach classes. It’s an amazing program and I would encourage you to be a part of it if you are in the area! You can register here.
The Paul G. Duke Academy for Community Leadership 1.0 is a series of workshops designed to develop more effective directors, leaders, board members, staff and volunteers of nonprofit organizations. Course topics include the fundamental practices of board recruitment, planning, staffing, budgeting, evaluation, board meetings and community awareness. The classes are designed to help individuals make a difference on their boards and in their community.
The Paul G. Duke Academy for Community Leadership 2.0 has been created and designed specifically for experienced executive directors of nonprofit organizations and alumni of the Academy for Community Leadership 1.0. This challenging and intensive Academy is coordinated by the Academy development team and participants. Advanced participants will conduct original research and exchange results via reports and discussion. Participants will help to further develop the foundational agenda for each of the four monthly sessions that will explore nonprofit organizations—based upon their backgrounds, experiences, pressing issues and needs—through self-analysis, organizational analysis, guest speakers, best practices, resource review and in-depth discussions. At its conclusion, Academy 2.0 participants will be immersed in the annual Mosaic of Community Leadership Conference, both as participants and presenters. Academy 2.0 is the latest collaboration between the Paul G. Duke Foundation and the Edison State Community College Center for Leadership Development.
We are Trying Something New
Perhaps you read our last “Deeper Dive” where we talked about the amazing power of Youtube as a Social Media platform. Well, a reader challenged me and said hey, “Why don’t you start your own channel?”
Okay, challenge accepted. Here is our channel with our first four videos. We had some readers share them on LinkedIn (THANK YOU!) and the response has been positive. Check it out and let me know what you think! Feel free to drop me a line at pinnaclestrategiesltd@gmail.com or just comment below!
Here is a link to our YouTube Channel!
Check Out Some New Resources
Pinnacle Strategies has created a new resource! Check out our store here on the gumroad platform. These are the three most popular tools that I am hit up for. Take a look at these tools and of course, if you have any comments or questions, please feel free to contact me at pinnaclestrategiesltd@gmail.com.
What Can We Work on Together?
Did you know that Pinnacle Strategies works individually with nonprofit and public sector leaders to help them solve problems, achieve goals and gain confidence in their roles?
Why?
Because, this work is hard and it’s often a lonely road. Our nonprofit and public sector leaders need people that they can talk to to get solid advice and encouragement to do the work that is in front of them. If you feel that this can be of value to you, or a member of your team, please reach out to pinnaclestrategiesltd@gmail.com and let’s talk.
A Quick Note of Thanks!
Thank you all for subscribing to this newsletter. The subscription numbers continue to grow and from what I am learning, this side job seems like it has “sticking power”. I am not getting inquiries and calls from literally all over the world wanting to partner and work together to create value for you, the non profit and philanthropy leader. I feel very excited about the future of this newsletter and if you have any ideas or comments, please feel free to share them with me at pinnaclestrategiesltd@gmail.com
I know many of you have shared this with your friends and colleagues and I am very grateful. Thank you! If you haven’t shared it yet…..well, here is your chance….
Ready to Learn Something New?
One of the prettiest cities in Fall is Indianapolis and travelling there can open a perfect opportunity to sharpen your skills and meet new professionals in the field. I would encourage you to look at some of the offerings of The Fund Raising School at the Lilly School of Philanthropy at Indiana University’s campus in Indianapolis. The professional development school has great programming both on-line and in-person both in Indianapolis and at other sites across the country. Take a look at their course offerings here!
Other Ways to Connect
Our coaching practice has openings starting here in 2022. If you are interested in working with me to get your nonprofit organization on a track to achieve the big missions you have for your organization, please reach out to me at pinnaclestrategiesltd@gmail.com.
Here are some other ways you can keep in contact with Pinnacle Strategies!
Check us out on our LinkedIn Page
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