A Charitable Cluster
CHARLOTTE’S UNITED WAY SITUATION GETS WORSE
FITSNews - August 28, 2008 - Judging from the Kevin Siers cartoon above, it would appear that the PR disaster currently engulfing the United Way of Charlotte is going to get worse before it gets better. That’s because after getting busted paying an exorbitant salary and benefits package to its CEO, the organization’s board has now decided to fire her - while shelling out $20,000 a month for an interim replacement.
From the Charlotte Observer , which has been on this story like white on rice:
For months, the United Way of Central Carolinas board said Gloria Pace King was worth every penny of her controversial $1.2 million pay package.
Tuesday, 37 of those board members unanimously called on their longtime CEO to resign or be fired.
King’s fall was breathtakingly quick, but not clean.
Critical questions remain. How the board handles them will affect 91 nonprofit agencies and the thousands in need that they serve.
Can the board regain enough public trust to rescue its ongoing fundraising campaign?
How will it settle accounts with King, even as it pays her interim replacement $20,000 a month?
Even worse, the board has refused to provide the public (which it routinely begs money from) with access to its records, stonewalling the Observer at every turn of its investigation with a recalcitrance typically reserved for government agencies.
Charities are important, people. There are far too few people on this earth doing the “Lord’s work,” and we should support those who genuinely strive to help those in need. But as it stands now, you’d be better off buying guns for Charlotte gang bangers than giving to these idiots …
Besides, as U2’s Bono once said, “The God I believe in isn’t short of cash, Mister …”
Comments
By Sacred cow smells awfully fishy on August 28th, 2008 at 8:33 am
You got to give credit to the Charlotte newspaper for rolling up their sleeves and investigating a very big “sacred cow”.
And you guys are right on the money - if a non-profit out to do “good” can not open their books to the public they should expect their future donations to go to zero in a hurry.
By Newsman on August 28th, 2008 at 8:55 am
#1…you are spot on!
The media can make things happan. And I bet they sell lots of newspapers too!
To bad we don’t have real media in this town.
By Henri on August 28th, 2008 at 10:37 am
Hey! What happened to the Leidenger & Allen blog?? You guys chicken out and pull it? LOL
It was jsut getting interesting….
What happened to the Power of the Press?
By rick on August 28th, 2008 at 6:37 pm
Think do-good isn’t big business. Gotta love the Charlotte board in their ability to throw someone under the bus faster that Barack (I could no more disown the reverend than I could my grandmother) Obama. Think she gave herself these pay raises/contract perks?