[stclwrsig-l] With 12 You Get Egg Roll

[tashuff at aol.com]

 I can understand that human nature took over when the board was approached by an organization that appears to be genuine. But, my work in the non-profit sector has made me a skeptic to most "charities" and their fundraising ploys. It is always good practice to review a 501(c)3 organization on Cahrity Navigator or similar sites. Our board had a fiduciary responsibility to perform due diligence before releasing an asset of the organization to P2P. The membership list is probably the most important asset a professional organization possesses. At this point I haven't decided whether to be outraged that the board was complicit in the deceit of  P2P, or saddened that the STC leadership lacks the ability to smell a scam when it is packaged so nicely.


 


Teresa Trujillo
Book Workshop/Mighty Designs
1501 E. Orangethorpe Avenue
Suite 130
Fullerton, California 92831
Phone (714) 525-0882
Fax (714) 879-7156
Cell (714) 926-8343

 


 

-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Collins <jimcol at charter.net>
To: tashuff at aol.com
Sent: Tue, 11 Mar 2008 10:45 am
Subject: RE: [stclwrsig-l] With 12 You Get Egg Roll










Thank you, Teresa. 

This investigation and write-up was a lot of work. 

I have heard of P2P before. From the little I learned then, I didn't trust
them. Your research now confirms my suspicions.

I'll bet that, despite all you've found and told us, the Board will refuse
to admit they may have made a mistake.

Jim

Jim Collins
Senior Technical Communicator
WVS - The Technical Writing Company
209-537-5288 jim at wvswrite.com
 
-----Original Message-----
From: stclwrsig-l-bounces+jimcol=charter.net at mailman.stc.org
[mailto:stclwrsig-l-bounces+jimcol=charter.net at mailman.stc.org] On Behalf Of
tashuff at aol.com
Sent: Tuesday, March 11, 2008 10:01 AM
To: Stcidlsig-l at mailman.stc.org; stc-ac at lists.stc.org;
stclwrsig-l at mailman.stc.org; pres at stc.org
Subject: [stclwrsig-l] With 12 You Get Egg Roll





 I invested some of my personal time to review the People to People
organization. There are several online tools that review and rate charities
and educational foundations. I have been unable to find one of the respected
organizations that rates People to People. And, this lack of review and
rating for an organization that states it has a fifty year history is more
than a little suspicious.



The organization is a 501(c)3 organization and has filed its IRS990 forms.
They have paid their chief executive, Mary Eisenhower, in excess of
$150,000.00 (U.S.) in 2005. This is a lot of money for a non-profit
humanitarian organization's chief executive. The organization is
headwquartered  in Kansas City MO, so there is little need to provide for
living expenses that are incurred by CEOs who manage charities in cities
like NYC, Los Angeles, San Francisco, etc.



There is a recent Iowa Attorney General investigation on their student
recruiting (direct mail advertising program). You can find more information
at:



http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2006/09/people2people02.html

There is also a recent wrongful death lawsuit filed against the organization
due to a student who died in Tokyo last summer. You can find all of this
information on the website listed above.



I work with non-profits clients, and I was an executive for a travel
magazine. These type of "group travel opportunities" are marketing tools.
Linda O states that the trip will not go forward if there are not 15
participants. Well, with "twelve you get egg roll"--is a marketing tool as
well. 



It appears that the board did not perform necessary due diligence before
releasing our personal information to a travel marketer with a convincing
twist.

P2P lists a Los Angeles (close to my home) adult chapter on their website
which links to a chapter website that hasn't been updated in two years.  So,
it is impossible for me to personally get involved with an international
organization that lists hundreds of chapters. I rarely support "charitable"
organizations that I am not given an opportunity to volunteer in or
participate in.