Charity Clarification

[Bruce]

I got an email today letting me know there has been some behind the scenes speculation as if I was spending charity money to fund the good life here in the Philippines.To date, off the forum I have gotten ZERO cash donations. I have one member (JJR) sending a balikbyan box in with school supplies and Tom has offered to build and host a better website than I now have. (where is the gravy train?)All cash donations so far have either been from people I know from my (former) pawn / gun shop and a collection jar I had in the store. I am also a notary public and I collected a donation for each time I signed my name.I do not drink or smoke or do drugs.... now while most of you think that makes Bruce a dull boy... it really means that I have been able to save up 'that money' and spend it here in Phils.I am so far 'down' in personal money spent here that it will take many many many thousands of donations to match what I have spent already.All of this concern / speculation is from me paying 60p for a hair cut AND beard trim and tipping 40p to a total of 100p!I really do what I say I do! All money / items collected for the Philippines comes here and is spent to raise the quality of life or future of the poor here on Samar. :541:Dig all you want, but other than comments that 'He is weird!" ( I am still too young to be called 'ecentric'). There is no smoking gun. (Does this mean I am a failure?)

[JJReyes]

After collecting odds and ends that your staff can either sell or use in Samar, I ended up with more than one box, but less than two. Waiting to accumulate more before sending both boxes. One item is a brand new Mr. Coffee coffee maker plus a stack of filters. Make sure they know its 110v. I will try and remember to mark the package. Many people think it is easy to get money donations if your are a non-profit. Whenever my wife and I do volunteer work, the first task they try to assign us is to collect donations. That's the last time they hear from us. I would rather undergo three root canals then ask friends, relatives and strangers for money.

[Bruce]

After collecting odds and ends that your staff can either sell or use in Samar, I ended up with more than one box, but less than two. Waiting to accumulate more before sending both boxes. One item is a brand new Mr. Coffee coffee maker plus a stack of filters. Make sure they know its 110v. I will try and remember to mark the package.Many people think it is easy to get money donations if your are a non-profit. Whenever my wife and I do volunteer work, the first task they try to assign us is to collect donations. That's the last time they hear from us. I would rather undergo three root canals then ask friends, relatives and strangers for money.

OOPS! I did forget... JJR had already sent in a English language learning / teaching system (MP4 looking devices ) and he paid for the shipping from the US to Samar! Edited February 17, 2012 by Bruce

[Mike S]

It is a shame Bruce that some people can try and drag down someone that is try to do good ...... hummmmmm .... the crab mentality again rearing it's ugly head ..... but there have been charities here in the Phils that have done just what you are accused of and continue to do so ..... so I guess I can see where your accuser is coming from ..... by the way both you and Tom use PayPal ..... which I despise ..... sorry just me ..... I closed my account a couple of years ago when I found out they had more information about me than the Feds did with my Fedral firearms license ......

[Tatoosh]

I do respect Bruce for what he is doing. But I also understand the attitude toward charities in the Philippines. Institutions that were started to do good work are often diverted to personal gain. A local school for the blind, that did excellent work helping their students learn and adapt was strongly supported by a number of expats. But along the way, some untrustworthy locals gained control of the board. The school was moved, with the money in their account used to build new, "better" buildings on the new principal's personal land. They fired any teachers that complained and got rid of long term staff that started asking about missing funds.Then they went on a "fund drive" from their traditional expat supporters. When they asked for 100,000 peso from one supporter, he said it might be raised if he was on the board to watch how funds were spent. They said that was possible. So he raised 50,000 pesos and gave it to them. They asked where the other 50,000 pesos were. He said when he was on the board, he would see about raising it. They said it was a misunderstanding, that there was no way he could be on the board, but please give them the other 50,000 pesos. You can guess what happened. They lost a long term supporter on the spot. Other supporters heard about it by word of mouth and that was the end of local expat support for the school. They may still be getting money from overseas though. For charities, particularly here, I think that transparency is essential. Corruption has tainted even the best efforts, guilt is by association, not by deed.

[Dave Hounddriver]

I got an email today letting me know there has been some behind the scenes speculation

Sometimes the 'behind the scenes' stuff is so far 'behind the scenes' that the only one who knows about it is the one sending the email.If by 'behind the scenes' you mean in the administrative section of the forum, then I can tell you as a moderator that I have not heard or read the slightest hint that your charity is anything other than above board. It doesn't mean I am going to rush out and buy into it, I just think the members should know there are no rumors or rumors of rumors, other than the one this thread just started.

[i am bob]

Bruce, I have never met you but by your words and actions I consider you a very upstanding individual. For somebody to accuse you of this, well... I hope it was a joke in bad taste?By the way, If you are around Cebu after September, look me up and I'll have something for you. About 6 years old and wants to go to Jollybee! Hehe! Just kidding! Seriously I really do not like PayPal so I'll have to buy you a cold one (iced coffee or tea?) once I do the move and you can come by the big city.

[Bruce]

Well behind the scenes as I was told were private emails, not board memebrs.Mike S and I think alike! I have been told by paypal that because I am nearing $10,000 in purchases (over 5+ years) that once I hit 10K they will close my account unless I either link to my bank account or get their brand of credit card!I sent in an email and it was not even read. Scanned by their computer and a stock reply was sent based on words in the email.So good by paypal soon! Although I may open one in the name of the charity, so far not a single donation via paypal....As for stealing from the charity... Boys Town, a US based charity has over 100 MILLION USD in their accounts and they still ask for more. Harvard has over 400 MILLION in YEARLY donations and asks for more..... Love those public records and journalists asking questions...But little ole me is really doing what I say here. i pay my own way and do not take a salary.....

Edited February 17, 2012 by Bruce

[i am bob]

I know how you feel... I spent 7 years co-chairing the fund raising for the provincial Spina Bifida association. People accused of us of using the money to entertain ourselves when we had meetings. We were borrowing a board room at the Children's Hospital and bringing in our own coffee. If somebody made cookies or muffins or such, that was our food. The entire provincial association only had 1 part time employee (the office manager) who was paid below minimum wage and not only did we have her working full time hours (half day unpaid) but we had her working out of her house. Every board meeting we had a list of complaints of how we were using the money and people would stand up at the annual meeting asking for explanations of every cent. Of course they wouldn't volunteer to come help out any.Bottom line - you know you are doing right and that's the only one who matters

Edited February 17, 2012 by i am bob

[Bruce]

Yes, easy to cast stones.... but I am not subject to sharia law (sorry, too easy to resist!) I have no problems answering questions. Most 'formal' donations here result in a letter of thanks and saying where the money went. I have had a past donation from my attorney friend that was passed onto a local poor school. They used the money to build a cistern to hold rain water to flush the toilets and stated so, thanking him by name in their letter of thanks.He framed it for his office and so far as we know, he is the only attorney with such a letter linking a US attorney with a toilet in the Philippines! When I take cash donations, I always ask where they want to apply the money. if they say they don't care, then I do as needed, but if they want a a school or medical bills or food for the kids,. that is where the money goes.