United Way pulls funds from scouts - Pa. groups lose thousands over gay discrimination.

Philly.com ^

[Sub-Driver]

United Way pulls funds from scouts Pa. groups lose thousands over gay discrimination. By Linda K. Harris Inquirer Staff Writer

After 80 years of providing financial support to local Boy Scout groups, the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania voted yesterday to cancel all funding to the local scouts because of their policy of discriminating against gays.

"It was not an easy meeting," said Christine James-Brown, United Way president. "There was a strong undercurrent of emotion in the room."

The United Way voted to withhold the second-half payment of a $400,862 grant to the Cradle of Liberty Council, the nation's third-largest, serving 87,000 youths in Philadelphia, Delaware and Montgomery Counties. The United Way's contribution represents a substantial portion of the Cradle of Liberty's $6.2 million yearly budget.

The United Way also voted to withhold the second half of a $17,901 grant to the Boy Scouts' Chester County Council for the same reason.

James-Brown said the rest of the grants would be held until the end of the year, to see whether the Boy Scouts could bring their policies into compliance with the United Way's nondiscrimination policies.

William T. Dwyer III, executive director of the Cradle of Liberty Council, could not be reached for comment yesterday. David H. Lipson Jr., the local council's board chairman, also could not be reached.

James-Brown said she was able to reach Dwyer by cellular phone after the meeting to advise him of the decision. She said Dwyer was very disappointed.

Stacey L. Sobel, executive director of the Center for Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights in Philadelphia, hailed the decision.

"I think this was difficult for United Way, but I think they made the right decision," Sobel said. "If they provided funding to the Boy Scouts, it would undermine their antidiscrimination policy."

In June 2000, a divided U.S. Supreme Court ruled, in the case of a New Jersey assistant scoutmaster who was expelled for being gay, that the Boy Scouts had the right to bar homosexuals as troop leaders. The national Boy Scouts viewed that as a victory.

The Cradle of Liberty Council voted unanimously in May to adopt an antidiscrimination policy regarding sexual orientation. The move was directly related to concerns that had been the subject of negotiations for two years with United Way.

But when the national Boy Scouts organization learned of the local council's decision, it immediately went on the attack. The national council threatened to revoke the Cradle of Liberty Council's charter and to replace the board.

The local council succumbed to the pressure and ousted a South Philadelphia Life Scout, Gregory Lattera, who announced he was gay.

On June 9, national scout executive Roy L. Williams issued a nationally circulated memo saying the Cradle of Liberty Council was in compliance with the national policy.

"As a condition of their charter, no local council is permitted to depart from [Boy Scout of America] membership policies. We are unaware of any council that is not in compliance," the memo stated.

That turnabout on policy, however, already has cost the Cradle of Liberty $100,000. In June, the Pew Charitable Trusts killed a grant for that amount because of the policy change.

In addition to the monetary losses, the City of Philadelphia is looking into whether it wants to continue to let the Cradle of Liberty Council use the headquarters building, which the city owns and which sits on city-owned land.

In 1928, City Council passed an ordinance allowing the Boy Scouts to build a headquarters at 22d and Winter Streets on city land. The ordinance states that once the building was erected, it would become the property of the city. The ordinance also required that the property be surrendered if the city gave one year's notice.

The Mayor's Office yesterday did not return phone calls on the matter.

Since the issue of discrimination became public locally in late spring, the city's law office has been researching options about the Boy Scouts headquarters.

[Sub-Driver]

screw the United Way...............

[RedBloodedAmerican]

You gotta love United Way. Never could tell the difference between them and the ACLU and Planned Parenthood.

[Betteboop]

Anyone have addresses of the councils that are losing money? We can send our donations directly to them!!

[Judith Anne]

And I imagine the United Way has lost a lot of funding due to THEIR policy of promoting homosexual leadership of the Boy Scouts. Lots of that money has gone directly to the Scouts.

So, on the balance, this is a good thing. Get the United Way out of Scouting. Their homosexual agenda isn't needed or wanted.

[HEY4QDEMS]

The ball is in the scouts court now, they should embark on a nation wide campaign encouraging donors to reconsider giving to the United Way.

Politics always takes a back seat to money.

[AppyPappy]

They just signed their fiscal death certificate

[Ed_in_NJ]

See: www.defendscouting.com

[Publius6961]

Hmmmmmm.
Let's see...

One pervert decides to get in your face.
87000 Kids get the shaft.

Both the United way and "Charitable Trusts" like the Pew Foundation and the United Way seem to be riddled with the deviants and their sympathizers.

I don't know what course others may take, but as for me, it's time to go on the offensive in a clear, unambiguous "in your face" way. If it's a fight they want...

In my life, looking at the existence of deviants in the closet, I have gone from mild amusement, to disinterest to tolerance to irritation to hostility to outright anger.

If one pervert can destroy the benefits to 87000 in the name of "tolerance", it's time for me to retire the concept.
I have never tolerated everybody. I never will. It's not complicated. They want open hostility?
Bring it on.

[Drango]

There is something fundamentally wrong about the United Way.

[Publius6961]

Anyone have addresses of the councils that are losing money? We can send our donations directly to them!!

As soon as addresses get posted.

[Judith Anne]

I just don't like the United Way, and it doesn't bother me if the BSA don't get any of their money.

[JonathansMommie]

Ping

[WSGilcrest]

Pulled my funding from the United Way years ago. F them!


I'm already not in a good mood this morning.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

I wouldn't WANT their money, and I wouldn't want my money going where THEY send it! Rotten, evil machine!

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Don't stop!

[Pablo64]

Anyone in PA who donated this year to the United Way with the understanding that part of their donation would go to the Boy Scouts should be screaming loud and long and demanding their money back. Or, if they were contributing on a monthly basis, they should cut off the remainder of their payments.

If I donated to a charity with the understanding that my money was going to support a specific group, and then the charity (after taking my money) stopped supporting that group, I would be very vocal about it.

[Manic_Episode]

Where I work, each year they send out a United Way form asking how much of our check we would like to donate. It has our name on it and they want it back even if the amount is zero. I have traditionally tossed it in the garbage.

Next year they will get the form back with a zero, and the reason why.

[Imagine]

Who can post a list of United Way chapters that have de-funded the Boy Scouts? I am interested in doing a little research on the issue....

[Alberta's Child]

Instead of sending it back with a $0, I would change the name to "Al Gore" and send it back with "$500 million" written on it.

[netmilsmom]

I feel that this is also a poor/rich issue. Who is hurt by this? The poor kids. Proportionately, the black kids.
I am a Daisy GS leader. The Girl Scouts have a program where they sponsor a girl who does not have the money to afford the dues and camping. When it comes to the supplies, the leaders provide them. Who will lose in this fight? The kids who parents can't afford the program. And these are the kids who need the scouts the most.

[Dudoight]

I've pull my funds from United Way.

[Bluegrass Federalist]

I agree this is an outrage, but please be careful in painting the entire United Way like this. UW policies are determined on a local basis. The Berkely UW will be lot different from the Bluegrass United Way.

I am on the Board of Directors of the local United Way, and I can tell you it will be over my dead body that this ever happens here. The UW of the Bluegrass proudly supports the Boy Scouts, and will as long as I have anything to say about it.

United Way does a lot of incredible things in communities with responsible, common sense leaders.

[Manic_Episode]

I like it!

[Drango]

Where I work, each year they send out a United Way form asking how much of our check we would like to donate

When I worked at a major corporation, everyone was essentially required to donate to the United Way. When I refused my boss called me in and brow beat me for not being a team player. His group had always given 100% and I was making him look bad. Didn't I care? Why won't you do your fair share? Yadda, Yadda. Still, I explained my opposition and refused.

Then I was called into the VP of HR! Gulp. Someone I had never met. We went over all the same things. Always nice, but behind all the innuendo, I was a deadbeat. I carefully explained how the UW supported causes I felt were abhorrent to my views. Around and around we went. When he pulled the fair share crap again, I explained that I gave through my church. And if he wanted to bring in HIS income tax forms, I would bring in mine and we could compare who gave more both in percentage and absolute terms.

Never heard from them again.

[Joe Boucher]

The United way is with holding money from the boy scouts and I am withholding donations to the United way.
Screw them unchristian dogs.

[Ed_in_NJ]

To see which UW organizations are defunding the BSA, see: www.defendscouting.com

For the BSA Local Council addresses, see HERE.

[smiley]

We echo your sentiments across the fruited plain....no more contributions to the United Way guys.....!

[Rummyfan]

Then forget the United Way and donate directly to the Philadelphia chapter of the Boy Scouts.

[The Wizard]

lying headline......they do not discriminate, they uphold their rules.

[dyed_in_the_wool]

Question: How are the United Way's policies not 'discriminatory'?

[Dante3]

Does United Way also object that Boy Scouts discrimnate by age and sex?

[Drango]

UW policies are determined on a local basis.

Yeah but there are corrupt on a National level...It was just in 1995 that high-living, jet setting, limousine riding, chief of the United Way and his corrupt associates were sent to jail. 22 years he ran the United Way. 22 years of donations supporting him.

[dyed_in_the_wool]

Contact info here:

Mailing Address
United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania
7 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103

E-mail
uwsepa@uwsepa.org

Phone Numbers
General Switchboard - 215.665.2500
Donor Choice Helpline - 215.665.2598
First Call for Help - 215.568.3750
To Donate - 215.665.GIVE

[Bluegrass Federalist]

I feel you, man. They do a lot of great things here,though, in comnnection with religious organizations. They take a huge hit looking bad from these crackpot liberal UW's.

An alternative to boycott is to get involved,and make sure your UW does it as God intended. With conservativces on the Board, they can never pullthis stuff. You know the gay activists are doing ther best.Don't let them take over.

[Brian S]

The United Way is filthy rotten right to it's corrupt core.

I actively recruit individuals to NOT participate in their company sponsored "extortion" schemes.

There are many very good causes in which one can, with very little effort, donate to directly.

[Pikachu_Dad]

Tough.

If one United Way is doing it, then screw them all.

Until the United Way as a GROUP stops the discrimination against the Boy Scouts.

[CSM]

This is another reason that I am glad I quit giving in to the corporate extortion that recommends (requires) we donate to the United Way. I now give directly to the charity that I had specified. Now that charity gets my $$ plus their usual % from United Way. The actual amount that they now get is doubled from my previous donations.

Someone needs to expose this group for what it really is!

[Elsie]

I am a Daisy GS leader. The Girl Scouts have a program where they ...........

Good for you, but YOUR organization is homophilic.

---

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[HEY4QDEMS]

Apparently you have inroads to higher echelons of the U W, unless and until people with your influence within the organization unite to change this outrage, you're local chapter will undoubtably suffer.

[Kuksool]

The United Way makes its living by being the middle men for various charities. Other than that, the organization is totally useless. Our charity donations are better served if we give directly to the charities, instead of the United Way.

[neb52]

LOL its the same were I work on anything. Not just the UW donations. The politics is just horrible when it comes to making sure your department is 100% compliant. I had a supervisor that if you refused to pitch in for whatever, would put in a few dollars in your name so his group would be 100% compliant and then would run over to Mr. Bossy Wossy to pucker up.

[Drango]

Someone needs to expose this group for what it really is!
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2003/07/20/MN24024.DTL

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United Way tweaked its financial reports Accountants question charity's methods Todd Wallack, Chronicle Staff Writer		Sunday, July 20, 2003
In recent years, the United Way of the Bay Area has buried millions of dollars in expenses and exaggerated the portion of donations going to charitable programs, nonprofit financial experts said. In San Francisco, the UWBA, which raised $42 million last year, boasted in marketing materials and on its Web site that just 14 cents of every dollar raised goes toward management and fund-raising expenses, otherwise known as overhead. But nonprofit experts say the UWBA uses unorthodox accounting methods to artificially reduce its overhead rate. "I'd call it very aggressive accounting," said Richard F. Larkin, technical director for BDO Seidman, one of the nation's largest accounting firms and co- author of several texts on nonprofit accounting. Critics say the accounting methods also raise questions about whether the UWBA misled donors about how their contributions would be used. The UWBA concedes it overstated the amount of money that went to food banks, teacher training and other charitable programs, although it insists its overhead rate is correct. The questions about the UWBA's accounting methods follow the recent collapse of PipeVine, the San Francisco donation clearinghouse that UWBA founded a decade ago. In June, PipeVine acknowledged it had diverted millions of dollars in charitable donations to its own operations, inflated its revenue and understated its expenses. METHODS CRITICIZED Experts criticized several methods the UWBA used to calculate its overhead rate. Specifically, the UWBA: -- Included at least $1.6 million in pledges that it didn't expect to collect in its 2002 revenue. That made its fund-raising and administrative expenses look smaller by comparison. -- Counted 100 percent of its $389,000 in annual dues to the United Way of America as a grant to charity, instead of classifying at least part of the dues as administrative or fund-raising expense. -- Excluded from their overhead rate some major purchases, including a computer mainframe. -- Included money that donors specifically designated for other charities (such as the American Red Cross) in its campaign total in 2002, but omitted the $1.03 million in fees it paid to PipeVine, its former subsidiary, to process those donations. Several nonprofit experts criticized the UWBA's accounting approach, noting that it understates its overhead expenses and inflates the amount of money going to charity. 'CREATIVE ACCOUNTING' Kevin T. Howard, a Maryland CPA who worked as a controller for a nonprofit youth shelter for several years and has served on two nonprofit boards, went further: "It sounds like a little creative accounting to me." The UWBA stands by its overhead figures, saying the numbers were approved by Grant Thornton, the Chicago-based auditing firm. "Our auditors have been reviewing and approving the way we have calculated overhead for years," said George Chen, the UWBA's chief financial officer. And, none of this necessarily means that the UWBA is squandering donors' money. Even without the questionable accounting methods, the charity says its overhead rate would only rise by 3 or 4 percentage points, leaving it well within national guidelines for nonprofits. Federal guidelines, for instance, allow nonprofits to spend up to 25 percent of their income on overhead and still participate in government workplace campaigns. But the accounting methods raise thorny questions about whether the UWBA misled donors about how their contributions would be used. "Their methodology overstates the percentage of donated dollars that actually goes to charities," said Tom Courtney, an Oakland financial management consultant who works with nonprofits and teaches courses at the University of San Francisco's Institute for Nonprofit Organization Management. OTHER UNITED WAYS Several other United Ways around the country also have come under fire in the past few years for using accounting tricks to skew their numbers: -- In May, about 100 nonprofits accused the United Way in Sacramento of understating its overhead. -- United Ways in Florida, Illinois and Washington, D.C., reportedly counted donations in their fund-raising totals that were already counted by another United Way as their own. -- In Tucson, the Arizona Daily Star found the United Way there claimed credit for raising nearly $1 million in donations that were actually collected by a California company and earmarked for nonprofits here. "We've certainly seen in recent years more than just isolated incidents of concern with how finances are being reported," said Bennett Weiner, chief operating officer of the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance, a watchdog group. "'The bottom line is donors want to know how their dollar is being spent." NEW GUIDELINES PLANNED In response to the controversy, the United Way of America, the umbrella organization for 1,400 local affiliates, plans to issue new, stricter accounting standards later this year. Unlike the current guidelines, the new rules will not be optional. "We have to set the bar higher for ourselves," said United Way President Brian Gallagher. Even the UWBA acknowledged that it posted misinformation on its Web site. Previously the UWBA had said that more than 86 percent of the contributions it received went to community services. But, according to the UWBA's own internal estimates, only 82 percent of every dollar actually goes to charity. That 4 percent difference might not sound like much. But for 2002 alone, it works out to nearly $2 million in contributions that never went to community programs. After a reporter pointed out the discrepancy, the UWBA removed the statement from its Web site last week. "That is not an accurate calculation," said UWBA Chief Executive Anne Wilson, who was paid $210,000 last year. "We will clarify it." ~snip

[Bluegrass Federalist]

No, I have no inroads. My board term just started. Your post is right on, and that's exactly the plan. Until we as conservatives fight these kind of fights, both by withholding donations and by fighting from the inside, the moral fabric of our society will continue to erode.

Nothing like this is getting past me, I can gaurantee you that.

[Mamzelle]

There is a good story out there about the proliferation of non-profit foundations. Everybody and their dog can form a foundation, collect donations that are deductable to their donors, and then donate that money to themselves. While I understand a tax dodge, I resent how this demeans the virtue of authentic charity.

Start spending some time at guidestar.org . Very interesting place.

[schaketo]

In case you’d like to let them know how you feel about them.

United Way
Attn: President Christine James-Brown
7 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: (215) 665-2500

If you call don’t take no for an answer. They’ll try to get you to leave a message and they’ll get back to you. Be persistent and they find a PR moron for you to talk live with. Just did it.

[gaspar]

Let's be honest, you try to screw with the Girl Scouts and every dyke from Greenwich Village to San Francisco is going to shout murder and do something about it. Truth be told, this is just another attack on males initiated by feminists. Need an example? How about James-Jones, or is it Jones-James.

Men have learned the lesson by now, never trust a hyphenated broad.

[mhking]

Inner city kids benefit greatly from the Scouts - I was a Scout and proud of it!

Black conservative ping

If you want on (or off) of my black conservative ping list, please let me know via FREEPmail. (And no, you don't have to be black to be on the list!)

Extra warning: this is a high-volume ping list.

[JesseHousman]

United Way, United Nations.

It's all the same thing. Screw the children and advance the homosexual agenda for America and the world.

Let's see now. I don't buy GMC, Ford, Wal-Mart, and now I will never give to the United Way.

[CSM]

Good article, thanks.

[fortunecookie]

Inner city kids benefit greatly from the Scouts

and

It's all the same thing. Screw the children and advance the homosexual agenda

And openly blame the hatred of the scout leadership for shunning would-be homosexual leaders and ending the funds, spread the hate. Just another opportunity to 'educate' our kids about the evils of those who oppose the homosexual agenda. (/sarcasm).

Scouts benefit kids everywhere and the community as well. Hopefully private donors can help.