Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Today's Blind Items - Another Celebrity Charity Gone Bad

Another chapter of my irregular look into celebrity charities.

It was not that long ago that this charity seemed to be doing quite a bit of good. Founded and run by a B+ list mostly television actor who keeps bringing home that weekly check for that long running almost network television show. Donations were high and expenses were low. Actual things were getting done with the promise of a lot more down the road.Then, coinciding with a major life event, things have taken a dramatic turn. Now, the charity seems like it is still doing good things, but if you take a look inside the numbers, it seems to be doing more for the friends of our actor's significant other. She likes to look like a big shot. While the amounts donated have doubled since she came around, the expenses have quadrupled. Huge salaries for very little work are being paid. Huge parties are being thrown so she can look good. The parties end up costing almost as much as they raise. Expenses they claim were spent on services were inflated to the point of lunacy. They definitely paid for the services, but at six times the going rate for the services. So, where did the excess funds go? Tens upon tens of thousands of dollars. Oh, and that monster purchase the charity triumphed? Just a tiny down payment. The rest has to be paid over time but they never stated that part. This is just going to come crashing down. The good work they could have done, gone up in smoke because of the need to be dramatic and get attention and publicity.

14 comments:

Derek Harvey said...

nikki reid ian sumenholder

Tricia13 said...

Ian Somerholder/VD?
Marriage is life event

Derek Harvey said...

*somerhalder

Tricia13 said...

Medical emergency Life For Animals/ Charity

sandybrook said...

His animal Foundation 2 years old

Dutch said...

Oh I hope they go to jail for this. A fraudulent charity is never taken lightly by the government

Gia said...

+1 - it is his animal rescue. He used to talk about it all the time!

http://www.isfoundation.com/welcome

Kno Won Uno said...

But just by talking about it, they're "raising awareness", ya'll!
They're making people AWARE of how special and sincere and selfless they are.
That's important work!
(Tumblr snowflakes who'd like to engage in a dialog about awareness can piss right off and die)

Kno Won Uno said...

Plus 1

Janet said...

+2
http://www.ryot.org/ian-somerhalder-foundations-grant-to-save-rescue-animals/578297
He was extremely active in it for a couple years and now there's not much being said. That stinks.

Janet said...

I agree. We have some great ones where I am and they are run beautifully. No excuse for fraudulence because he's a celebrity!

Malibuborebee said...

They may be "raising awareness" (ahem) but I've never heard of their charity and although I know their names from CDaN, couldn't pick either one of them out of a lineup.

TopperMadison said...

The Ian Somerhalder Foundation's website is incredibly strange. They have a staff of thousands and it's only a $2M charity. They're all women, except for one man, and they have bizarre titles like "General" and "Specialist" and one is "Book Club Specialist" which is odd since they're not a literary non-profit.

There isn't a list of a Board of Directors anywhere, either, and according to their 990 from last year, they have a Secretary who gets paid $60K for 25 hours of work a week.

Weirdness.

TopperMadison said...

Actually, in further research, it appears most of these women are volunteers. I guess that explains the gender imbalance, massive number, and weird titles.

Still doesn't explain the lack of a Board list or the over-paid secretary, though.

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