Oh dear...Wyclef Jean's Yele Haiti Foundation under fiscal scrutiny

[dixiegrrrrl]

By Friday morning, just days after the earthquake hit, Wyclef Jean's Yele Haiti Foundation had raised more than $1.5 million.

Undoubtedly, Jean's celebrity helped draw in donors: He's an internationally known musician from Haiti who won a Grammy with the Fugees and went on to a hugely successful solo career. But an analysis of the charity's tax returns raises questions about how it has spent money in the past, with administrative expenses that appear to be higher than comparable charities and payments to businesses owned by the musician and a board member, including $100,000 for a performance by Jean at a 2006 benefit concert.

"It seems clear that a significant amount of the monies that this charity raises go for costs other than providing benefits to Haitians in need," said Dean Zerbe, national managing director of Alliant Group, a tax services company, and the former tax counsel to the Senate Finance Committee, which oversees charities.

"It brings real caution for donors that want to help in Haiti that they might want to take a harder look at this organization but also consider the significant number of charities that have been doing good work in Haiti that don't have these question marks," Zerbe said.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/15/AR2010011504024.html

[tekisui]

1. Smoking gun is on it.

It doesn't look good.

[hlthe2b]

2. It is one of six or seven charities, George Clooney had tapped

for the upcoming Haiti Benefit Telethon.... I hope they get this cleared up or exclude that particular charity beforehand. Sad...

[uppityperson]

3. k&r and see, you who are calling me "picky".

[gateley]

4. His cousin actually said that all charities, including this, need to be scrutinized.

He was on one of the MSNBC shows today. I thought, how he phrased it, it sounded kind of funny. Anybody else catch that?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

5. How much did Wyclef Jean raise at that benefit concert?

And what's his usual fee?

[uppityperson]

6. people and organizations like this really piss me off.

take advantage of other's generosity

[LatteLibertine]

7. Damn

I donated to them. I hope some of it helps the folks in Haiti.

I also donated to Artists for Peace and Justice. When Olivia Wilde was on Rachel Maddow's show tonight she claimed that charity consumes ZERO percent of your donations for overhead. I find it hard to believe Rachel would let her get away with that if it wasn't so.

http://www.artistsforpeaceandjustice.com/

[kayla9170]

8. Stars Telling Me to Donate to Their Causes....Just Don't...

Work for me and this is why. I would rather give to Doctor's Without Borders that really manage to get on the ground and help.....everyday. Nothing against Wyclef but I have not seen him anywhere since the first day. He was first the get on the media to say donate. We got a shot of him on the ground in Haiti, then nothing. Doctor's Without Boarders.......I gave to them........

[cali]

9. Agreed. For humanitarian disasters I give to Doctors... and Americares

[davepc]

10. Charitable orginazations are great tax shelters. There's a reason every big time pro athlete has one

Sign a multimillion dollar contract and set up your organization to help kids and whatnot. Have a charity golf outing once a year, do a few meet and greet appearances to make it look legit and hide hide hide that money.

[lostnfound]

11. I ponder the choice of the Red Cross..though it clearly helps on a huge scale

That's the one being recommended by the White House. I guess with its long history within the US and of working on a massive scale, it would have been awkward to have recommended anyone else. But their top guy earns $530,000 per year, and they are only given a 3-star rating for efficiency because of high overhead expenses on a percentage basis.

I sent my money to Partners In Health because I like the idea of building up the locals and also PIH is still functioning unlike some other charities that were hit hard at their headquarters in Port au Prince.

My next donation will be to Doctors without Borders.

[NashVegas]

12. Competition in the Non-Profit World

Is heating up. Every one of these organizations should be looked at.

This story about Wyclef? He isn't doing anything that Mr and Ms. Civic Leader USA aren't doing. They are funneling money, via contracts, to their country club friends.

[progressoid]

13. Didn't Tiger Woods just give him 3 mil?

[davepc]

14. No

It was an untrue Twitter rumor reported as fact

[progressoid]

15. Ah - Thanks

A rumor on the internet. Imagine that.

[davepc]

16. details here, via TMZ.com

http://www.tmz.com/2010/01/15/russell-simmons-tiger-woods-haiti-donation/

Russell Simmons now admits he jumped the gun when he said Tiger Woods was donating $3 million to help out Haiti -- but really, that's the least of Tiger's troubles.

Tiger's people say they are still evaluating the best way to help, but that didn't stop Russell from committing Tiger to something he hasn't committed to yet.

He tells TMZ, "Yesterday, I tweeted that Tiger Woods was contributing in a major way. My source for the tweet was premature, however, I strongly and passionately urge everyone with reach and means to act NOW as speed is everything to saving the lives of people in desperate need."

Tiger's camp says they plan to be a part of the relief effort, they are just considering their options.

Read more: http://www.tmz.com/2010/01/15/russell-simmons-tiger-woods-haiti-donation/#ixzz0cotgX3e7

[roguevalley]

17. considering your options is what I do when I wonder how much of my

pitiful bank account I can donate this early before payday. he's got a fucking billion dollars. GIVE A BUNCH OF MONEY, YOU BASTARD! DO IT NOW!