There has been a lot of publicity about an Austin nonprofit that recently closed. The Executive Director is charged with taking over $300,000 from the agency. The devastation is sobering: hundreds of families are left without support services, 30 employees lost their jobs, people are betrayed by someone they trusted, a substantial amount of public money as been stolen, and the list goes on.
The Hays County Food Bank is a public charity which means that all resources are held in trust for the public for our stated charitable purpose, feeding hungry people in Hays County. We have a moral obligation to make sure that resources are used for this sole mission. A situation like the tragedy in Austin clearly reminds us how important sound nonprofit management is.
It appears that the Executive Director from the Austin nonprofit was able to pull this off by faking several years of audits to cover her tracks. The Food Bank has multiple procedures in place to prevent this from occurring. We employ an independent Certified Public Auditor to conduct an annual audit and make sure that the auditor reports in person to the entire board of directors each year.
In today’s economy, dollars are precious. Nonprofits everywhere must manage their resources carefully just to survive. There are many local nonprofits doing a great job managing the bottom line in this tight economy. They do good work: they feed the poor, shelter abused children, and help seniors pay for medicine and utility bills, etc. I applaud their ability to keep fighting the good fight, often in the face of overwhelming challenges.
Public trust is both hard won and a precious resource.Donors need to be aware of who is running the organizations they support and how money is being used. All well managed nonprofits will welcome your interest because they have nothing to hide. Get involved. Find a cause that speaks to your heart and offer to volunteer.
The Food Bank’s annual Audit Report and IRS Form 990, can be found at www.HaysFoodBank.org
Pat Tessaro
Community Relations Coordinator, Hays County Food Bank
