Nonprofits should expect scrutiny

With all apologies to Shakespeare, methinks the Blue Water fundraising consortium doth protest too much.

The letter-writing campaign subsequent to their exposure -- portraying them as naïve, inept and kind-hearted locals trying to raise awareness via musical venues -- begs for a counterpoint.

In this day and age, even the venerable and once-upon-a-time esteemed American Red Cross is held up to the light of day, and “transparency” is demanded by the multitude of duped donors to posers of good will. Calamities are like fertilizer for scams, creating potentially charitable venues that are in reality invitations to set up shop temporarily to bilk the empathetic public.

In contrast, our own catastrophe, the Bluebird slide, brought out the best in our community, with solid planning, logistical support and excellent altruistic organizational players who didn’t make obscene promises they couldn’t keep. Focused, morally courageous and kept on task by local residents, this was an example of the right way to help -- resulting in real dollars.

Any endeavor that writes checks with its mouth like the Blue Water group -- promising as much as $50,000 to the Laguna Beach chapter of the Surfrider Foundation at the first event this past winter -- should be held to the litmus test of two mature concepts: accountability and responsibility.

When Blue Water held a concert on Sept. 11, dedicated to the victims of our national tragedy, any sane, logical person should have been asking: “What does 9/11 have to do with ocean awareness?” Never mind the warped rational of any nexus, any connectivity, just take advantage of America’s mourning on this commemorative date, and wrap ecological concerns around the still-crying families.

Several of the letters published in local weeklies were written by board members of groups that did receive funds: Surfrider and Ocean Laguna. One can see then that, if given any money -- although pitifully little was actually delivered -- folks are grateful and hesitant to bite the hand that feeds. And those who volunteered have a right to feel their efforts were not in vain. Theirs was a conscious ethical choice to assist what they were sold on as a new, viable, warm and fuzzy venture.

Mull over, too, the fact that the two owners of Blue Water have five different business names on file with the county recorder, and an uncertain picture begins to emerge begging for the subsequent investigation that triggered the avalanche of supporting letters. The constituents of this business seem to be more akin to money brokers, collecting funds and delivering to the nonprofits of their choosing, not necessarily based upon merit but perhaps on whimsy. The donors have a right to know where the money went, especially if, as a business, there was no tax-deductible receipt option.

The outraged should have understood that who better, who more trusted, more nonpartisan to make a thorough inquiry than the Fourth Estate, the press? In a sense, a public service was provided and it is the civic responsibility of the media to shine a flashlight on such mixed-message, confusing individuals and let the community decide. Vigilance is a necessary element in the long-term commitment of any respectable publication.

There was considerable rumor and innuendo swirling about, most focused on the “follow the money” mentality. After the smoke and mirrors have subsided, it’s now up to Blue Water to reassess, regroup, to stop whining, to stand and deliver. This isn’t an updated version of the Little Rascals, where each time Spanky, Darla and Alfalfa had a need for bucks they put on a talent show.

This battle for healthy environs on Planet Laguna demands specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely leadership -- leaders who can and should be held responsible and accountable by an increasingly savvy and righteously skeptical population.

* Roger von Butow is leader of the Clean Water Now! Coalition, based in Laguna Beach.