Spooky Pooch Parade

[Grace O'Malley]

Missy

who, may I ask, emailed you the link? Was it an officer of LakewoodAlive?

[Missy Limkemann]

it was from their e newsletter that they send out to those on their list.

[Grace O'Malley]

According to the form Missy linked to, the Pooch parade made a profit of over $2000. Lakewoodalive claims they raised $1000 for the Lakewood shelter.

My questions: Can anyone from the Lakewood animal shelter confirm the receipt of a $1000 donation.

And, where was the rest of the money, about $1400, directed?

[Justine Cooper]

Many people don't realize that "nonprofits" can make a profit which leaves room for a lot of deception.
I worked for an alternative school ten years ago (Education Alternatives) where the sole motive of the owner was profit. He has made millions from opening a handful of these schools and his salary is $150 grand plus profit. His wife is on the board. Since he opened he filed for non-profit status and is listed as nonprofit AND has a link on his website for "donations" for those not realizing that the "needy" kids net a couple hundred dollars a day from taxpayers from the school district they come from. Oh and he had a bachelor's degree and wasn't providing $200 a day education for sure! Noone checked!

My grandpa worked for years for Red Cross as a volunteer years ago (before he died) until he read in the paper how much money the execs were making. He quit that day, outraged. I think the same thing happened with United Way awhile ago where people like me living check to check were donating out of every check and read something similar. I would rather help directly now than pay and not know where the money goes.

It is really important to find out how much of the money we donate goes to the actual cause. It is surely not enough and deception is easy. And prevalent.

I am truly outraged that Missy is paying hundreds in vet bills for a local rescue and LA pocketed over a grand. And to charge for a table is more outrageous. I didn't even think they started this but took it over, am I wrong?

I was also surprised to learn that local businesses paid $90 for a table at the community festival. No way did they recup that. Where does that money go? I am so much in favor in having tables for local vendors and artists at a rate around $25 for that event so they can represent Lakewood, provide goods, and maybe make a profit. Sad.

[Vince Frantz]

I have several non-profits as clients. The ones with no "high paid executives" do the worst at fulfilling the mission and waste the most money. The term "non-profit" is deceptive. It simply means that no assets of the corporation can be "owned" through equity by a person. If a non-profit has gross annual revenue of a million dollars then you better believe that the board doesn't want a volunteer or 30K salaried person in charge of that. The Executive's job is to INCREASE the funding of the entity so that it can fulfill it's mission (which is not necessarily tied to raw total funds donated). 100% volunteer groups are unsustainable. Doing work costs money. Why does this surprise anyone? If a group has X amount of funding someone better be paid to ensure that the mission is funded and rendered.

Anyone here ever do a "run for the cure"? Well that didn't happen because some volunteers did some consulting, scheduling, sponsor sales, promotions, tshirt printing, etc etc etc for FREE. A FOR-PROFIT sports marketing firm earned anywhere from 20 - 40% of all the donations. A Private Solicitor reached out to sponsors for a 10-20% commission. Most of the leg-work was done by $300/month interns looking for experience. Somewhere some private equity holders are sitting pretty.

So does all that info make you never want to support that event again?

Does a dog parade exist solely for funding purposes? I thought the purposes of the Spooky Pooch spanned funding, awareness and community. If it was only funding - then there are better ways to raise money than putting your dog in a costume. Poker and Bingo come to mind.

[Jim O'Bryan]

Vince

I would like to say it just isn't so, especially on a local level and to what extent. While
Race for the Cure, a national event does have some high powered high paid officials, there
are many local and civic groups in every city that does not have to pay officials big
dollars to help their community. I can think of at least 10 in Lakewood non/profits even
for profits that have been around more than 3 years, that are making large positive impacts on this and other cities, without salaries over 60%, or salaries at all. Many
groups and people step up an help without the big cash payback. Especially on a local
level.

Even on a national and international level many programs make sure that no more
than 25%is ever spent on "management and cost." I will admit that there are many
non-profits that bleed and abuse the system. As a teen I would for a group that annually
rasied $500,000 for the Metro General Burn Unit. Then one day I found out the hospital's
check at the end of the promotion was $5,310.00! I quit and never went back. The charity
being served by the group raising the money should always get a bigger percentage
than what "Huggy Bear" gave his girls!


ALSO if the group is a 501C3, all percentages paid to said charities should be easy
to find, read and understand. I am sure you would agree.

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[Rhonda loje]

I think the question is very simple.

Please give all participants transparency.

Lakewood Alive please let us know what % of the profits will go to your economic development non-profit and what % of the profits will go to the Lakewood Animal Shelter or CCLAS.

I think it is only fair to your participants, sponsors, table participants and the community to let them know where the profits will be distributed prior to the event.

[Danielle Masters]

I just looked on the webpage and realized Grant Elementary PTA is going to have to have a table. That seems kind of humorous. I suppose it's because Grant school children in downtown Lakewood but in light of all the goings on in the past few weeks and rumors of who scratches whose back it seems kind of weird.

Side note I speak for only myself, I do not speak to the opinions of any other parents at Grant elementary. Wouldn't want anyone else to feel the wrath for my big mouth.

[Jim O'Bryan]

I just looked on the webpage and realized Grant Elementary PTA is going to have to have a table. That seems kind of humorous. I suppose it's because Grant school children in downtown Lakewood but in light of all the goings on in the past few weeks and rumors of who scratches whose back it seems kind of weird.

Side note I speak for only myself, I do not speak to the opinions of any other parents at Grant elementary. Wouldn't want anyone else to feel the wrath for my big mouth.

Cross between Stockholm Syndrome, and Donner Party Syndrome.

The need to tenderize your body before they feed on you.

Actually spin is their specialty, one reason they do not enter into public conversations.

Too easy to poke holes in the propaganda.

Think back Sharon Kinsella, a person that gives much of her time to civic efforts, dared
to ask how much Spooky Pooch took in and how much did LakewoodAlive give to animal
charities. She was attacked, belittled, insulted, and they took their ball and went home.
This was from a 501C3, that by law has to answer the question.

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