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Crusading for ‘Judeo-Christian values’ doesn’t come cheap
September 16th, 2008, 7:00 am · 22 Comments · posted by Teri Sforza, Register staff writer
It’s a little like the loaves and fishes parable, but in reverse.
California Family Council Foundation, a non-profit based in Riverside and led by Yorba Linda’s Ron Prentice (who was recently vice president for public affairs at socially conservative Focus on the Family), exists ”to protect and foster Judeo-Christian principles in California’s laws, for the benefit of its families,” says its web site.
The Council is against gay marriage. Prentice, its CEO, is also chairman of ProtectMarriage.com - YES on 8, the stop-gays-from-marrying initiative on November’s ballot.
Yet the Council spent just one-quarter of its money on programs fostering said mission - and spent most of the money on itself.
SoCal freelance journalist Justin McLachlan recently examined the Council’s tax returns, and found that most of its contributions go into the pockets of its employees, not toward its mission of defending the faith. Which prompted The Watchdog to take a spin through its tax returns as well, where she found things were pretty much upside-down.
Here’s the story in pictures:
- In 2006-07, the Council spent 75 percent of its money on management and, well, raising more money.
- It spent just 25 percent on its core mission.
- The story was essentially the same for 2005-06;
- And in 2004-05, it spent 100 percent on management.
Nonprofit watchdogs like Charity Navigator and the Better Business Bureau like to see no more than 35 percent spent on management and fundraising combined; and at least 65 percent on programs, the charity’s core mission.
The Council is not getting high marks for money management, either. Its spending greatly outpaced its revenue in the last two years, as you’ll see in this chart. (Note that revenue, for the most part, came from mom-and-pop types in Southern California, in the form of $25 and $50 donations).
The California Family Council is associated with Focus on the Family.
Here’s a list of the charity’s top earners for 2006-07. The figures are for total compensation, including salary, benefits, expenses, etc.:
- Ron Prentice: $186,338
- Peter Henderson: $150,042
- Daniel Kirby: $90,565
- Lynne Fishel: $84,699
Prentice’s pay is higher than the average nonprofit executive’s, which is $150,000, according to a recent study by Charity Navigator.
As an interesting aside, about 15 percent of donations supporting the stop-gays-from-marrying ballot measure have come from Orange County, our colleague Erin Carlyle told us recently. That’s $1.6 million from OC, and about $11 million nationwide.
A wee bit of that total - about $2,100 - came from the California Family Council Foundation. How’s that for putting your money where your mouth is?
Click here to read Prentice’s explanation of the tax returns. Essentially, it’s an accounting thing, he said.
Click here to watch a video of Prentice et al discussing strategy for Prop. 8.
More Watchdog:
- Sawdust Festival finances: Dark portrait, streaked with light
- Hoag, CHOC hospital execs earn more than $1 million each
- OC Scouts leader’s pay rose while revenue fell
- OC Boy Scouts wrestle the economic downturn
- OC Boy Scouts, by the numbers
- The half-billion-dollar Boy Scout stash
- The million-dollar Boy Scout. Thrifty, indeed!
- God’s quid pro quo?
- Earthly kingdom: Trinity’s $167 million in real estate
- OC charity for burn victims burns donors
- Irvine house raffle: All in the family
- What’s next? Raffles to pay for trash pickup?! (IPSF)
- House raffle turns Ocean Institute’s red ink to black
- Tickets to Obama/McCain at Saddleback Church: ‘The Untold Story’
- OC Fair rolling in green stuff, but raising prices
- $16,500 for beer bracelets at the Orange Street Fair
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almost $200,000 for a salary? a bunch of hypocrites.
Hey Teri,
Thanks for taking a look at this, too, and linking to my story. Good work
According to Mormon stats Chino Blanco. And you know, don’t get ANYONE started on the Mormon church. You don’t want to go there.
As for the article, these people need to take a PAY CUT as donations drop to their organization. Most charities are feeling the pinch, and the solution isn’t to cut the funding to the “charity”.
Great work! Thanks for bringing light to the hypocrisies of the whole prop 8 initiative.
Time to pull the plug on this group.
so instead of spending the money on things like helping people build homes, feed the homeless, you know the kinda stuff Jesus spoke about, they are instead focused on things like prop h8
stop living in sin Prentice
I support prop 8, but I am ebarrassed by this so call “non profit” organization. Taking money and spending it on themselves is a far cry from the morals that Christians stand for. Please realize that not everyone who calls themself a Christian is one, and unfortunetly wolves like these infiltrate Christianity and smear it in the mud. I hope that all they’ve taken will be taken away.
Hey, give the guy a break. Everyone is entitled to make a living and he’s not breaking any laws.
Couple mistakes on the 990.
One they included a list of donors (maybe they are political organization).
And they clearly do not know tax accounting as they did not place compensation figures correctly.
They listed all their staff and contractors as managements.
These include, event coordinator, outreach, public relations and program director!!! (All program related for organizations)
It is very clear that it is an accounting thing that they do NOT understand.
I think it is time for them to hire an accountant to help represent the correct numbers.
Maybe if the OC Register has time they can place these expenses in correct areas for them and rewrite the article so it will inform the reader correctly.
Great, I love it. The more they steal from donations, the less money they have to spend on Prop. 8. It will fail because of one of the two cheating/lying legs of the conservative movement, the religion one (not the money greed one). HA! How does it feel to find out you are so stupid, and easily led. Wow, you’d think that god or the little baby jesus wouldn’t let this happen. Can’t imagine how it did.
Very clever, Teri.
You first link California Family Council Foundation to Ron Prentice, then link him to Focus on the Family and ProtectMarriage.com. Then you demonstrate guilt by showing the results of forms filed by CFCF (apparently incorrectly) , thus suggesting “guilt by association” for all parties.
Don’t get me wrong. Non-profits should not be used to profit themselves. I just think you could have made your point about CFCF without dragging in other groups who have no bearing on this information.
In other words, keep up the good work, but please leave your personal agenda out of the reporting.
Nice try, Alan.
So, I guess the spin now is going to be that the Form 990 was filed incorrectly and it’s all just a big misunderstanding. Is that it?
Thing is, if I was getting paid $186,338 a year to run a non-profit, I think I’d find the time to learn how to file a simple Form 990.
Also, I followed the link above that leads to Prentice’s explanation of the tax returns.
The last paragraph in his response leads me to believe that Mr. Prentice thinks we are all too stupid to follow this story. Here’s what he says:
“While California Family Council certainly supports the protection of marriage, ProtectMarriage.com YES on 8 is a separate ballot measure committee registered with the Secretary of State and regulated as a campaign committee.”
Separate? Not at all:
Mr. Prentice has variously and simultaneously held these positions:
CEO, California Family Council
Exec. Dir., California Familly Alliance
Exec. Dir, California Renewal
Chairman, ProtectMarriage.com
The fact that the same individual has simultaneously held the chief executive position at these organizations already suggests they are related, and a check of their boards of directors confirms that these are organizations being run by the same group of people.
These organizations ARE related, as follows:
California Family Council is a 501(c)(3).
In order to sponsor “ProtectMarriage.com - YES on 8,” it was necessary to set up a 501(c)(4), which CFC named “California Renewal.”
As you’ll note at the ProtectMarriage.com website, it is identified as a project of California Renewal.
California Renewal is the political branch of the California Family Council.
I mean, It’s pretty easy to do a search and get the Cali gov listings for these groups:
CALIFORNIA FAMILY COUNCIL / Status: active / 2900 ADAMS ST STE C25, RIVERSIDE, CA 92504 / Agent: DANIEL KIRBY
CALIFORNIA RENEWAL / Status: suspended / 2900 ADAMS ST STE C25, RIVERSIDE, CA 92504 / Agent: DANIEL KIRBY
Looking at those two listings above, the suggestion that these are “separate” entities is laughable.
What is really puzzling to me is how a suspended organization like California Renewal can continue to sponsor ProtectMarriage.com?
I suspect the reason the California Family Council is trying to distance themselves from ProtectMarriage.com is because they are a 501(c)(3).
It’s precisely because of the legal restrictions on the scope of 501(c)(3) activities that the CFC was required to set up the 501(c)(4) called California Renewal.
With California Renewal now suspended, I have no idea how or why the CFC crew is being allowed to continue advocating for Prop 8. That they do continue to advocate - and apparently have no intention of making things right with the state of their own accord - demonstrates their utter lack of regard for the state of California and its laws.
Chino,
I do want to sincerely thank you for posting a very informative post. I respect the work and time that you placed in getting the information.
Due note for the record that their agent for service of process is
DANIEL KIRBY who is also the mayor pro-tem of Monrovia.
Looks like he gave $111 of the organization and likely deals with filing fees that did not get reported for 3 months until the end of July.
Also note that California Renewal that is referenced is not the correct database search.
DAVID BAUER
2150 RIVER PLAZA DRIVE, #150
SACRAMENTO, CA 95833
Phone: (916) 473-4298
And that organization is active. The one organized by or who the agent for service of precess is the Mayor Pro-Tem was formed back in 2003.
Hope this helps in your research.
I am Jewish and am totally offended that these people refer to themselves as people with “Judeo” values. These people display NONE of the Jewish values that I know and love. These people seem to me to be cheats, liars, hypocrites, anti-religion, anti-freedom, anti-equality, and anti-American.
Alan -
You know what’s strange is that Dan’s “Linkedin” page doesn’t mention anything about him being Mayor Pro Tem:
Dan Kirby
Director of Operations at California Family Council and
Owner, Patriot Design
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/4/273/73a
You’ve really got me quite curious.
Here is Mayor Pro Tem Dan over at the City of Monrovia’s website:
http://www.cityofmonrovia.org/index.cfm?id=0&pageid=245
One and the same? A case of mistaken identity? Curiouser and curiouser.
Alan -
Sorry for all the questions. I’ve confirmed that it’s the same Dan Kirby, so no need to reply about that.
Wow, this guy does keep busy:
- Director of Operations, California Family Council
- Owner, Patriot Design
- Mayor Pro Tem, Monrovia
And with all that, he’s still available for speaking engagements:
http://www.ocfrw.org/highlight.php?id=2254
Impressive.
Alan -
Thanks for the links, which I’ve followed, but I’m still not seeing California Renewal anywhere.
I guess I’m just confused as to how ProtectMarriage.com can be a project of California Renewal (according to the ProtectMarriage.com website) when there is no “California Renewal” in operation.
I thought a ballot committee like ProtectMarriage.com required a sponsoring 501(c)(4).
In any case, it seems that ProtectMarriage.com’s own attorney thought it important to clear up California Renewal’s status. If not, why would he respond to inquiries with the answer below?
—————————-
I serve as attorney for ProtectMarriage.com. We’ve looked into the problem with California Renewal’s registration…. Turns out that some paperwork from the state was incorrectly addressed and returned as undeliverable (right address, wrong name)… and when no response was received the suspension occurred. We are cleaning up the paperwork error in the next day or two and should be back to normal shortly.
Thanks so much for bringing this to our attention.
Andrew Pugno
ProtectMarriage.com
—————————-
As far as I can tell, Andrew never bothered to clean up the paperwork.
Why not?
It doesn’t make any sense. And with the California Family Council now claiming they’re somehow separate from ProtectMarriage.com, it’s beginning to feel like they’re intentionally doing things (or not doing things) in order to prevent public access to information about their operation that should, by law, be available.
another bunch of theives, using religion to enrich themselves.
Alan -
One last thing, and then I’ll take a break …
In the CFC’s Form 990 that covers the period from Aug 1, 2006 - Jul 31, 2007, it indicates that Daniel J. Kirby was paid $88,385 on the basis of devoting an average of 40 hours per week to California Family Council work. Sounds like a full-time job.
This is the same Dan Kirby who was elected in 2005 to a full four-year term on the Monrovia city council, and then named Mayor Pro Tem in 2007. Do most Mayor Pro Tems have enough time available to work full-time at a second job? While also owning a design/print business that supplies ProtectMarriage.com?
Maybe it’s all perfectly legal, but it doesn’t seem like a very good deal for Dan’s constituents, who I assume are still paying his salary.
Just to clear up some confusion here–
California Renewal, the mutual benefit corporation that Ron Prentice runs is suspended.
According to documents filed with the secretary of state, California Renewal also runs the Protectmarriage.com Ballot Measure Committee. David Bauer is just the treasurer for the ballot measure committee — his name appears on a lot of campaign documents because he serves as the treasurer for a lot of committees.
Before making a donation, I investigate where the money really goes. Some people use things and love people. Other people use people and love things.