December 9th was the last day of grant packages to be in hand at either the Raleigh, NC address or the Columbus, OH address.
In terms of NFPs needing to be fiscally responsible per IRS guidelines it is outrageous (would be a kind word) that over 60 applicants spent $25.00 or more for Priority Express Mail and etc. to have an application be received between Dec 7-9th. In view of the fact that applications were on-line since August, 2018 and could have been sent for $0.47- this complete disregard to your donors will be taken into account by the committee. Donations are discretionary income. One dollar can buy one meal at Feed America, for instance, and as food insecurity is America’s greatest shame these Applicants. Many of these applicants, who found out about our Private NFP which, does not raise money on grant search websites, did not even visit Puffin West’s website and their “ask” was far greater than our GRASSROOTS Mission. Of the 140 applications that will be reviewed by the committee, there was not one application about trafficking, maybe one about bullying, and so many requests were centric and not egalitarian, a reflection perhaps of our country’s political divide. We are not Title One and believe that all children since the recession of 2008- and still continuing- have lost access to ideas and activities that would make them better, healthier and more rounded human beings.
Finally, grant award recipients for 2018 who did not file a final report, which is a due diligence issue for the IRS, are ineligible if they sent in a 2019 grant request. The Secretary/Treasurer of Puffin West will be sending letter advising that grant funding must be returned by those individuals or NFPs who did not comply. Reports and final reports are required by the IRS and all recipients were advised of this at the time that accepted the award and cashed the check.
We thank you for your work within your own NFPs and we recognize that there are so many kind, good, giving people fighting extinction and we thank you with gratitude for your SERVICE and for your interest in PFW .
