Cameron McWhirter, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, January 14, 2008
Southern Christian Leadership Conference officials say the civil rights group has raised more than $6 million in the past three years, including $3.3 million to build a new headquarters on Auburn Avenue.
But the 50-year-old organization has filed no financial reports with the Internal Revenue Service—required once a year under federal law—for almost three years, according to the IRS.
{snip}
Without the filings, the IRS and the public do not know how the SCLC has spent donations raised from some of Atlanta’s biggest corporations, including Georgia Power Co., Coca-Cola and Delta Air Lines.
The SCLC last filed a report in February 2005 for the tax period ending in June 2004, according to the IRS nonprofit hotline.
{snip}
Federal law requires tax-exempt organizations to file financial reports annually so the government and public can know how the organization is using its money, IRS spokesman Mark Green said.
Organizations that do not submit the filings are likely to be audited, Green said. “An organization could lose its exempt status,” he said.
{snip}
The SCLC has had tax problems in the recent past, including unpaid employee taxes totaling tens of thousands of dollars in 2004, when current SCLC President Charles Steele took over. Steele said the dispute had been resolved.
SCLC Executive Director Ron Woods said the organization was current in its tax reports—called Form 990s—when first asked about the financial reports. Later he acknowledged it was years behind.
Steele said last week that the SCLC would file the late documents within 45 days and make those reports available to the public. Under tax law, those documents should be available for public inspection year-round.
“In 45 days, you will have all the answers,” he said.
Steele declined to comment on his own salary, saying, “You will know in 45 days and you will be surprised at how little I make.”
{snip}
The SCLC’s unsigned 2005 tax return reported revenue of $787,359 and operating expenses of $436,384. The expense total did not include $169,173 listed elsewhere on the return as compensation for officers and directors. Wimbish said he could not explain why.
The filing reported the SCLC’s largest source of revenue and its largest expense was its magazine, which brought in $1.3 million but cost $1.4 million in sales commissions, contract labor, printing and other costs.
Steele said the organization—with about 20 staff members and consultants—now has an operating budget of between $1.2 million and $1.5 million, largely spent on utilities, salaries and benefits. He said he hopes to raise the budget within several years to $5 million annually.
{snip}
Georgia Power President Michael Garrett headed the fund-raising campaign for the new headquarters, which was presented to the SCLC debt-free.
The building contains first-floor retail space for the group to generate rental income. None of the space has been rented yet.
{snip}
In recent decades, the organization has lost influence, funding and membership. Infighting crippled the organization.
In 2003, animosity among board members erupted in lawsuits and resignations. At the SCLC’s 2004 convention, police were called when fights broke out among competing factions.
After more turmoil, Steele, a funeral director and former Alabama state senator, took over.
{snip}
Original article
(Posted on January 14, 2008)
Comments
Wesley Snipes can help them solve any tax problems they have.
Posted by Tim at 6:24 PM on January 14
Do we really believe that the federal government is going to allow an investigation of this segregated organisation? Africans are a protected group in this country (the only ones allowed to purposely segregate), and as such, the IRS will not be prompted to investigate - even if they did investigate and found evidence of fraud it would not be made public.
Just like the “murder by race” statistics are not broadcast in the msm.
Posted by Royse from Texas at 9:37 PM on January 14
Don’t expect big companies to cry much over the embarassments of their Diversity donations. They are well aware of what a morass they have sunk themselves into are are glad it isn’t worse than it is.
Posted by helmut at 10:04 PM on January 14
“In recent decades, the organization has lost influence, funding and membership. Infighting crippled the organization.”
Like the NAACP and other “Civil Rights” organisations from the self-same “Civil Rights Era”, the SCLC - surprise, surprise - is somewhat useless to the current U.S. situation.
I wonder if there’s still some anti-Nazi organisations in France and the rest of Europe as well?
Posted by Obscuratus at 11:00 PM on January 14
“Steele declined to comment on his own salary, saying, “You will know in 45 days and you will be surprised at how little I make.””
Not little enough it would seem, given his abilities as a fiduciary.
45 days, huh? Does it take that long to book a one-way ticket for Brazil?
Posted by CSinAL at 2:40 AM on January 15
So Coca Cola and Delta Airlines are major contributors? How interesting. You might consider drinking a different drink, particularly given the reality Coke, contrary to claims, is hardly very good for you. Also there are other, better airlines to use when you fly to your destination than Delta. Get the hint, friends? Also avoid purchasing any food product put out by companies owned by the Coca Cola giant.
Posted by Fed Up at 8:45 AM on January 15
Also bear in mind that Atlanta is a major regional IRS office center, that for all intents and purposes constitutes an overpaid sinecure job center for Afro-Americans with college degrees in African Studies. The IRS presence in Atlanta is in fact the ENTIRE underlying economic basis for the greatly touted Black Middle Class miracle in Atlanta.
The foregoing in my view is a main reason (although never mentioned in articles about tax reform) we’ll never see a “Fair Tax” scheme in America. Blacks and illegal aliens in America DO share a commonality that is also never openly mentioned.—They rarely are dealt with adversely by the authorities when it comes to matters of tax law compliance.
Posted by Flaxen-headed Strumpet at 9:07 AM on January 15
This SCLC is some outfit. However there isn’t anything to be surprised about. The thing about blacks is that they seldom do anything on the up and up. Add to that a complete inability to keep records and you’ve got a mess.
It almost makes me feel sorry for the IRS auditor/s who have to go in and look at their “books.”
Tom Iron…
Posted by Tom Iron... at 10:36 AM on January 15
More information on this highly politicized dispicable black racist organization:
http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/groupProfile.asp?grpid=6998
Posted by at 11:52 PM on January 15
One of the three corporations mentioned in this article released an inter-office memo during a spate of downsizing , layoffs , restructuring and hiring younger employees that said ,” the goal is to change the complexion of the company.” (this is a fact , unfortunately I can’t be specific as to which co.) Of course when questioned as to the meaning of such a pointed statement , they denied it was ethnic . Seeing that they are willing to spend customers’ and investors’ money supporting such a self-centered , subversive , special interest/rights group like SCLC , I would say that memo meant exactly what it said .It would seem to me there would be laws prohibiting corporations from supporting politics in any way ,shape or form in the interest of fairness for all .
Posted by at 11:32 AM on January 17
