...approximately $20 million was earmarked for rebuilding faith-based organizations along the Gulf Coast.
Initially, Gray said, the committee assumed it would make around 500 awards, each for $35,000. But as the applications began trickling in, staff members in New Orleans realized there were far fewer applicants than they had initially assumed. That meant they could increase the award amount, and the board agreed in consultation with the co-chairs of the fund that the grant ceiling would be increased to $100,000, Gray said. They also agreed each of the churches or religious institutions receiving the charity's money would first be inspected, he said.
Numerous disagreements ensued, but Jakes and Gray said the last straw was the fund's decision to cut checks to 38 houses of worship, each for $35,000 and without first conducting an audit to ensure the church exists.
Imam Abdelhafiz Bensrieti, another committee member who resigned, said the Washington staff wanted the religious leaders to "rubber stamp" their decisions. "They had their agenda and that's unacceptable," he said.
Who is this "Washington staff", and what is "their agenda" for which they wanted to use these religious leaders as cover? After all this time, why the apparent rush to cut 38 checks for a total of $1.3M when $20M had been earmarked? What is to happen to the remaining $18.7M?
Edit: According to the Fund's
web site, applications will be accepted thru July 31, 2006, and they plan to have the $20M fully dispersed by the end of October this year.
3 Leaders Quit Effort To Aid Gulf ChurchesBy Darryl Fears
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, July 13, 2006; Page A06
Gray said board directors and staff members of the Katrina Fund -- established by former presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton -- would agree with the committee's recommendations in meetings and then do the opposite. He said that he, Jakes and Shaw resigned when the staff sent $35,000 to a church without their knowledge, then refused to explain why. That particular church had not been inspected to determine its need, Gray said.
<snip>
The committee set a grant ceiling of $35,000, helped draw up applications and inspected the churches of ministers who said they were in need. Later, the committee agreed that a higher limit of $200,000 was needed.
<snip>
But the president of the fund's board, Mary Ann Wyrsch, disagreed with the new cap, Gray said. He said the board wanted to stay with the original maximum, regardless of the committee's decision. It was around that time that a minister called, thanking the committee for $35,000.
"That's how we found out," Gray said. "I have no idea how many checks were sent out. The information was refused to us and our staff. Why, I don't know."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/12/AR2006071202070.html