Tyrone Reid, Sunday Gleaner Reporter

DESPITE THE birth-like pangs of the global recession, the local philan-thropic drive is not being stalled by shady requests for assistance.

Corporate philanthropists at a Gleaner Editors' Forum at the newspaper's North Street office said that they have put effective systems in place to weed out unscrupulous submissions for cash or kind.

"I have come across those. Luckily, as far as the corporate side is concerned, no monies have ever been given (or) disbursed to any undeserving organisation ... it's one (problem) that needs to be recognised. Corporate entities try to put systems in place or partner with other organisations that have systems in place such as United Way," said Michelle Wilson-Reynolds, senior vice-president for group marketing and corporate affairs at the Capital and Credit Financial Group and a member of the board of United Way.

Attempts to bamboozle

Winsome Wilkins, chief executive officer for the United Way of Jamaica and the Council of Voluntary Social Services, confirmed that scores of attempts to bamboozle her organisation are made on a yearly basis.

Wilkins told our news team that up to 100 agencies submit structured proposals for assistance on a yearly basis. However, the other small-scaled requests push the total per annum figure to 500.

Of that number, she said, only about 10 per cent are determined to be non-genuine.

Wilkins believes the United Way's systems are hard to beat. She revealed that all submissions are vetted by a panel, which is followed by an on-site visit and interviews with members of the community to get a sense of what the project would achieve and the kind of difference it would make if it is implemented.

"Even if the application comes in, it wouldn't get pass the panel because the volunteers would have gone on site to see exactly what the nature of the project is," she said.

In addition to that, follow-up checks are done to ensure that the project is being maintained.

Another United Way board member, Elon Beckford, told the forum that his organisation has had to repossess a vehicle that was no longer being used to fulfil the need for which it was granted.

"There is a lien on assets for projects. So you just can't shut down like that and say well we are not into that anymore. United Way has the authority to repossess and give it to another entity that could better use it," Wilkins added.

Assessing needs

Wilson-Reynolds said the attempts to fleece reiterate the need to properly assess, analyse and evaluate every need properly.

However, she said being bamboozled should never be used as an excuse not to give. "On a personal level, I have been carried down by people who looked to be the most heartbreaking, you know, in terms of their circumstances. Being fooled or duped, I have to ensure that I don't use that as an excuse to stop giving or volunteering.

"On a corporate level, I am not talking about my money. I'm talking about money that I have been charged with the responsibility (to manage). So I have to make sure that the beneficiary (that) has been earmarked or which has requested assistance is deserving (and) that it is a real case (which) is above board."

tyrone.reid@gleanerjm.com