Open letter to all street collectors

[Guest guest]

Dear prabhus,

 

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

 

Recently I posted a notice on the FFL Global web site stating that all forms

of street collections in the name of "Food for Life" are not endorsed or

approved by Food for Life Global. I would like to take this opportunity to

explain why I have taken this strong stance against an activity that has

been going on in ISKCON for years. In short, I am doing this to protect the

integrity and name of "Food for Life" which I have spent many years building

up.

 

The main problem as I see it, is that many of you are directing people to

the FFL Global web site as a way to prove your authenticity. I am speaking

of collectors all over the world, but particularly those in the US. I am

getting calls from the public asking me whether this person or that person

is bona fide. Of course I don't know who they are talking about and the fact

is there are many that are completely bogus. FFLG has never recieved one

penny from these street collections. And we don't intend to in the future,

because I am fully convinced that most if not all of you collectors are not

following standard fundraising ethics and in most cases are giving

misleading information to the public.

 

FFL Global is a separately registered 501©3 charity and no one has a right

to use the FFL Global website (FFL.ORG) and it's name for collecting without

FFLG's permission. One scammer in Pittsburg even downloaded flyers from our

website to hand out to the public, but used a different tax ID. So in order

to protect the reputation of FFL Global I am forced to take a stand against

all forms of street collection in the name of FFL.

 

If you tell the public that you are collecting for your local FFL charity

that is fine, but do not refer them to the FFLG web site because we do not

endorse this kind of fundraising. Why? Simple, street collection

(ISKCON-style) has zero accountability and in most cases you are keeping a

large percentage (and sometimes 100%) of these collections for yourself,

completely unbeknownst to the charitable public. I therefore challenge each

one of you to go before the deity with a Bhagavad-gita in hand and honestly

say to the Lord that you are upholding the highest standards of integrity

and are acting with 100% honesty in what you tell the public and how you

manage the funds collected on behalf of Food for Life.

 

You may be interested to learn that the LAW is that all money collected in

the name of a charity belong to that charity. So a bonafide charity

collector will hand over 100% of the collections to the charity and then

only will receive a wage. That is the LAW. Ask any attorney.

 

These funds are then justfiably paid out as wages and when necessary rent of

ISKCON facilities. All donations can then be accountered for and this

protects FFL from being exploited or treated like a "cash cow" for the

temple.

 

If however you run a business and want to give a small percentage to your

local FFL charity, then you should make this very clear to the people you

meet.

 

For example, if you sell hats you could say: "Hi, I am selling hats today

and a small percentage of the profits will also help a local FFL charity."

 

This is an honest way to do business.

 

But to my knowledge, no one is doing this. Your lines go something like

this: Hi, we are collecting for "Food for Life"..., can you give a

donation." Then the collector gives them a hat or sticker depending on how

much they "donate." I got a phone call from one distressed lady in New

Orleans telling me that a collector had taken a hat back when she could only

afford to give $10 and not $20! This incident was confirmed to me by the

devotee when I was recently in New Orleans.

 

So the solution is simple and these are the options I see for you:

 

1) Tell the public upfront that you are an independent businessman and are

giving a small percentage of your profits to a local FFL project.

 

2) Continue to tell the public that you are representing a local FFL charity

and give 100% of your collections to the local FFL charity and then receive

an agreed upon wage. Typically a fund raising professional will not accept

any percentage but will only take a wage for services rendered. If he/she

does take a percentage it is no more than 25% and not the 75%-90% being

taken by many of you.

 

3) Stop this activity and get a real job and pay taxes like everyone else.

 

4) Educate yourself on the latest fundraising practices, including direct

mail, charity events, telemarketing, corporate sponsorship and grant

writing.

 

FYI, the non-profit sector is a billion dollar industry in the US alone. Why

should we take so much personal risk and jeopardize the reputation of FFL

and ISKCON by continuing this unethical and old-fashioned fundraising

method? The answer: it is very easy money; there are no checks and balances

in place, and this unfortunately is how most of you have been trained in

ISKCON. What a travesty.

 

But now I am urging you all to make a change for your own spiritual

integrity and the satisfaction of Srila Prabhupada.

 

There are basically three kinds of street collectors:

 

1) The innocent who are being manipulated by an ISKCON authority;

2) Those who are in full knowledge but adhere to poor ethical fundraising

standards;

3) The outright 100% bogus who cheat and lie for their selfish sense

gratification.

 

The first two categories FFL Global is willing to work with as you

transition to a higher standard. Those who fall into the third category,

however, should know that FFL Global is out to stop you and we will not

hesitate to contact the police whenever we hear about you!

 

So what category do you fall into?

 

For too long I have tolerated bogus collectors and unethical standards, all

the while working hard to build a wonderful reputation and popularity for

FFL for the unscrupulous to take advantage of. Enough is enough! I will not

allow anyone, even a devotee, endanger my service to Srila Prabhupada

anymore.

 

Respectfully.

 

Your servant,

 

Priyavrata Das

Global Director

Food for Life

www.ffl.org