Wyclef Jean Charity

Wyclef Jean Charity

www.thesmokinggun.com

JANUARY 14--The Haiti earthquake has already triggered hundreds of thousands of donations to musician Wyclef Jean's charitable foundation, which expects to raise upwards of $1 million a day in the disaster's wake. However, Internal Revenue Service records show the group has a lackluster history of accounting for its finances, and that the organization has paid the performer and his business partner at least $410,000 for rent, production services, and Jean's appearance at a benefit concert. Though the Wyclef Jean Foundation, which does business as Yele Haiti Foundation, was incorporated 12 y

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I truly hope that he will be giving ALL proceeds to the relief effort, but one can never underestimate the greed of man. Heads up to those donating to yele and let's keep an eye on his received donations and where it goes. I'm certain that prior to the quake Haiti could have made use of this money.

www.thesmokinggun.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Wyclef has issued a statement via www.yele.org... In which he denies the allegations.

Perhaps George "just sent cash" Bush started a little rumor I mean the RC and yele had what an 9 million head start. He needs to make up quick.

Do you really think that in the face of such catastrophe, when Wyclef has lost one of his recording artists and probably some extended family members/ distant relatives - do you think he is thinking "wow!! this is a perfect time for a money grab"??
I have had the pleasure of working with him many years ago on a dance choreography routine (done to the soundtrack of "shaft") and hung out with him on the NYC club scene..
He is not a conniving money hungry savvy charity embezzler!! Give credit where credit is due!! and if you don't want to give to his charity, then give to the red cross or 'medecins sans frontiers' or another organization on the ground that uses more than 60% of charitable donations directly to the people and their needs, and not administrative costs.

Originally posted by angeliquemarquis
Do you really think that in the face of such catastrophe, when Wyclef has lost one of his recording artists and probably some extended family members/ distant relatives - do you think he is thinking "wow!! this is a perfect time for a money grab"??
I have had the pleasure of working with him many years ago on a dance choreography routine (done to the soundtrack of "shaft") and hung out with him on the NYC club scene..
He is not a conniving money hungry savvy charity embezzler!! Give credit where credit is due!! and if you don't want to give to his charity, then give to the red cross or 'medecins sans frontiers' or another organization on the ground that uses more than 60% of charitable donations directly to the people and their needs, and not administrative costs.

All I'm doing is forwarding a story to the ats community, both the accusation and his rebuttal. I'm sure he's a nice guy, but as I have never met him personally I'll take your word for it. The article said nothing of the current situation, it only speaks to his past tax docs for the charity, I'm sure that in the present crisis he is doing all that he can (from what I have seen on tv).

then give to the red cross or 'medecins sans frontiers' or another organization on the ground that uses more than 60% of charitable donations directly to the people and their needs, and not administrative costs.

This is very good advice.

In the past I always had bad vibration about supposed help efforts by the likes of U2 and Geldoff. It smelled like self serving efforts and many say it is just that. So watch who you support

Who to chose

you did a video with him and hung out with him wow you really know the man dont you.

His charity has been under fire and watch for a long time, he lives off it and he isn't very slick about it.

Look what kind of a racist socialist he is, he raises money for his charity, lives off it and doesn't give much out it is a bs or fake charity and or tax shelter.

The IRS has been on them a long time and journal also reported.

They also has been investigations and he broke no laws but he is not ethical at all, he is up there with Jesse Jackson and Rev Sharpton same style have a charity to live off and create a need for yourself.

Wyclef is very racist in his views and supports a socialistic marxist style hatian govt free from white influence.

His charity will never help whites he has said that.

check out him on the monique show. Did you see him with the Fox news white reporter.???? People are down there and have blogged about Wycleff statements. He thinks the Hati situation is the white mans fault and the disaster also.

Lots of knowledge about him and other charities going on to hati years ago had to watch for drug and terrorist Alquda types back door stuff supporting.


100% real. Again you know nothing about your friends business.

He will be ok this public scrutiny will force him to do the right thing and he hasnt done anything illegal. Just not ethical.

We had lots of stuff on Hati been there and was going to invade about 3 times also watched for pirates and terrorist. Breeding ground for that. Wyclef charity was looked into for drug trafficking and a few other things and it was found to be not involved but we saw his books and the irs wasnt to happy and when the AP found the records they stating facts not opinions its all black and white.



Chris

In my opinion he responded with very little detail.

Where are the papers?

How can you say the proof is in the pudding but then offer zero proof?

i'm not saying he's lying, that's not at all what i'm saying
I'm just sayign he could have responded better
the videos he says he will be updloading soon may be poignant but poignant videos is not how he should respond but rather with paper trails.

Well sorry but he does not convince me for a second. There are many many organizations with a proven record of wisely using money donated. My favorite is Médecins Sans Frontières, but you can do your own research who is best. However, organizations like MSF do things by the book. Giving money to a guy who has no track record of doing developmental work anywhere does not sound like a good place to put your trust.

Just because he is from Haiti is not enough. "What have you done in the past to show you used the money wisely" IS a qualification that should be required !!!! And he is already back from Haiti, heck the work just started there.

990 tax filing

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www.drinkerbiddle.com... 83d2c/IRS.pdf

I got an email from "Wycelf Jean" asking for my money. Yes what has happened over there is a terrible thing, but there is no way im donating any money with something to do with him, a talentless rap artist.

reply to post by ModernAcademia


That is not small money this musician is receiving !!!!



[edit on 17-1-2010 by shakespear1]

[edit on 17-1-2010 by shakespear1]

come on man
he's not a rapper guys

www.washingtonpost.com...

For instance, the charity recorded a payment of $250,000 to Telemax, a TV station and production company in Haiti in which Jean and Jerry Duplessis, both members of Yele Haiti's board of directors, had a controlling interest. The charity paid about $31,000 in rent to Platinum Sound, a Manhattan recording studio owned by Jean and Duplessis. And it spent an additional $100,000 for Jean's performance at a benefit concert in Monaco. Locke said that Jean and Duplessis were unavailable for comment Friday. The Telemax money was used for "everything from public-service announcements to educational programming," said Jesse Derris of the public relations firm Sunshine, Sachs and Associates, which is representing Yele Haiti. They used their own company "because it was a way to buy time at a significant discount." The rent included office space and shared receptionist services for the charity and is "severely reduced" below market rate, Derris said. All the proceeds of the benefit concert went directly to Yele Haiti, he said. Locke said the $100,000 included expenses, such as payments to backup musicians and production costs. Yele Haiti reported nearly $1.9 million in income on its 2008 tax return.

These are the primary complaints regarding the tax returns and a brief explanation of why the funds were spend. Perhaps I'm a perpetual optimist but I hope that in the current crisis ALL donations will be given 100% to the relief effort, as the charity received more donations in the two days following the quake that it had in previous fiscal years.

[edit on 17-1-2010 by searching4truth]

When we called a contact number for Duplessis listed in Yele Haiti's tax return, a receptionist at Platinum Sounds answered the phone and referred us to a public relations firm. We haven't heard back from the publicist. We also tried to contact Hugh Locke, the head of Orsa Consultants, a firm that Yele Haiti paid $82,000 in 2006. According to this 2005 press release, Orsa is a "corporate social responsibility consultancy" that managed Yele Haiti's programs; we couldn't find any public references to Orsa independent of Yele Haiti, and the firm's web site is no longer operative. When we called Lock, he immediately handed the phone to someone identifying herself as "Mrs. Lock," who referred us to the PR firm. When we asked her about Yele Haiti's expenditures, she said, "Our finances are totally straightened out. We have filed, and are up to date on everything." None of this means that Jean, Duplessis, and Yele Haiti aren't doing important work in Haiti, or that they can't play a constructive role in responding to the earthquake crisis. It does mean that, if the past is any guide, they are unlikely to wisely manage any of the money they are currently collecting from concerned Americans on behalf of the victims in Haiti.

Update on Yele Haiti

This guy sounds like a real scam artist and looks to be filling the pockets of his friends and himself, FIRST

I had hoped that this was a legitimate well-run charity when I first heard about it on Tuesday. The smoking gun raised enough questions for me to not even consider donating to this one in the short term. (BTW I don't give anything but blood to the Red Cross because they spend too much lobbying and their corporate officers are paid too much). Celebrities with their pet charities should take note of the heat Yele Haiti is taking in regards to it's accounting practices. If you've run something poorly in the past you will get called on it at an inopportune time when you are trying to do some good.

69% of the funds going directly to programs for aid and education is a bit below the 75% which is aimed for by charity navigator and most charity monitoring organizations, but it isn't horrible.

Jean has pledged that all of the donations coming in now will go directly to aid in relief for earthquake victims.

Jean says he has already donated over a million dollars of his own income to the charity.

I'm sure from future audits, reports will be made public since this latest flap.

edit to add link to article:

Wyclef Jean defends Yele Haiti

[edit on 18-1-2010 by elfie]

reply to post by elfie


I certainly hope so, it seems there will be an abundance of people watching his finances, both personal and charitable.


Unfortunately, it seems that charity is the biggest scam out there. Probably why I am so conservative in giving cash to anyone, and research the heck out of any organization that I give cash to (supplies I'll give to just about anyone).
I guess it should be fairly obvious to most, with all the money donated to charities it is a mystery why people are currently dying of starvation. It's a truly sad situation.

I would much rather trust Wycleff Jean then the Bush and Clinton family, ha! no comparison. However, I don't really trust any charities so I won't be donating. And if the U.S. wanted to help they wouldn't send militia and the CIA over there. Good luck getting a bottle of water passed those goons.

reply to post by angeliquemarquis


erm, how does anyone know who is a "savvy embezzler", as if that were known they would not be able to "embezzle" or be particularly "savvy"