Aug 31, 2009

Statement about Concern for Others Program

Concern for Others Program
Funds Used Improperly

Among the tens of millions of dollars in grants it awards every year, The Denver Foundation manages a small program designed to help people seeking self-sufficiency.  This program is unlike any other activity at The Denver Foundation.  Called “Concern for Others,” the program helps people who are down on their luck with things like medical needs, rent, or utilities.  Over the last three years, this program has accounted for less than one half of one percent of our grantmaking, but has helped hundreds of people who are truly in need.   

Through Concern for Others, we work with a number of long-standing social service agencies, and they each designate a contact person to make referrals for grants from the fund. Recently, we uncovered information that led us to suspect that two of these contact people may have been submitting fraudulent requests for payment and redirecting the funds to people who were not legitimate recipients.   

We filed complaints about these both of these individuals with the Denver District Attorney’s office.  Charges are expected be filed this week against one of the suspects.  The other case is still pending.  

Concern for Others is totally different from all other funds or programs managed by The Denver Foundation. We have worked with our outside auditors and we have determined that no other fund or activity at The Denver Foundation has been affected….nor could they be affected.  We have also made changes in the program itself to protect against fraud of this type in the future.   It is our hope that the alleged actions of these individuals will not detract from help we’ve been able to provide to hundreds of individuals through Concerns for Others over the years, and the support we and our donors are able to offer thousands more through our regular grantmaking programs. 

If you have any questions, please contact David Miller at, dmiller@denverfoundation.org.    Please note: Individuals may not apply directly to The Denver Foundation for grants from this program; grants are only available through recommending agencies.