My Unsatisfactory Experience with Americans United With Israel
This is the story of a charitable contribution that never made it to its intended recipient, the wonderful Good News Israel project of the Israeli non-profit United With Israel.Good News Israel is a labor of love of Michael Ordman, a good friend of my wife and me. He spends hours a day finding news about Israel's amazing achievements along with heartwarming stories and each week sends out "Israel's Good News Newsletter." We urge you to check out his newsletter at https://verygoodnewsisrael.blogspot.com and subscribe to it.
We try to help with some of the expenses incurred by sending in contributions. Since tax deductible contributions cannot be made directly to Israeli non-profits, for several years we arranged for contributions from our charitable gift fund to be made to an American 501(c)3 called Americans United With Israel (AUWI), which transferred the funds to United With Israel (UWI or IUWI).
It did not quite work out last year. As we had done previously, on September 6, 2022, we had a donation sent to Americans United With Israel with the clear stipulation that it was to be used for United With Israel's Good News Israel project. Unfortunately, unknown to us, the arrangement between AUWI and UWI had ended and Americans United With Israel simply took the donation and did not send it on to United With Israel.
As of now, nearly a year later and despite several promises, it has neither been forwarded to United With Israel nor returned to our charitable gift fund so that it could funneled to its intended recipient another way.
I encourage you to support United With Israel, both for the its Good News Israel project and its other excellent work. Its web site contains instructions for making tax deductible donations whether you're in the United States or Israel. Donations can also be made through the Ne'eman Foundation.
The following is the story, in two parts.
The first part is my understanding of what occurred between the date of the donation, September 6, 2022, and March 2023.The second part consists of the email correspondence between the president of Americans United With Israel and me between March 27, 2023 and today, August 28, 2023, five months later.
Part 1
When we want to make a donation, we make a "grant" request, which routinely gets approved and then sent to the recipient, either by check or by electronic funds transfer. We submitted the request September 5, 2022 with the specification "Please use this for the "Good News from Israel" project published by Michael Ordman." The request was approved the next day and a check mailed on September 7. The check was deposited on November 1, 2022 by Americans United With Israel.At some point, not having heard of the donation reaching United With Israel, I checked with Michael Ordman. On February 20, I learned it had never reached United With Israel. I was told UWI had been in touch with AUWI, which asked for a copy of the cancelled check and said the funds would be returned within a week's time. They weren't and as of February 20 AUWI was saying, contrary to its previous assurance, they wouldn't be returned. It was suggested that I contact the gift fund company and ask them to contact Americans United With Israel.
It was clear that both Michael Ordman and United With Israel were reluctant to trouble me and only at my insistence did they suggest I contact the gift fund company.
I called the gift fund company on February 27, 2023. They agreed to make what they refer to as a "reversal request," based on the fact that the grant wasn't being used in the way intended. They said that, if things go smoothly, the process usually takes 2-10 business days. It didn't go smoothly. When I checked on March 12, the gift fund company had not received any response from Americans United With Israel.
I waited another week or two and tried calling Americans United With Israel but was only able to leave a voicemail and on March 27 decided to send an email, which takes us to Part 2:
Part 2
This is the email correspondence. I have redacted individual names and other sensitive information and removed the salutations, signatures and portions of the emails which simply copied earlier emails. For each, the first line gives the date, the second line gives the subject of the email and the third line indicates whether it is "To" the president of Americans United With Israel (and thus from me) or "From" the president of Americans United With Israel (and thus to me). Other than that, the emails are presented without any editing.March 27
Wrongfully appropriated donationTo
As I said in the phone message I left when nobody answered when I called the AUWI number [xxx-xxx-xxxx]:
On September 5, as we had in past years but unaware that your relationship with UWI had changed, my wife and I sent a $$$$ donation to you for the Good News from Israel Project of United with Israel. Instead of returning it or forwarding it to the intended recipient, you cashed it in November, failed to respond appropriately when informed by UWI, and failed to respond to a "reversal request" from [the Gift Fund] which was sent a month ago.
This is unethical and unacceptable. I should not have been forced to contact you directly.
I demand that the donation immediately either be forwarded to its intended recipient or returned to [the Gift Fund] so that I am not forced to take further steps.
...
Note: Since we are in Israel for the winter, if you wish to speak with me to explain and apologize, please do not call after 2:00 pm your time. I am available at either number below.
March 28
Re: Wrongfully appropriated donationFrom
I am unsure what you are referring too. [the Gift Fund company] will not send funding to IUWI nor Good News Israel because they are not a qualified recipient for chariable donations.
You need to contact fidelity and they will handle it for you. The checks are now going to a lock box and our accounting firm takes care of depositing all the checks. They also know not to deposit check that are written iout to any other name than Americans United with Israel.
Trust me if there is a problem, you should call your trust profilio representative and they will taken care of it. But I can tell you that they will not send checks to UWI, or Good News Israel. So, you will need to find another way to fund it.
Your [the Gift Fund company] representative already received a charitable tax notice and we have already reported.your generosity in our taxes.
I am sorry but there just isn't much we can do about this at this point. November was about six months.
I find it pretty disturbing and very disappointing that UWI has chosen to put you in the middle over $$$$. I would like to apologize for the immaturity and unpleasantness of the way this is being handled.
I certainly would never try to turn anyone against their organization over a few shekels. it's very disappointing. I can tell you that we have used your generosity to raise money assisting youth in America to go to Israel either by Birthright Israel or Root One. They are amazing programs that support IDF and is building lasting relationships with Israel with the generations to come.
Our current project is getting thousands of people together to celebrate Israel 75th Anniversary and we are honoring philanthropist that have given millions of dollars and hundreds of hours to support Israel. Check it out : www.atlantacelebratesIsrael@75.com
Again there was no reason for you to be upset. We are all supposed to be working toward the same goal. I would be Leery of any charity that displays such inappropriate money mongering behavior. It would seem that their agenda is about paying themselves then supporting the works of good for our land and Jewish people.
I will give [the Gift Fund company] a call tomorrow about what is going on. Please give your [the Gift Fund company] trust representative a call I am sorry that you dinld not intended to support our organization, but I am very grateful that you.did.
March 28:
Re: Wrongfully appropriated donationTo
Please don't insult my intelligence.
You should know very well what I'm referring to. This saga has been going on for months. You stonewalled United with Israel and you ignored [the Gift Fund company]. And now you're lying to me. Rest assured, if you do not quickly stop acting unethically and irresponsibly, I will not ignore this and you will regret your disgraceful behavior. News of this incident will be spread using social media, email lists and other means.
Regarding the points with which you tried to hoodwink me in your email:
You can't be unsure about the issue to which I'm referring, since you have been contacted repeatedly about it many times over a period of months by United with Israel and again a month ago by [the Gift Fund company].
Of course I know United with Israel is an Israeli עמותה and cannot directly receive funds from [the Gift Fund]. However, as you know, American 501(c)3 organizations can, with some restrictions, forward donations to Israel non-profits. We have supported a number of Israel non-profits that way. Indeed, as you should know, in the past you have forwarded to United with Israel donations we made for them through AUWI. The donation we made clearly specified its purpose. Since the similar donations we had made in the past had been forwarded to UWI (the funds, obviously not the physical checks), there was no reason for [the Gift Fund company] to do anything other than again send the check with the clear specification for the use of the funds.
Do not try to palm off your mistake or the mistake of your accounting firm - for which you are ultimately responsible - on another party.
Of course I know [the Gift Fund company] will not send checks directly to UWI or Good News Israel; that's why it was again sent through AUWI. We will find another way, but that does not absolve you of the responsibility to return the $$$$ you, either mistakenly or deliberately, accepted when it wasn't meant for AUWI.
You do not appear to be sorry and there certainly is something you can do: you can return the $$$$ to [the Gift Fund]. Unfortunately, [the Gift Fund company] cannot compel you to return them, but you have a moral and ethical obligation to do so.
No, November was not about six months ago; it was less than five months ago and you were repeatedly contacted about this in the interim, over a period of months, long before [the Gift Fund company] sent you the return request - which you have ignored - a month ago.
UWI did not put me in the middle. I checked with Michael Ordman of Good News Israel months ago to make sure the donation had reached Good News Israel and he let me know that AUWI was being uncooperative. I asked whether I should contact you or [the Gift Fund company] and he said I should let UWI deal with you. I asked again months later when he reluctantly told me UWI was demanding a copy of the check. Again, he said to let UWI handle it. It was only last month when he relented and stopped telling me not to even ask [the Gift Fund company] to intervene.
Frankly, I don't care what you did with the money that was supposed to go the UWI for its Good News Israel project. My wife and I donate to many organizations. Sometimes we donate to its general fund; sometimes - as we did in this case - we specify its use. When we do so, we have the right to expect that's how it will be used.
Thus, there is plenty of reason for my wife and I to be upset.
There is no valid reason for you to continue to refuse to return the funds you improperly accepted. This is also a personal issue for my wife and me. Mr. Ordman is a personal friend, we know how much effort he puts into Good News Israel on a totally volunteer basis and know every shekel helps promote Israel.
Your organization has acted abominably and you owe an apology not just to my wife and me, but to United with Israel and to Mr. Ordman.
Rest assured, if the funds are not promptly either returned to [the Gift Fund] or properly forwarded to their intended recipient, my wife and I will not be silent. We both have many outlets for spreading information and we doubt you really want others to learn of UWI's immoral and unethical misbehavior.
March 29
Re: Wrongfully appropriated donationFrom
I will make sure to call the State of New York and make sure that they are aware that we are not soliciting donations to be sent there and make sure that they understand that UWI is no longer under a grant agreement with us so this doesn't happen again. .
I will also report this incident to the IRS, and [the Gift Fund company] to let them know that UWI and Good News Israel are not affiliated with us and that they should no longer report, credit, or send checks made out them, to us.
I apologize for the hassle this has caused.
I appreciate you contacting me yourself. I have never taken a dime a for my work and support for Israel.
I would never do anything unethical and I will make it my priority to take care of this immediately.
The funds we received will be returned to [the Gift Fund company] and I will ask them to contact you and confirm that I have done everything that I can. I am sure that they will credit your account as soon as possible, as I will wire or pay them electronically.
Again, I apologize and I will make sure that every one understands that this should never happen again.
March 29:
Re: Wrongfully appropriated donationTo
Thank you for finally agreeing to return the $$$$ to [the Gift Fund], something you should have done immediately many months ago, once it was pointed out to you that AUWI wasn't intended as the ultimate user of the funds. (This is under the assumption that whoever was responsible for depositing the check was simply careless and irresponsible, not noticing the stipulation.)
I don't understand why you feel there is any need to contact the State of New York, the IRS or [the Gift Fund company], since you are merely finally rectifying your mistake. The reference to letting [the Gift Fund company] know "they should no longer report, credit, or send checks made out to them" to you doesn't make sense, since they didn't do any of that. The check was made out to you, Americans United with Israel, not to either United with Israel or Good News Israel.
If you do contact any of those entities, you must be clear that nothing incorrect or inappropriate was done by any of those involved other than your organization.
When the $$$$ has been returned to [the Gift Fund] and I am confident you have done nothing to further negatively affect either United with Israel, Good News Israel or [the Gift Fund company] in any way, I will consider the matter closed.
April 18:
Re: Wrongfully appropriated donationTo
As of now, it's been almost three weeks and the funds have still not reached my our charitable gift fund account at [the Gift Fund company]. Since you wrote you would wire them or transfer them electronically, I had expected them to reach our account within days. When can I expect the funds to be returned?
April 18:
Re: Wrongfully appropriated donation
From
I can promise that the check was sent from my own account. I will check on it and send you the check information tomorrow.
April 19:
Re: Wrongfully appropriated donationTo
That's fine as far as it goes, but you need to make sure it got to [the Gift Fund company] with the correct information so it gets put back into our charitable given account so that we can then direct it towards a recipient of our choice. Thus far, that hasn't happened.
The grant id was [xxxx]. It came from "[the Gift Fund]," whose account number (or fund number) is #[xxxx]. (All of this was certainly included with the information sent to you with the original grant, as well as the reversal request sent to you by [the Gift Fund company], which had a reference number [xxxx] and should have been referenced when you returned the funds.)
I did double check again before sending this email and, as of now, the funds are still not in our account.
April 26:
More Re: Wrongfully appropriated donationTo
So? What's happened?
Another week has passed. I haven't heard from you and the funds have not yet shown up back in our charitable gift fund.
Did you contact [the Gift Fund company]? What happened? When can we expect the funds to be back in our charitable gift fund account?
May 4:
More Re: More Re: Wrongfully appropriated donationTo
It's now more than yet another week since I sent the email below and still nothing from you and the funds have yet to show up as having been returned to our charitable gift fund account.
It appears to me that (a) you're stonewalling me and (b) you didn't even try to return the inappropriately cashed funds to [the Gift Fund] at [the Gift Fund company].
My patience is wearing thin. I will be fairly busy the next two weeks as we are preparing to return to the United States for the summer, but if this has not been cleared up by the time we are in the U.S. and the fund are not back where they belong, I will do what I explained I would more than a month ago if the funds weren't returned and start spreading the story about what has transpired.
I sincerely hope you don't force me to take that step.
May 4:
Re: More Re: Wrongfully appropriated donationFrom
I was organizing a very large Israel@75 event. The check was sent about 3+ weeks ago. I have attached a copy of the check and claim information included in the envelope.
This should be a resolved issue, please continue further contact with your [the Gift Fund company] representative.
May 4:
Re: More Re: More Re: Wrongfully appropriated donationFrom
I was organizing and producing a very large Israel@75 event.
The check was sent about 3+ weeks ago. I have attached a copy of the check and claim information included in the envelope.
The nerve, threatening us like thieves and threatening myself and staff, over a few hundred dollars just because it took us a couple of weeks to verify the accounting, talk to [the Gift Fund company] and get a refund processed within 3 weeks time from when donor contact was made. I can't even express how ashamed I am of all the people listed in this reply. Especially, after talking to [the Gift Fund company] and being informed that someone from UWI ([xxxx]) actually called impersonating me to change our mailing address for all our donorations to be rerouted to a New York P.O. Box address. I had to literally set-up customer service passcodes with [the Gift Fund company], to make sure that no one tries to steal our donations again. Then, I found out that UWI was still using my organization's credentials and Tax ID to maintain a Paypal and Wells Fargo merchant account, and you still have the audacity to treat me like a thief. LOL - I have never dealt with such mean, untrustworthy and ungrateful, "*People of G-d*" before. It's truly heartbreaking, [name on someone connected to AUWI]! I want to be very clear that if I learn that United with Israel is using our Tax ID or organization credentials to *open* or *operate* any business account, I will report it as fraudulent.
This should be a resolved issue, please continue further contact with your [the Gift Fund company] representative and do not contact or email me again.
May 7:
Re: More Re: More Re: Wrongfully appropriated donationTo
You are correct: this should be a resolved issue. Indeed, it never should have become an issue. But you created an issue and it remains an issue which you have to resolve.
I contacted [the Gift Fund company] and found they finally received the check you sent but could not accept it because you, for some strange reason, sent a personal check; it has to be a check sent directly from the non-profit. (Indeed, when I received your email with the copy of the check, I was gobsmacked and suspected it would be a problem.)
[the Gift Fund company] sent a letter to you on May 2 explaining what you need to do.
I expect you to follow [the Gift Fund company]'s clear instructions, without further delay, and keep me updated. This includes updating me when you receive the letter from [the Gift Fund company]. (If, as is quite possible, you have already received that letter, you should let me know immediately.) At that time you need to inform me of when you will be sending the correct check to [the Gift Fund company]. This should be done within a day or two of receiving the letter from [the Gift Fund company]. And if there are further - shall we say glitches? - I expect to be informed immediately.
I should not be forced to make any further contact myself with [the Gift Fund company] regarding this matter.
May 7:
Re: More Re: More Re: Wrongfully appropriated donation'sFrom
I sent a personal check because there was not enough funds in my non-profit account. That's because we put all our resources in the Israel at 75. I asked you to stop harrassing me.
I will take care of this issue the same way I took care of the other. Do not email, write or call me. You are all very mean spirited and I feel harassed by you.
Your the one that sent the check to the wrong address, and once you made contact with me, I refunded the money to you with in three weeks.
I will send a check from our business account and will make sure that the funds are there.
Again, I am putting you on notice. Do not call, text or email me ever again. I feel you are harassing me.
May 22:
Unfortunately More: Re: More Re: More Re: Wrongfully appropriated donationTo
It's now more than two weeks since I sent you the email below. You don't want me to contact you? Frankly, I never want to have anything to do with you. However, you leave me no choice.
You have failed to give me the basic courtesy of updating me as I politely requested, not that a request should have been necessary.
You have not confirmed that you received the letter sent to you by [the Gift Fund company] on May 2.
You have not informed me of whether you have send the proper check to [the Gift Fund company], when you sent it if you have sent it, or when you will be sending it if you haven't yet sent it.
If you give me the common courtesy of updating me and your actions are actually reasonable, you will not hear from me again. To demand that I stay silent and not contact you when it's been more than 8 months since you unethically cashed a check meant to be used to support the Good News Israel project when you had no intent of so using it, then resisting returning it when repeatedly requested to do so, and not offering any update on when you will actually return it after finally, finally supposedly agreeing to do so, is unreasonable. I do not appreciate it when people are unreasonable.
...
To refresh your memory, this is the email sent to you on May 7, 2023:
...
May 22:
Re: Unfortunately More: Re: More Re: More Re: Wrongfully appropriated donationFrom
We haven't received anything back from [the Gift Fund company] about them not excepting our payment. When we do a check will be resent to them. A business cashier check to be specific.
You can continue to follow up with [the Gift Fund company].
May 27
Re: Unfortunately More: Re: More Re: More Re: Wrongfully appropriated donationTo
Given that [the Gift Fund company] has already sent you two different letters which you claim to have never received (a reversal request sent in February and a letter sent May 2 explaining why they could not accept your personal check and explaining how to return the improperly accepted funds), it makes far more sense for you to communicate with [the Gift Fund company] directly. (Of course, you can also just check your own account to confirm the personal check you sent was never cashed and can simply send an AUWI check to the same place with the same information, although I would recommend sending it with a typed letter clearly giving the information.)
The [the Gift Fund] web site gives contact information. It is at [url for the Gift Fund company].
The web site contains the information "We are here to help you during business hours Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. ET." It gives a phone number [xxx-xxx-xxxx] for "Prospective Donors & General Inquiries," the same number with the information to choose "prompt 4" for non-profit organizations. If that doesn't work, you might try [the Gift Fund]'s number for "Donor Services," [xxx-xxx-xxxx]. (The last is the number I've used, but I believe [xxx-xxx-xxxx] would be the appropriate one for you to use.
Please keep me updated on your progress.
Thank you.
May 29
Re: Unfortunately More: Re: More Re: More Re: Wrongfully appropriated donationFrom
Apparently our intentions are to get you paid back, otherwise I would not have sent a check at all. The fact that you are harassing me because [the Gift Fund company] wants a check in a different form, and I have still not received notification from them is not a good enough reason for you to continue to harass me. I am telling you again, stop harassing me.
I have this in writing and I am going to pay you the $$$$ according to whatever arrangements that [the Gift Fund company] sends to my office. The PO box was checked on Friday and they have still not sent any letter. But without being difficult I will call them myself and ask them personally if they have sent our check back to us. Until I receive something from [the Gift Fund company] myself I am will only call them. Your ethics and continued harassment is completely unprofessional and I will not tolerate to be harassed over and over.
And I said in every email I will in every way comply with [the Gift Fund company] and whatever correspondence they have sent to me. I have every desire to make sure you are paid and out of our lives. And I have every desire to make sure that is taken care of. All I have asked you on several occasions to stop harassing us about a payment that we have been in complete compliance with [the Gift Fund company] Bank and trust in every way. [the Gift Fund company] has been working with us and there is no reason why they would not contact us immediately requesting a different form of payment. Now why I have not received a request to resend the $$$$ that I have already sent you copies of documents that were mailed to them and that you have already verified they received, and now you are stating that they have sent back to us.
I have documentation and you have confirmed that [the Gift Fund company] received our refund. Stop contacting me and contact [the Gift Fund company]. I will be in touch with them on Tuesday after the holiday and I do not in any way expect to hear from you again.
To of the others that are CC'd on this email, this money is not for good. And if you use it and apply it to funds that should be for G-d they will be tainted, they have been used for greed and angry-nasty conflict. I beg you do not use this money, once or if ever, it gets into your hands. There is no way Americans United with Israel wants to retain or use these funds to provide as support for our work. As far as I'm concerned right now [the Gift Fund company] has them. They have not notified us that they have returned them in any way.
May 29
Re: Unfortunately More: Re: More Re: More Re: Wrongfully appropriated donationTo
Thank you for agreeing to call [the Gift Fund company] and hopefully finally resolve this longstanding (it's now nearly nine months) issue.
To correct some of your apparent misconceptions:
1. I am not harassing you. I am merely trying to get this issue resolved.
2. It's not true that [the Gift Fund company] has "still not sent any letter." As I previously explained, [the Gift Fund company] has sent you two letters. In each case, either the post office failed to deliver the letter or someone in your organization mishandled it. It's because of that history that I believe it is important for you to contact [the Gift Fund company] yourself.
3. The funds are not to be sent back to me; they are to be sent back to [the Gift Fund company]. Once my wife and I make a contribution to our charitable gift fund, they are no longer our funds. We then make grant recommendations to [the Gift Fund company], which then routinely approves them as long as they fall within [the Gift Fund company]'s guidelines, which essentially means they are for 501(c)3 organizations and we do not materially benefit from them. (We do benefit psychologically when we have the satisfaction that the funds we contributed are being used for a worthwhile purpose of our choice.)
4. We would be perfectly satisfied if, rather than being returned to [the Gift Fund company], the $$$$ was simply transferred to United With Israel for its Good News Israel project, as had been the case in previous years and had been intended last year.
Please keep me updated. Thank you.
June 28
Re: Unfortunately More: Re: More Re: More Re: Wrongfully appropriated donationTo
Yet another month has gone by and the funds have not yet been returned to [the Gift Fund] at [the Gift Fund].
I just spoke with [the Gift Fund company] yet again - something I should not have been forced to do - and they will be sending you yet another letter with instructions on how to return the $$$$ to the gift fund. I was told that at one time they had been in direct contact with you, but the check you sent was from a personal account rather than the non-profit account and thus had to be returned. (Apparently there is a way of returning funds via a personal account, but it has to be done in a specific way.)
The newest letter to you should arrive in a week or so. I was told that if you did not receive it within two weeks, then you need to contact [the Gift Fund] directly, using their [xxx] number, [xxx-xxx-xxxx]. Obviously, if that happens, it will mean three separate letters to your organization from [the Gift Fund] never got to you, indicating either a serious problem with the delivery of mail to your organization (in which case, you really need to check with the post office to get it corrected there) or with the handling of mail within your organization (in which case you really need to examine the policies within your organization.)
Please confirm receipt of the letter from [the Gift Fund company] when you receive it and keep me informed of what you are doing regarding this matter, which has now dragged on since last September.
FYI, the following was the last communication I sent to you on May 29, 2023 and I have not heard from you since then:
...
June 28
Re: Unfortunately More: Re: More Re: More Re: Wrongfully appropriated donationFrom
I sent a refund to [the Gift Fund company], and they have notee returned my refund nor have they sent us a letters. We called and they said that they were not able to give me details about your account, only details about payments sent to me and the last one was a this payment that I refunded already.
I am not going to refund you twice. They stated that it would a refund from their bank account. Best advise is to see ifd they have information on where they sent the refund and in the meantime I will have my husband see if the check was sent to you has cleared our account.
June 28
Re: Unfortunately More: Re: More Re: More Re: Wrongfully appropriated donationTo
Did you actually read what I wrote?
[the Gift Fund company] DID return the check you sent from a personal account. If you didn't receive it, there is clearly a problem you have to look into either with the postal service or the internal handling of mail by your organization. But it definitely was sent back to you by [the Gift Fund company] along with instructions about how to properly return the funds.
I don't expect you to refund anything to me once, no less twice. I expect you to do what you should have done properly many months ago after you inappropriately cashed a donation clearly meant for the Good News Israel project for United With Israel: return the $$$$ to [the Gift Fund company] to put back into the [the Gift Fund].
(I am amazed that, at the time I informed you a month ago that the uncashed check had been sent back to you by [the Gift Fund] because it needed to come from your organization, you did not immediately check your personal account to verify it had not been cashed.)
I am sure that, while [the Gift Fund company] properly might wouldn't give out information about our charitable gift fund account, it would tell you whether the personal check you had sent had been sent back to you.
July 20
More Re: Unfortunately More: Re: More Re: More Re: Wrongfully appropriated donationTo
It's now more than three weeks since I sent the email below, which is far more than enough time for the third letter from [the Gift Fund] to have reached you. I find it very difficult to believe that three separate letters sent by [the Gift Fund company] in the course of what's now the better part of a year never reached you. l also find it irresponsible that - if that highly improbable event has actually occurred, you had any intention of acting in good faith and have any common sense - you have neither contacted [the Gift Fund] directly yourself to clarify exactly how to rectify your mistake from last September nor communicated with me.
There are limits to everything, including my patience.
If I do not get an appropriate communication from you by the end of this month, including the steps you will be taking to finally, very belatedly rectify your error, including a specific and reasonable timetable, I will be forced to conclude that you have been stonewalling all this time, have never had any intention of returning the funds to [the Gift Fund], and will act appropriately.
...
Sent to you June 28, 2023:
...
July 21
Re: More Re: Unfortunately More: Re: More Re: More Re: Wrongfully appropriated donation
From
We will check and see if the check was cashed. If it wasn't cashed I will stop pay and will resend $$$$ - the stop pay fee that my bank will charge.
July 21
Re: More Re: Unfortunately More: Re: More Re: More Re: Wrongfully appropriated donationTo
I find that a bit petty, but if you actually do that, keeping me informed, and the funds are expeditiously returned to [the Gift Fund] I will consider the matter closed. (If it were me, I would first check directly with [the Gift Fund], since if they voided the check before sending it back to you in April or May there would be no need to stop payment.)
August 14
More Re: More Re: Unfortunately More: Re: More Re: More Re: Wrongfully appropriated donationTo
It's now nearly a month since the exchange below, with no communication from you and no funds returned to [the Gift Fund] at [the Gift Fund]. I'm a very patient person, but my patience is wearing thin.
Sent July 21, 2023:
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August 22
More Re: More Re: More Re: Unfortunately More: Re: More Re: More Re: Wrongfully appropriated donationTo
It's now more than another week with no communication from you and no indication you're doing anything to finally, belatedly, rectify your cashing a donation meant to be forwarded to United With Israel for its Good News Israel project.
If you do nothing to give evidence to the contrary by the end of this week, I will have no alternative but to conclude you've been stonewalling all this time and were not being truthful when you wrote on July 21.
The following is what I sent to you on August 14:
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Where Things Stand
That's how things stand as I write this 358 days after the grant was requested and 356 days after the check was mailed to Americans United With Israel. Americans United With Israel claims to have never received the return request from the gift fund company, nor the check which was sent back to the president of Americans United With Israel by the gift fund company because it was a personal check rather than a check from Americans United With Israel, nor the letter sent to them from the gift fund company explaining that the check had been sent back along with instructions on how to return the improperly accepted funds.Legally, the recipient of a grant from a charitable gift fund is not required to use the funds as specified, so Americans United With Israel is not legally required to return the funds. In my opinion, if the recipient does not intend to use the funds as specified, it is morally and ethically required to either obtain permission from the original donor to use the grant for a different purpose or else return the funds to the gift fund.