‘We are still completely in the dark’: Enrichmond Foundation fallout continues
Since the 90′s, Enrichmond Foundation has helped smaller organizations by handling finances, insurance and providing them with non-profit status.
RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - Nearly four months after Enrichmond Foundation’s board of directors decided to suddenly dissolve, the dozens of non-profits and civic associations who relied on the group as a bank account still don’t have their money.
“We are still completely in the dark,” said Mac Wood, Friends of Pump House Secretary.
That includes more than $30,000 due to Friends of Pump House.
“We would like access to the money that the people of Richmond donated to us in good faith to fix the pump house,” said Wood. “We can’t fix the pump house the way that we want to because we don’t have access to the money that was donated to us.”
Since the 90′s, Enrichmond Foundation has helped smaller organizations by handling finances, insurance and providing them with non-profit status.
Before dissolving, Enrichmond worked with 86 groups and maintained the Evergreen and East End Cemeteries. Richmond Tree Stewards, another group that relied on Enrichmond, has lost almost $29,000.
“I had no way to pay for training materials or rental of the facility or anything like that. So we were literally penniless at that point and starting over from scratch,” said David Pohlmann, Richmond Tree Stewards President.
A generous donor stepped in for them to provide them with funding for the rest of the year. But not everyone is so lucky. Between the groups, more than $200,000 is gone.
“I would like to see Enrichmond held accountable for what they did. Something is not right here,” said Pohlmann.
Meanwhile, city councilors are meeting and trying to devise ways to help all those organizations left penniless, including litigation.
“We have not forgotten, and we are going to find a way to not only hold these folks accountable, but we also want to ensure that these organizations get the funding and the money that they need so they can continue doing good work for the city,” said Stephanie Lynch, Richmond City Council.
Some councilors would like to make funds available to those who lost money through non-departmental funding. The grant application for that process starts in mid-November and could take months.
Copyright 2022 WWBT. All rights reserved.
