Demonstrators protest firing of Larry Jones in Oklahoma City

I haven't found an audit online but here is their last IRS form submitted.

http://www.feedthechildren.org/downloads/accountability/FTC_2008AuditedFinancials.pdf

Feed the Children has always been a big scam.

Hey SuperMom-we're cool!!!

In spite of what I believe and have written about the mis-deeds at FTC, I don't believe and have never said Larry or Frances or Larri Sue or Allen are evil people. I've never criticized the loyal employees.

But, we all "mess-up" and need to be held accountable. I just wish you had been around during the times I've "messed-up". Loyalty is a rare thing these days and I hope Larry and his family appreciate you.

It's not about the numbers? Are you insane? The numbers are right there. The facts are RIGHT THERE. The proof of abuse and corruption by Larry Jones is RIGHT THERE. When people ignore facts in favor of their "heart" that's called magical thinking.

Larry Jones groupies?

Bill, You always throw out all the numbers...what would I do?? Don't really know cause all my daughter wants right now is a a "Rip-stick" and hopefully I will be able to figure out what that is by Christmas! But if Larri Sue is so "in the right" by wanting to take over the company and putting the board back in place, then she should do the right thing and sell the house that she lives out of in CA, correct???? Larry didn't purchase that house all by himself as an office for FTC- because that it why it was purchased- not as a home for LSJ as everyone who doesn't know any better likes to presume. He had board approval- the board who now wants to use it against him. I have to tell you this Bill, My 11 year old daughter is an amazing young lady. She is not a person who trust others quickly. She comes from two parents who divorced when she was 4 and she had to grow up quickly, more than ever I wanted her to have to. She came to the office one day with her Girl Scout troop, she really didn't know who Larry was, althought i had tried to explain it to her because being 34 years old myself, FTC had always been on the TV when I was little, but for her, she really didn't know. She was sitting at my desk, waiting for my day to be over and Larry came out of his office, she immediately said "Well, Hi there!", walked over to Larry and gave him a hug. This spoke volumes to me. I was shocked. This little girl who is not trusting felt such a connection with a man she didn't know anything about and had never met. It is not always about the numbers Bill, sometimes it is about what you know is right in your heart, and just having the guts to stand up for it.

My taxes pay for the biggest charities of all: social security, bailouts, militarism, healthcare..all paid and not much to show for it! I do not donate to any charity because of the fact most of he money doesn't go to where it is intended to go--that's why I volunteer and donate my sweat and blood to actually help people! It's sad to see, but no surprise, so many faults within charities like FTC and their self greed!

Hey SuperMom-I truly admire your loyalty. Be careful in whom you trust and never do so without thinking it through.

For instance, out of the $25,000,000 or so actual cash available for feeding children or about $2,000,000/month- $1,200,000 was used in that month to purchase the house in California leaving only $800,000 for kids. If you SuperMom, as a good steward of your hard-earned money had to choose between spending $1,200,000 of your hard earned cash for your daughters house/office and spending $2,000-3,000/month for a nice 2 bedroom apartment where she could live and also have an office, what would you do? Keeping in mind that the $1,200,000 could buy 300,000 Happy Meals for kids that are hungry that very day!!!

okay, this thing is funky because it "submitted" when I didn't hit "submit"! Anyways, Paul, as I was saying...the cost of living in CA is different than it is here. I live in a 2,100 square foot home that we paid $150K for here in OK in 2008. My house is MUCH BIGGER than the house in CA- The house there is no mansion. If you would like to hold the purchase of the home against Larry, please also hold it against the Board- they are the ones who ultimately approved of it's purchase....but a mansion????....I don't think so. As for these individuals never working 40 hours a week in their life...well....that is TRUE! As long as I have known Larry, he was never worked LESS than 60-70 hours a week...god bless him.

Paul, regarding the house in California, you have to consider that there is a higher cost of living there. I

I heard the first thing that PTL guy, Jim Baker did when he got to prison was carve a Collection Plate from a bar of soap...When will people learn ???
Most of these Jokers have never worked an honest 40 hours in their whole lives...Notice and beware of a man who has hands as soft as a womans.

Since FTC and its board are playing with funny money (not their personal funds), Jones and FTC will end up reaching an out-of-court settlement to the tune of several million or more. Jones will laugh all the way to the bank and then start up another charity. Once these people get a taste of "charity money", they can't leave it alone and want more.

Sounds like it was time for him to go....

"Their $300,000 worth of attorney bills should not come out of donated funds that were intended for hungry children and their families."---Didn't that 1.2 million dollar mansion (and the continuing expenses of upkeep, utility bills, etc) out in California come from those same funds??

Supermom, does that mansion out in California have a pool? How is that needed for raising funds/donations anyway??

LJ is a hypocrite. May there be a place in hell where a person rots a little slower reserved for people like him....

this story is awesome, i hope they make a movie about it

Crooks, swindlers and con artists..the entire organization, all rolled into a "christian charity"....what a pathetic bunch of hypocritical snake oil salesmen, every last one of them.

SuperMom-I respect your position. But, why did the old directors file suit in the first place. Have you read the minutes of the FTC board meetings? Do you disagree with the rules the board for months had been trying to implement in order to control Larry's spending like wasted dollars on Allen and $250,000 to golfer Lee Janzen to wear a FTC t-shirt? How about the unapproved spending of approximately $75,000,000 for fund raising paid to Affiliated Media et.al. a company, who also employed Allen and owned by 2 former FTC employees i.e. Joe and Van.

Larry, under the cover of darkness and without the knowledge of his old board, attempted a "coup" using his buddies for a new board. Have you wondered why NONE of the new board guys, Larry's friends, who got thrown out by the Judge have not spoken up for Larry? The judge agreed with the old directors and Larry lost. So, to be fair, as you seem to be, maybe FTC shouldn't pay their legal fees but Larry and his "coup" buddies should, since he/they started the whole mess by violating the trust of the old board.

Larry Jones and his family have become unbelievably wealthy using this con-game. FTC needs to go bye-bye.

Charity Navigator only uses audit/IRS numbers to provide comparative statistical analysis. For instance they make no distinction between cash and GIK when compiling income/expense efficiency ratios. They are in the process of changing that to include such things as % of gift-in-kind, actual "cash" raised, effectiveness, efficiency, legal exposure, board oversight etc. AIP are just folks evaluating many factors (rightfully or wrongfully).

Philanthropy Today and Non-Profit Times the two most respected NGO newpaper/web-sites only report report self generated/third party articles but do not do comparative analysis.

As an example of what all this means-of the approximate 1 billion dollars raised 90% was Gift in Kind and only $100,000,000 was cash from donors. Of the cash raised approximately 75% or $75,000,000 was paid to third parties for fund-raising i.e. TV, mailings, photo shoots etc. Therefore Charity Navigator's rating looks good since they show only 7.5 % used for fund-raising ($75,000,000 of the total 1 billion raised). But when you consider the ratio without GIK (that are donated items like eyeglasses/books etc. from large corporations) the percentage of fund-raising costs to total cash received is approximately 75%. No other charity even comes close to this huge fund-raising cost. BTW-this only leaves approximately $25,000,000 for all overhead, operating expenses etc. AIP looks at the big picture and that's why they rate FTC so low.

Read more: http://newsok.com/feed-the-ego-charitys-founder-refuses-to-quit/article/3416163#comments#ixzz0WaPTcEXR

We protested because we want the board of directors to pay their own legal fees. Their $300,000 worth of attorney bills should not come out of donated funds that were intended for hungry children and their families. The board filed their lawsuit with the assumption that FTC would pick up the bill. Question is, would they have filed that suit if they had known they were going to have to pay their own attorney fees??? I doubt it. These are not wealthy men, they can't afford the attorneys they hired. To robert, I am sorry, you are misinformed abut the bldg downtown. FTC has a gift shop and some storage space, but there aren't any private offices. Things are no where near as glamerous as you make them sound. Our carpets are just as dirty and stained as everyone else, BECAUSE donations are for children- not carpet. God bless all of you and your opinions- as we are all entitled to them.

Oh like the lottery is so generous with 35% to the kids.

Feed the Children actually has a very good rating, better than most. Here is a link to the "Charity Navigator Rating" for FTC.

http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=3691

Sad. Have you seen the store and private offices they have in The First National bldg Downtown? The spend way too much money on themselves when true charity should go to the cause!!!

18% http://www.charitywatch.org/articles/feedchildren.html

Who will crush their spirits and berate them now? Alas.

Especially when you consider that Jones moved his daughter out to a $1.2 million house/office in Hollywood. Shameful!

What do you want to bet the last name of the protesters is "Jones". HAHAHAHA!!

On a serious note, has anyone ever looked to see what percentage of each dollar received by the organization goes to the children and how much goes to the organization's operating costs? I've heard that the percentage that actually goes to the kids is disturbingly low.

I hope the organization survives because I have seen the good that it can do. It is sad what ego, power, and money can do to some that start out with pure motives!

what a joke

LOL.