Coalition Accuses Philadelphia Community Organizers of Defrauding Catholic Church

Posted on November 13, 2012 by admin — No Comments ↓

WASHINGTON, DC – The Reform CCHD Now (RCN) coalition, a unified group of 24 concerned Catholic organizations, is demanding that three Philadelphia community organizing groups return the grant money they received from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) by lying on their grant applications. According to the report available online, the three organizations violated CCHD grant guidelines by supporting abortion, birth control and homosexuality. Profiles of the three organizations indicate the following:

Childspace Management Group – signed a public letter denouncing cuts to birth control programs.
JUNTOS – produced an immigrant reference guide providing information on where to obtain contraceptive services, including local Planned Parenthood offices.
Women’s Community Revitalization Project – is intimately connected to a pro-abortion organization and its executive director is a homosexuality activist.

“After examining the activities of these organizations, it is clear that in order to receive a CCHD grant, they must have falsified their application which requires they not promote any activities prohibited by Catholic moral teachings,” said Michael Hichborn, spokesman for RCN. “The Church is not in the business of funding her enemies. These groups must return their grant money obtained under false pretenses.”

RCN’s report also profiles the Taxi Workers Alliance of Pennsylvania (TWAPA), but RCN is not calling for them to return the grant money at this time.

“We received a call from TWAPA’s Executive Director over the summer,” said Hichborn. “After a lengthy conversation, it appears that their name may have been used without their knowledge and they are working to disaffiliate from the AFL-CIO, which supports abortion and same-sex marriage. Therefore we will not call for them to return Catholic funding at this time.”

RCN’s report indicates that the three organizations collectively received $100,000 in grants last year.

Tagged with: abortion, Campaign for Human Development, CCHD, Childspace Management, homosexuality, JUNTOS, Women's Community Revitalization Project
Posted in $25,000 - $30,000, $30,001 - $35,000, $35,001 - $40,000, $40,001 - $45,000, 2011-2012 Grantees, Grant Amount Range, Grantees, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Uncategorized

Coalition Demands Empower DC Return $50,000 to Catholic Church

Posted on November 1, 2012 by admin — 4 Comments ↓

WASHINGTON, DC – A unified group of 24 concerned Catholic organizations is calling on a Washington DC community organizing group, Empower DC, to return its $50,000 grant to the Catholic Church. The coalition, Reform CCHD Now (RCN), claims that the DC Grassroots Empowerment Project (Empower DC) defrauded the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) by directly engaging in the promotion of abortion, prostitution, and homosexuality contrary to grant requirements.

“According to the CCHD’s grant guidelines, applicants must agree that they do not participate in or promote activities that contradict the moral and social teachings of the Catholic Church,” said RCN spokesperson, Michael Hichborn. “Empower DC knowingly violated that agreement and lied about its activities. Empower DC owes $50,000 to the Catholic Church for this breach of contract.”

According to Reform CCHD Now’s report, in addition to promoting abortion and homosexuality, Empower DC also endorsed, promoted, and distributed a guide titled, “Hey Grrrl!” that instructs young girls on how to get away with prostitution, truancy, car sex and illegal drug possession.

RCN says that since the publication of the report, Empower DC scrubbed its website by removing the incriminating links. However, RCN says it cataloged screen captures and the Hey Grrl! instruction booklet proving that Empower DC took the grant money under false pretenses.

Media inquiries, please contact Margaret Ekam at 540.659.4171 or mekam@all.org

Tagged with: abortion, Catholic Campaign for Human Development, CCHD, Empower DC, Grassroots Empowerment Project, homosexuality, prostitution
Posted in $45,001 - $50,000, 2011-2012 Grantees, Diocese, Grantees, Washington, DC

GAMALIEL FOUNDATION DECEIVES CATHOLIC FUNDING AGENCY

Posted on November 1, 2012 by admin — 5 Comments ↓

The Reform CCHD Now Coalition (RCN) Uncovers Fraud and Deception By Network of Grantees Receiving Catholic Funds

WASHINGTON, DC – The 24 member Reform CCHD Now Coalition (RCN) released its latest report on organizations receiving funds from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD). The 2012 report reveals that one of the CCHD’s longest-running grant recipients, the Gamaliel Foundation, attempted to deceive the CCHD regarding its relationship with an organization promoting homosexuality.

Beginning in 2010, RCN has investigated organizations receiving funds from the CCHD, reporting on grantees that promote abortion, homosexuality, birth control and Marxism. Documented with screen captures and web links, the latest report (www.reformcchdnow.com) details 72 grantees for 2011-2012 violating CCHD guidelines and Catholic moral teaching, specifically on these grounds.

Among the grantees profiled in the report are 20 affiliates of the Gamaliel Foundation. According to the report, the Gamaliel Foundation listed its membership with the Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM) on its own website.

“In 2010, FIRM publically stated its organizational intent to link homosexuality with immigration reform, and as a member, Gamaliel’s voice was added to this public statement” said Michael Hichborn, spokesman for RCN. “We gave this information to CCHD directors, and they began their own investigation.”

“We received several communications from diocesan CCHD directors indicating that National CCHD had a copy of a letter Gamaliel allegedly sent to FIRM in May of 2010, cutting all ties with them,” Hichborn said. “However, upon further investigation, RCN found proof that Gamaliel was still a member of FIRM in 2011 and 2012.”

Contained in the RCN 2012 report are screen captures taken from Gamaliel’s website of several FIRM membership documents dated 2011, as well as meeting minutes from a December 2011 FIRM conference call. The meeting minutes show that Gamaliel’s president participated in the call, and indicate that Gamaliel was nominated for the steering committee for the year 2012.

“Either the letter Gamaliel provided to CCHD was outdated or it was fake,” said Hichborn. “Whatever the case, the Gamaliel Foundation has revealed an apparent willingness to lie in order to keep Catholic funds.”

Tagged with: Campaign for Human Development, CCHD, Center for Community Change, Fair Immigration Reform Movement, Gamaliel Foundation
Posted in Uncategorized

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