The Seattle Times: Nation & World: Scandal-tainted corporate gifts create dilemma for charities
Some of the money appropriated from Enron and other unethical concerns has been donated to charities who now find themselves embarrassed, some would say incriminated, by well-publicized associations with tax cheats and corporate con artists.
Most damaging of all, I think, is the funding of Junior Acheivement programs ,which seek to instill business acumen and encourage ethical behavior in young people.
Peter Frumkin, an associate professor with Harvard University’s Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations, said Junior Achievement has found itself in a hypocritical position, given that the business leaders who support it are supposed to be role models for the children.
“Should an opera company lose sleep from taking contributions from these companies?” Frumkin asked. “I would say no. … Now when you talk about Junior Achievement, then you have this question of: ‘Is the mission being undermined?’ ”
Junior Achievement officials said they are teaching children about insider trading, accounting fraud and such so they understand these actions are not acceptable.
But how do you make that lesson hit home if you keep the essentially stolen money? I’m not sure they should return it: it would be a huge disappointment to the kids in the program, and I’m not sure that’s a lesson worth teaching. Lengthy jail terms for the perpetrators would be a useful example, of course . . . . . later JA program members could visit the rascals in prison to reinforce the message.