Find out how on Thursday, when Gannett Foundation officials counter bad publicity -- err, talk up the wonders of the company's charitable arm during a lunchtime audiocast. Executive Director (and chief Gannett flack) Tara Connell is hosting the event. ("A good indication to me that Gannett Blog is having an impact,'' says a waggish reader.)A consumer-friendly note in today's Executive Summary promotes the 12:30 p.m. ET event on GCI's intranet thusly: "Learn what the Gannett Foundation does, how it works and what you can do.''
Uh, OK; I'll bite: How can I get the foundation to give $40,000 to my alma mater -- regardless of where it's located -- just like absurdly well-paid CEO Craig Dubow did for the University of Texas at Austin? Or, maybe you want the foundation to drop a couple thousand on your favorite very pricey exclusive prep academy -- say, the The Potomac School in leafy-green McLean, Va., near Gannett HQ. Then, just like Chief Financial Officer Gracia Martore (left), you, too, could beam with pride when you see your name inscribed in the school's annual report, when credit is shared for gifts paid for with Gannett Foundation money.
Extremely related question: Can anyone identify "Mr. and Mrs. Christopher R. Wall" for me?
ReplyDeleteYou're stating Gracia Martore had funds from the Gannett Foundation donated to some local prep academy, and she claimed it as her own $$ - not a gift from, or on behalf of, the Gannett Foundation?
ReplyDeleteDo you have a link to this schools annual report?
I have been told that Gannett Foundation gifts to The Potomac School have been credited this way:
ReplyDelete"Gannett Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph A. Martore
Mr. and Mrs. Christopher R. Wall"
I have a strong hunch it's Barbara Wall and husband.
ReplyDeleteI kinda figured that might be the case.
ReplyDeleteDon't know, just wondering though: Could it be the Gannett charitable "match" to legit donations by the Walls and Martores?
ReplyDeleteA matching grant? Not, according to my analysis of the Gannett Foundation's public tax returns.
ReplyDeleteSorry, late to reply to Jim's reply, but to clarify: I was asking if those contributions might have been lumped that way by that school but that, perhaps, these were regular Gannett-employee charitable gifts that, as the company allows, were then matched by identical gifts from the Gannett Foundation. It's a common thing available for education institutions and such, as long as the donation is at least 50 bucks. I'm not saying this WAS that, but looking at the way it was listed by the school (not the foundation), it got me to wondering.
ReplyDeletePut another way: What does your analysis of the GF's public tax returns say? I mean, the foundation probably gives thousands of dollars a year in those Gannett-employee-matching-fund donations to charity (I know I've filed the paperwork over the years to match my very very modest contribs to my alma mater and one or two others). I'm just wondering if the school in question that received the donations listed them that way. Would such donations show up as line items in the GF's tax returns?
Again, I'm only asking, and not defending ...
do you have a better picture of Martore then the one you are posting?
ReplyDeleteThat's the only photo I have. I'm working on getting a better one, however.
ReplyDeleteGannett spokeswoman Tara Connell has now sent me a document with additional information about Gannett Foundation contributions to the Potomac School. The document, apparently from the school, credits the foundation for MATCHING donations made by two couples: "Mr. and Mrs. Joseph A. Martore" and "Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Wall." The document does not reveal the size of the match.
ReplyDeleteThe document provides details that I was not given by the Potomac School when I sought information about how $5,000 in foundation grants in 2006 and 2005 were credited. Those grants were directed by Chief Financial Officer Gracia Martore. And it's still unclear, to me, how those $5,000 in grants were credited.
maybe Tara can also send you a new picture of Gracia too?
ReplyDelete