This is stunning. I can't read the article. However from the summary it is clear there are some huge problems. At the top is the idea of a charity being indebted to that level. I assist in managing a nonprofit and that is a complete nonnegotiable. If the money is not there, we stop operating. No loans have ever been taken.
Maybe equally, or even more important is the organization's board of directors being disbanded by the charity's "owners." This tells you all you need to know about what sort of governance BOH has had. The board had no actual control over the organization. This does not inspire confidence as a way to set up a charity.
This has become a very large organization, and I am amazed that it is not on better footing. Their expansion has been fascinating to watch. They have high visibility and attract very large amounts of food donations from companies looking to dump product for a tax write-off. Large numbers of volunteers involved and many trucks on the road.
The BOH organization clearly has a very large advertising budget, as I learned after donating to them in the past. Marketing is professionally done by experienced marketing staff. I've always assumed this meant they were on good footing even if I was sometimes mildly annoyed by some of the gimmicks (If I remember correctly, they once sent a packet with a mini flyswatter and the slogan 'swat hunger' or something like it) and the phone call follow ups asking for repeat donations.
Apparently the unpaid loans are to individuals, and if that is the case, it is extremely irresponsible and suspect that they are soliciting more loans from individuals by way of their
nonprofit that is seeking investments from
wealthy people into Blessings of Hope expansion projects.
Red flags, red flags everywhere. I don't like the look of this at all. I have felt that the Lapp Brothers' theology and "Amish in Israel" tours and probably their counseling and self-help stuff were all a little suspect, but up till now I thought that their food ministry was quite well-done. Apparently, maybe not so much.
BOH has met a real need and I hope it can continue somehow. From what I've understood, they basically do logistics for the food donations they receive, and churches and ministries can receive and distribute these donations in exchange for a reasonable price to help cover BOH's costs, the balance of which are covered by donations directly to BOH. I thought of it as a sustainable model. Maybe not.