It has been alleged this week that Lindsay has NO intention of returning to H2O, yet she continues to collect a salary on this organization. The information we were supplied was that her organization receives free rent at the Bolingbrook Community Center, (paid for by taxpayers).
She graduated in May of 2011 in California. Then she got married and is established in California.
So, should this woman be taking donations from the Village, Township, Library, and other taxing bodies if that money goes to her salary, of which she is not present to conduct business? This is not an IT business that can be done remotely. This is a business that is helping youths of the community.
How many youths has been called into question int he past year, as some say we donate thousands of tax dollars to support and assist a very small group of kids (under 10). So is this organization really just a place for kids to hang out? Is it existing just for her to get a salary because of whom her daddy is? We would like to hear from her on when she is planning to return and do her job, or when she will release her salary to the organization and it's helpers/ facility costs.
Where are you getting information about her salary? I don't see it on their returns.
ReplyDeleteOh this is crazy I hate taxes
ReplyDeleteCan you tell me your source of information?
ReplyDeleteAll not for profits post financials annually. You can find H2o on their source lists. Since Lindsay owns the company, it will be harder to track her part, since she does not need to pay herself like an employee. She can essentially withdrawl all the profit. Until she gives up the company, she can continue to take all the profits to keep it a not for profit organization.
ReplyDeleteHello! This is Lindsey Claar Smith. I commented on this a long time ago and never heard back. Perhaps there was a technical glitch. I am trying again now because I am tired of seeing this come up in search results and would like my name to be cleared. I am continually shocked and saddened by the "information" you publish on the internet with absolutely no investigation into the truth.
ReplyDeletePlease allow me to correct several things:
I finished my schooling at the University of San Diego (USD) in August 2011. From the time I left H2O in August 2009 until my return to staff in 2012, I did not collect a single penny.
Also, nonprofits do not have "owners." I have never had any personal rights to any proceeds from H2O fundraising, and our finances have always been accountable to our Board of Directors and government reporting and auditing standards. Plus, the most I ever earned in a single year was $36,000 plus basic HMO health insurance (no other benefits) -- hardly something to brag about.
After finishing graduate school and getting married, I started again on staff at H2O in January 2012 as the Director of Marketing and Training, a part time role that paid a mere $600/month. (That equates to less than $10/hour, less than I get paid to babysit, and I have a master's degree.) For that meager salary, I flew back to Bolingbrook once a month from January until October 2012 for a minimum of five days each time, assisting with marketing, staff training, and fundraising. H2O did NOT cover my travel expenses.
Obviously I did not come back for the money. I did it because I care deeply about H2O and the youth it serves. My original plans after graduation from USD were to return to Illinois and resume my role as Executive Director of H2O. However, in the time I was away, I met my now husband and plans changed. I wanted to ensure H2O had the support and training it needed to continue without me, so I sacrificed time away from my husband and the opportunity to begin a better paying job here in California to take on that part time role.
Furthermore, in the weeks I was not traveling to Bolingbrook, I was working remotely because much of my job COULD be done from a distance, e.g., designing marketing materials and developing training manuals.
I concluded my formal role in October after overseeing a successful 5K Run/1 Mile Fun Walk fundraiser, and I am no longer collecting a paycheck. I have been asked to return in November to help with some additional training, and they would like to pay me a small stipend. I have not yet decided whether or not to collect it because I don't want it to be misinterpreted by blogs like this one. However, it seems unfair that, simply because of who my father is, I cannot work for my home community without continuous scrutiny. Is it that hard to believe that I truly want to help youth in need? Why must I always be accused of having an ulterior motive?
By the way, since our opening in 2005, H2O has served well over 1,000 youth. If our numbers for a specific program are small, it is often intentional so that we can maintain a staff to student ratio that allows the youth to get the personalized attention they need to succeed.
In the future, if you have questions or would like to report on Heart Haven OutReach, please contact them first. They can be reached at 630-226-8403. Thank you!