October 3, 2010; Source: The Item | In South Carolina a YWCA serving three counties is living a complicated drama that the battered and abused women they serve could probably do without. Among the things that have happened: secret board meetings among select board members were repeatedly called before the executive was called on the carpet on the basis of financial concerns; despite being cleared of wrongdoing, the executive was placed on unsubstantiated administrative leave; and the president of the board showed up at a board meeting with eight unidentified women and “attempted to fire the 10 board members present. The board was threatened with arrest before negotiating a truce and continuing the meeting. After the meeting, board members could be seen outside shouting at each other and accusing others of lying.” That group then fired the executive director and elected the board president as her replacement.
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This sounds less like a service providing nonprofit than daytime TV. The article asserts that this is not the first time the organization has dragged its own name through the mud and that it gets passes on the behavior because it is the only provider in town doing this kind of work. Ironic. While we do not know the details, this kind of public display not only endangers the organization and the women it serves but it paints nonprofits as less than responsible stewards of public trust. Get it together!—Ruth McCambridge
