North Miami officials to decide on Haiti aid

Local and out-of-town nonprofits are seeking the donations raised in the name of the Red Cross from the city of North Miami.
BY NADEGE CHARLES
NCHARLES@MIAMIHERALD.COM
North Miami officials, who collected more than $100,000 for Haiti relief and told residents it will go to the Red Cross, will decide Tuesday what to do with the money, which has been sitting in a city bank account since March.
Mayor Andre Pierre said he has not ruled out the Red Cross as a recipient of the funds completely, provided the organization can meet the city's demands that it go to a specific project with little or no overhead costs.
At least eight South Florida nonprofit organizations have applied for the $116,000 since the city said it was accepting proposals earlier this month. Two of the eight are not in the Internal Revenue Service's database of charitable organizations, so if the city chooses one of them, donors' money wouldn't be tax-deductible.
A third group is awaiting approval of its tax-exempt status from the IRS.
The city has also received proposals from nonprofit organizations in New Mexico, New York and Massachusetts. Some of the applicants have been involved with Haiti for decades. Others are fairly new into the country, drawn by the catastrophic images of homelessness and despair. ``We've seen organizations that have been on the ground for over a decade and we haven't seen any progress whatsoever,'' said Harry Cyriaque, president of One Help One Haiti Ministries.
Cyriaque said his five-month-old organization which is waiting to receive tax-exempt status from the IRS, wants to launch an education-based community center.
So far, One Help One Ministries has sponsored two children through its education initiative, he said.
City Council members have indicated they want to identify a specific project like a school or a battered women shelter.
Meanwhile, Red Cross officials say North Miami deceived donors by adding months later the money needs to earmarked for a project before handing it over.
``I think if they're familiar with the way the Red Cross work, they know that's not our way of operating, said Julie Sell, a spokeswoman for the Red Cross, by telephone from Haiti. `` We don't typically allow donors to dictate specific usage of funds.''
Sell pointed out the Red Cross receives money from a high volume of donors each year, which makes it difficult to field requests to specific causes on the ground.
Former North Miami councilman Jacques Despinosse said the city should release the money to the Red Cross, although he is treasurer of Haiti Cherie Heritage, an organization that has also applied for the funds.
``I think the Red Cross have every right to get the money. The city needs to do what's right,'' Despinosse said.
For, Marc Jacques, president of Nord Ouest Environmental, allowing smaller groups to come forward to submit proposals levels out the playing field.
``I believe in grassroots organizations, the big companies always get the donations no matter what'' Jacques said.
According to state records, Nord Ouest Environmental, which submitted a proposal, is an inactive nonprofit organization. The organization also is not in the IRS database of tax-exempt charities.
Another organization, Camille and Sulette Merilus Foundation, also is listed as an inactive nonprofit organization, according to state records, and doesn't come up in the IRS database. A number listed for the foundation on its proposal was disconnected.
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