Australian entrepreneur fails to come through for charities
March 8, 2015
EntreHub News Brief: "Australian entrepreneur fails to come through for charities" A 26 year old Australian entrepreneur who built a successful business off the back of her survival from cancer has failed to pay donations she had promised to a range of charities (as reported by Fairfax). Belle Gibson is the founder of "The Whole Pantry", an App that is believed to be in line to be one of the first released for the new Apple Watch range. According to Fairfax she had solicited donations from her following of more than 200,000 but none of the money has been donated to the charities involved. Responses to questions put by Fairfax media indicated the business was struggling with cash flow - this statement was released on the business' Facebook Page:
"We have, like all start ups, struggled with managing all facets of a new business, biting off more than we could chew, juggling internal and external priorities with little staff. We have since passed our overdue business records and accounts over to an external Business Manager and Accounts team, an issue we are reassured arrises often with overwhelmed new businesses. They have been working over our finances for the last five months, and are still proceeding with a resolution in close sight. We were advised by this team to follow their process and allow them to finalise the donations once all business keepings were accounted first and brought forward."
This has led many to ask why donations from fundraising events were added to corporate cashflow. The backlash on the company Facebook page has already been damning with some suggesting that: "appalling - your organisation not the media. Money for charity doesn't go into "cash flow" - that is beyond unethical, surely it's illegal?" and "This is nothing short of common thievery and I look forward to seeing justice in due course. LIARS. You don't get to fundraise in the name of charity then keep the funds, not under any circumstances. That is blatant deception and there are penalties for those individuals and businesses that choose to steal from well-meaning members of their communities under the false premise of charity."
What do you think? Take a look at some of the posts the The Whole Pantry's Facebook page (images sourced with reference to individuals on social media posts removed)
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