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When money begins to flow into the account of a non-profit organization from governmental or private sources, it is recommended that the non - profit directors hire the services of an investigation agency to conduct private investigations, surveillances, and inspections regarding the proper usage of the funds received.
Over the course of many years of conducting private investigations in both the private and public sectors, we have learned that there are several fictitious requests for financial support. Non-profit organizations are not equipped to conduct verification checks on those seeking support. Investigation agencies specializing in this field are prepared to conduct private investigations, locations, surveillances, business information collection, and financial investigations of the support seekers.
The former Jewish communities of Saloniki,
As it appears, members of these various communities (which are based on ethnicity and origin) enjoy belonging to a community that provides support, a common language, social activity, consultation, guidance, and of course financial assistance in order to execute projects with a social, cultural, and educational significance.
Running community activities is the same as running a business. It is necessary to define the budget framework and the sources of funding, and to carry out the goals and aims that each community sets for itself. So how is this done? How are preparations made?
Usually, an non-profit organization is established and legally registered with the non-profit registry. The goals and plan of action for the non-profit organization are declared. As soon as the non-profit is registered, the chase after sources of funding begins. Any private or public entity marked by the founders and directors of the non-profit organization as a potential funding source will be receive a visit and a request for funding from one of the non-profit lobbyists. In order to raise the necessary funds for the community, gala dinners, conferences, door-to-door fundraising, and appearances in the press, among others, are held.
When the money starts flowing into the non-profit organization’s account, preparation is required in order to precisely and professionally investigate and supervise the use of funds. Every donor or public or private institution who has supported the non-profit organization financially will naturally request to receive a report documenting where their funds went. Were the various seekers of support worthy of the funds they received?
Was it justified to add a new wing to the old age home of the community members? Did the educational institute requesting support really have 100 students, as they declared, or only 35 students? Has the property intended for the building of a community center really been rezoned by the local authorities and approved for building codes? And so on, and so forth.
Based on my lengthy experience in the field of investigations and intelligence, both for the national authorities and as a private investigator and director of an investigation agency, I know that in the absence of proper means for supervision and investigation, several non-profit organizations do not know whether those requesting support within the community, for example, meet the set criteria in order to receive the appealed funding. Was their request outrageous, inflated, allegedly impressive, or, not to mention, fraudulent?
Directors of non-profit organizations supported by public funds or private or business donors need not accept the claim/excuse that their hands are tied, that they have no means of supervision, investigation, and business information services in order to examine whether each request for support is justified, innocent, and honest or otherwise intended to receive funds deceitfully.
All that is needed at the initial stage is to accept the need and importance for development a means of investigation, supervision, and fraud prevention. You are dealing with a great deal of funds received in order to actualize social, educational and humanitarian goals.
You, the non-profit organization’s directors, have a legal and moral obligation to examine every single request for personal or group support, and to make certain that the project planning to use your funding is properly planned and economically justified.
You may ask yourself, “How can we do this? We are not prepared; we are a voluntary entity with no desire for profit. Who has the ability to supervise, investigate, and prevent?” Well, we have private investigators who can offer you a solution. Think about it. Adopt this plan, and better sooner than later.
- Format and publish clear criteria for seeking assistance.
- If your funding budget is limited, preset a list of priorities for approving funding.
- Demand that each applicant attach relevant and supporting documentation to his or her request, as a condition for considering the request.
- After an applicant has passed the first screening process and is eligible for deeper consideration before being approved for funding, have the applicant examined by an external entity with proven abilities in data collection, evaluation, and analysis.
For each request forwarded to the examination of the approved external entity, you will have to examine and investigate the following matters:
Financial reports - Evaluation of the reports by financial experts, and preparation of a concise summary that reveals and evaluates the situation of the financial reports filed by the applicant party.
Field examinations - Visiting and photographing the site of the applicant, in order to confirm or refute details listed in the application for support.
Interviews with any entity having an interest in the application.
An examination of and series of interviews with a sampling of the target audience intended to benefit from the requested support.
Examination of files and plans (as needed) with the local authorities for building and planning, and with the Director of Israeli Real Estate.
Seeking the qualified opinions of appraisers, engineers, architects, and any other professionals that may be relevant to the nature and content of a grant request.
Personal and professional background checks on the grantseeker (both private and business). A repeated check in the database of the non-profit organization. Have requests been filed in the past by the grantseeker? What were the results? If his request was denied, what were the reasons?
Profitability and Financial Feasibility - Is the project requesting support profitable and feasible considering all the circumstances relating to the execution of the project?
Yes, it is possible and even advisable to hire the services of private investigators at a relatively reasonable rate. It is worthwhile, it is justified, professional, moral, and obligatory by any normative standards considering you are the emissaries of a supported community. The private investigations that we conduct strengthen and prove this claim.
Yanir Levin Intelligence Advising - A Private Investigation Agency ensures you investigations and information services on a different level!