Commondreams reports: "Over 200 nonprofit groups including Tim DeChristopher's Peaceful Uprising have lost funds totaling about a million dollars since their fiscal sponsor has shut down suspiciously, leaving some of the groups unable to pay staff, bills or continue needed projects."
Peaceful Uprising adds: "We were recently shocked to learn that our fiscal sponsor, International Humanities Center, (a California-based 501(c)(3) charitable trust) had spent the money donated to Peaceful Uprising on their own operating costs. They claimed to be unable to give us access to the funds or to return them – which has left us unable to pay our small staff, rent for our space, or any other expenses. As it turns out, we weren’t the only ones to be deceived – over 200 other Projects under IHC’s fiscal sponsorship were also caught by this horrific surprise."
Afghan Women's Mission, founded by Sonali Kolhatkar, writes that it has lost around $400,000: "We were informed in mid-December 2011 that International Humanities Center (IHC), the non-profit group that we had hired to manage our funds since 2003, has lost all of our donations. All of the nearly 200 organizations that had accounts with IHC are the victims of this theft. Altogether, about $400,000 donated to Afghan Women’s Mission to fund RAWA’s projects were lost."
This reminds me of Christopher from the Sopranos robbing a benefit concert: