[Dialogue] Fw: Kerry's wife

[David Dunn]

On 7/11/04 7:59 AM, "Sunny Walker" <sunwalker at igc.org> wrote:

> This came from my mother to the four of us (her children) -- it disturbs me
> and I'd love to know how to respond.

David Dunn writing here...

This isn't the whole truth, but it is a useful piece of the truth. The piece
Sunny quotes mentions the Tides Foundation.

Recall that the Tides Foundation was one of the funders of the original
Econet project that got a lot of us using email in the mid-80s. These days,
among other things, the Tides Foundation supports the Groundspring.org
organization which is a technology resource for nonprofits. ICA USA uses the
Groundspring.org 'EmailNow' system for sending you our new 'Friends Flashes'
electronic newsletter.

The Tides Foundation has a great website <http://www.tidesfoundation.org/>.

Here is the news release from the Tides Foundation website addressing
inaccuracies in coverage then appearing in major national media last March:

> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
> 
> Tides Foundation and Tides Center Statement Regarding Recent Scrutiny over
> Heinz Endowments 
> 
> Date: March 11, 2004
> 
> Tides Foundation and Tides Center have come under attack in several opinion
> pieces recently appearing in media such as the The New York Post, The Wall
> Street Journal and The Washington Times, among others. The articles make false
> allegations relating specifically to Tides and the funding it receives from
> The Heinz Endowments, as well as Tides' support of a group called "September
> 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows." The allegations are without merit,
> consisting entirely of errors and innuendo.
> 
> Here are the facts: The Heinz Endowments have granted Tides Foundation
> $230,000 dispensed between 1994 and 1998. These grants were used solely to
> support a pollution prevention initiative and other environmentally friendly
> practices by industries in Western Pennsylvania. Tides Center, an independent
> organization providing administrative and financial services to hundreds of
> projects across the country, has received additional support from The Heinz
> Endowments specifically to support projects in Pennsylvania. The vast majority
> of the projects funded through these endowments were related to either
> environmental protection or youth education. No Heinz- related money has gone
> to fund September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows. Teresa Heinz Kerry,
> the wife of Senator John Kerry, chairs The Howard Heinz Endowment and sits on
> Vira I. Heinz Endowment's board.
> 
> For the record, the Tides family of organizations is proud to provide support
> and services to Peaceful Tomorrows - a grassroots organization whose
> activities revolve around nonviolence and peaceful resolutions - through Tides
> Foundation, Tides Center, and Groundspring.org, an organization that provides
> training and web-based services for online fundraising. Tides Foundation has
> made four grants in 2002 and 2003 for a combined total of $34,665 to Peaceful
> Tomorrows. Peaceful Tomorrows has raised $19,097 through Groundspring.org
> since August, 2002.
> 
> Tides Foundation employs donor advised funds, the same financial vehicle
> administered in precisely the same way as the Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund
> and similar programs operated by Schwab, Vanguard, and more than 600 community
> foundations across the country. Tides works under the rigors of fund
> accounting, restricted grants, and annual audits, ensuring that all monies
> released by Tides are properly distributed and accounted for. Tides Center
> projects each raise funds for their individual program activities, with these
> funds being separately accounted for and administered. These funds are limited
> for the specific purposes for which they were given.
> 
> At Tides, our goal is a society based on fairness, equally shared economic
> opportunities, engaged and active citizens and environmental sustainability.
> In 2002 and 2003, Tides Foundation made more than 6,000 separate grants to
> nonprofit organizations totaling more than $100 million and Tides Center
> provides over 250 emerging projects with support services. Our work speaks for
> itself in the range of program activities that supports a diverse array of
> organizations working on projects from human rights to disaster relief and
> youth education. 
> 
> 
> 
> Contact: 
> Christopher J. Herrera
> Tides Foundation
> P: 415-561-6355
> cherrera at tides.org