With cynicism about human greed at an all-time high after huge bonuses on Wall Street, it's wonderful to see philanthropists grab headlines for great acts of charity.
Such was the case with Greg Mortenson, until allegations that he mismanaged funds for the organization. A report by 60 Minutes shows that Mortensen was obviously lying in many of his interviews about his books and experiences building schools in war-torn Central Asia.
These aren't just little white lies. He has generated major fabrications about his organization's accomplishments and the stories that he uses to encourage people to donate to his not-for-profit organization, the Central Asia Institute (CAI), were at best, an exaggeration.
This is not to say he has not done any good. Mortenson and the CAI have built schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan, but he's padded the numbers to show more schools created and more money given than actually was the case. In one particular region he claims to have put up 11 schools when in reality only three have been contructed.
Unfortunately, this is not just a simple discrepancy in numbers. Maybe if Mortenson was simply confused it would be considered an honest mistake. The money doesn't lie, however, and the money all leads back to Mortenson. A great deal of the money taken in by the not-for-profit is spent, not on schools and schooling for children, but for traveling expenses, advertising for his book, and other expenses related to his book.
All this money is going directly toward what amounts to a free book tour for Mortenson, and he is greedily reaping the benefits. None of the royalties from his book go toward the organization, nor do any of his hefty speaking fees.
This disgusting behavior will not only damage his reputation and that of his organization, but people will be more skeptical about donating to not-for-profits for fear of fraud. They'll be distrustful of the wonderful people who do work very hard for other groups, thinking that they too are out to make a buck.
His elaborate con has even reached UB, as he was a part of the Distinguished Speaker series last semester. Concerns about Mortenson's management of the organization have been raised for some time, and simple research about him should have uncovered some concerns. Is it enough to simply claim great things?
It's difficult to blame UB for being won over by Mortenson. With two successful books and a very successful public speaking tour, he seemed unblemished. Many well-respected people and institutions hired him to speak, and until the recent report, the concerns have not been alarming.
This must serve as a cautionary tale for not only UB, but for all who got caught up in Mortenson's web. Just a little scrutiny unraveled the lies, but it took over a decade. It's easy to get blinded by a big name and a big personality, but it's always a good idea to look deeper into the claims that people and organizations make.
