Disarray at the Hacker Dojo
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Disarray at the Hacker Dojo
1–10 of 54 posts
Re: Disarray at the Hacker Dojo
#2Wow. Marie Knox, the woman that has already admitted to stealing the money, has her hands in a lot of different organizations in the Bay Area. She was the cashier, website manager, and person responsible for ordering inventory at her last position. Sure hope her past employers/nonprofits are all checking their books closely now..
Good on Sudarshana Banerjee, who took her board responsibilities seriously and uncovered this shortly after starting.
Re: Disarray at the Hacker Dojo
#3It's pretty clear that Hacker Dojo isn't the strictest about accounting. Just look at their membership fee -- $100 / month, pay if you want.
That said, Hacker Dojo doesn't work because recurring revenue > expenses. They work because of the tremendous goodwill they've built up in the community and a devoted base of supporters who are willing to help.
Organizational controls should be aimed to strengthen that support -- too much formalization around process risks killing the goose that laid the golden egg.
Re: Disarray at the Hacker Dojo
#4It's pretty clear that Hacker Dojo isn't the strictest about accounting. Just look at their membership fee -- $100 / month, pay if you want. That said, Hacker Dojo doesn't work because recurring revenue > expenses. They work because of the tremendous goodwill they've built up in the community and a devoted base of supporters who are willing to help. Organizational controls should be aimed to strengthen that support -…
The goodwill was a huge part of why I continue to pay the membership despite hardly ever going. Finding out my dues were embezzled have certainly soured my opinion. I think transparency is more important than formalization.
Re: Disarray at the Hacker Dojo
#5I withdraw any opinion I have on this matter, it was uninformed and those on the ground obviously know more - I misinterpreted the article.
Re: Disarray at the Hacker Dojo
#6I withdraw any opinion I have on this matter, it was uninformed and those on the ground obviously know more - I misinterpreted the article.
I believe that's incorrect, my understanding (from the board meeting notes) is that she was a full time salaried employee.
Re: Disarray at the Hacker Dojo
#7I withdraw any opinion I have on this matter, it was uninformed and those on the ground obviously know more - I misinterpreted the article.
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Re: Disarray at the Hacker Dojo
#8I withdraw any opinion I have on this matter, it was uninformed and those on the ground obviously know more - I misinterpreted the article.
> N.B. The article states that she 'fessed up before accused and promised to pay it back.
The article says, "The board agreed to perform an audit and on March 1, one day after the board gained full access to the nonprofit's bank accounts, Marie Knox, Hacker Dojo's longtime office coordinator, came forward and admitted to misusing the credit card for personal use, Banerjee told the Voice."
While perhaps technically true that she "fessed up before accused", it was at a moment of inevitability, IMO.
Re: Disarray at the Hacker Dojo
#9Wow. Marie Knox, the woman that has already admitted to stealing the money, has her hands in a lot of different organizations in the Bay Area. She was the cashier, website manager, and person responsible for ordering inventory at her last position. Sure hope her past employers/nonprofits are all checking their books closely now.. Good on Sudarshana Banerjee, who took her board responsibilities seriously and uncovered…
Or maybe this is a failure of the non-profit system: these charities are not required to make their finances transparent by the government or their funders
Re: Disarray at the Hacker Dojo
#10I withdraw any opinion I have on this matter, it was uninformed and those on the ground obviously know more - I misinterpreted the article.
Come on, let's be serious. "No one really cared about finances" means maybe it's not the end of the world if you bought a new Chromebook for yourself to use at the office without asking if it's cool. There is no world in which regularly flying yourself to Vegas and partying on the organization's dime is kosher or anything other than theft.
> Note also no-charges were pressed
"It noted the board is still working on a plan for Knox to provide restitution for the stolen funds and that, so far, the board has held off on filing criminal charges against Knox."
No charges yet. They'd first like to see if they can find a way for her to repay them before she's rendered permanently unemployable.