Apparently, for some nonprofits, what is practical is not necessarily desireable or achievable. Take for instance the adoption of checks, balances and accountability.
Case in point: Mr. Shroek (I didn't make up this name), over a ten-year period, managed to steal $1.77 million from the Roman Catholic Society for the Propagation of the Faith. Mr. Shroek was Chief Financial Officer and his final year of theft was also his final year. This story rises to my attention because it was announced that an agreement was reached with Mrs. Shroek, the widow, that she will repay the Society, $1 million.
Two incredible facts were introduced in the Wall Street Journal story. The first incredible fact: Mrs. Shroek knew nothing about her husband's extracuricular activity. I mean, almost $2 million enters the household and Mrs. Shroek knew nothing. You know, like Carmella Soprano knew nothing about Tony's activities.
Ah, but more incredible to me, is that now, almost two years after the identification of the problem: "the The Society for the Propagation of the Faith and its umbrella organization, the Pontifical Mission Societies, have agreed to an overhaul of accounting practices, according to the attorney general's office. The new policies include installing security cameras in the mailroom of the organization's New York office, according to the attorney general's office and the charity."
WHAT you say. This charity needed an attorney general to get them to change their accounting practices? While I might have thought that at the very minimum either their auditors or insurers or common sense would have prevailed to change practices, two years later and these haven't been changed?
Simply incredible. On second thought, with the Vatican as its role model, this should come as no surprise.