Madoff spinoff damage

I got this email today.

As Director of Administration and Finance, it’s my job to make sure that that preparation includes prudently managing our organization’s resources. So, as you and other ACLU Foundation supporters expect, we’ve been carefully monitoring and responding to the severe financial crisis enveloping America and its impact on our ability to defend fundamental freedoms.

In the last couple of weeks, however, we’ve been hit hard in a way that no one could forecast. You have, no doubt, heard about the Bernard Madoff Ponzi scheme in which investors have been horribly defrauded of up to $50 billion. What you may not know is that two foundations that have been incredibly generous and longstanding supporters of our national security and reproductive freedom work have been victimized by the Madoff scandal -- forced to close their doors and terminate their grants.

That means that $850,000 in support we were counting on from these foundations in 2009 simply won’t exist. We’re dealing with that reality and remain committed to continuing our critical work in these areas. But, as you can imagine, the year-end donations of you and other key ACLU Foundation supporters are now more important than ever.

Please help the ACLU Foundation meet critical civil liberties needs in early 2009. Make a tax-deductible year-end donation now.

There's no way, of course, I (or any of us) can individually make up $850,000. But if enough of us give what we can (8,500 giving $100, 85,000 giving $10 - you get the idea), we can help the ACLU weather this unexpected blow.

I did. Won't you?