San Diego Lost Boys Of Sudan Charitable Corporation / Karen Richards Fraud using the San Diego Lost Boys of Sudan questionable reputation Carlsbad California

I was disturbed by the allegations mentioned regarding the "Lost Boys" charity.  Apparently, facts were not adequately checked.  This organization files their form 990 with the IRS annually, no one receives compensation or has an expense account, and all funds raised are put to the purposes advertised.  Anyone can look at the tax returns of any charitable corporation (a quick web "search" is all that is needed), and should always do so before believing what is reported in the media.  Shame on you Anabella for not doing your homework before filing a report of this kind! 

My name is Mike Bullock. I am one of the original founders of the San Diego Lost Boys of Sudan Charitable Corporation, which was incorporated in 2002. I have been the CFO/Treasure for the last two years. We file the required IRS documents each year and as such are in the public domain for anyones perusal. Of the donations we collect, more than 97% is used as grants to "lost boys" and a few other Sudanese that live in San Diego. No one in the corporation takes a salary, hence the very low admin costs. In a typical year, grants are made to more than 50 different individuals or families. These are facts that are part of the IRS filings and clearly dispute the speculation that Annabelle of Solana Beach wrote in report #260047. I have written and left phone messages with her in the past requesting the opportunity to show her these facts, but she has not responded.

As to the character assault upon Karen Richards. Karen is the president of the corporation and has been for the last four years. I have known Karen for well over ten years. When a group of us heard about the Lost Boys of Sudan on "Sixty Minutes" in January 2002, we wondered if there were any in San Diego. When we learned there were about 100 in San Diego, it turned out that Karen had been working with many of them soon after their arrival in 2001. Since that time, she has worked tirelessly devoting her time helping individuals in the many ways that are the stated objectives of the corporation, such as medical care, education and emergency needs. Karen has not received any salary or compensation from this corporation. In fact, she is one of the larger sources of donations for us. I believe Karen is a woman of exceptional integrity and is devoted to helping people in need. It is totally incongruous to imply that she has profited in any way other than the gratification from the work she has done and is doing with the Lost Boys of Sudan.

If you have any questions, please contact me at sdsonshine@gmail.com. I am not an anonymous source.