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Author Topic: Salvage Project Member  (Read 17099 times)
KurtSverreLarson
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« on: June 20, 2018, 09:58:46 am »

Greetings folks!

Thank you for hearing me. My name is Kurt Larson and I have joined Jeromy Darling on numerous Salvage Project trips around the U.S. over the past 4 or so years. (Most recently out to Washington, D.C. in April, and Pine Ridge Reservation this last weekend.) I've also joined him on various "in-town" endeavors to local prisons and youth shelters. I sing and play keyboard and generally to listen to and encourage the folks we encounter.

     It's pretty straightforward. Before a trip, we'll send out invitations for others to take part in the gospel endeavor by giving money for gas and food. When both my and Jeromy's cars were unfit for long travel, some friends lent their vehicle to us for a few days. Currently, my '02 Impala is able to take us far enough. (Washington D.C. and back!)

     I take unpaid time off from my job to make these trips, so it is truly a blessing to have help with paying for gas and food. I'm single, but Jeromy has a family so we make sure not to be out of town more than 5 or 6 days a month.
     When in a town overnight, we stay at houses of families from the local church of whatever town we are in. We've slept in basements, spare rooms; on couches, air-mattresses. . . with the occasional cat joining us. Staying with families has been instrumental in our mission as we're able to keep the cost low and we're able to encourage and be encouraged alongside them. The host family and church members will often join us to serve at whatever facility where we're sharing the gospel at.
     Each Salvage Project trip is a bit different. We've played our music and shared Jesus in a Salvation Army soup kitchen, a jail-kitchen, a couple of parking lots, a gymnasium,  living rooms, a veteran's sober-living house, youth shelters, hospice care centers, numerous jails and prisons, church sanctuaries, a women's safe-home, an arcade. . .
    It's not uncommon that no more than a handful of folks will be present at a given concert. We know God has given us particular callings and gifting, and of course the great commission, so we show up and trust God to call His sheep.

     It is of note that - while donations to The Salvage Project help make it possible for Jeromy (and myself) to travel to these places to proclaim Jesus to hurting people - the funds are not sufficient to live off. Thus both Jeromy and I have work outside of these in and out-of-town endeavors, in order to bring in the necessary funds.
     I can witness to our simplicity of living with the beat-up vehicles we drive, the used clothing we purchase, our endeavors for growing our own food - even the disgusting plastic swimming pool left by the previous tenants!

Jeromy and I both know, and discuss frequently, that we ourselves are not great musicians. But we know that Jesus took the meager offerings of a child and fed many people, because of His power.

Cheers,
Kurt Larson



 
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OneOfMany
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« Reply #1 on: June 20, 2018, 10:08:11 am »

Kurt you must correct your website.

The Salvage project, specifically www.thesalvageproject.org, more specifically http://www.thesalvageproject.org/donate is misleading at best.

The website and donation page tell people that their donations are tax deductible. The dates from when you lost your tax exempt status to when you regain it should be placed onto the donations page and remain there for a year to give people time to correct their taxes. Allowing people to claim deductions that they are not legally entitled to puts them at risk with the IRS. It is wrong.

I don't doubt that you do good things. However accepting donations as tax deductible when they are not is unethical and it is against the law.
« Last Edit: June 20, 2018, 10:23:22 am by OneOfMany » Logged
Mango
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« Reply #2 on: June 20, 2018, 11:07:23 am »

Thanks for that color Kurt. Unlike OneofMany, I wish you God's blessings. You are doing a good work.
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Fireball
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« Reply #3 on: June 20, 2018, 11:19:47 am »

Thank you for taking the time to write this! So cool to hear all that God is doing through this ministry! God bless you!
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Huldah
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« Reply #4 on: June 20, 2018, 12:58:24 pm »

Hello, Kurt, and welcome to the forum.

Your website says that you're a 501c3 charity. Your donors are trusting your word that their donations are tax-deductible. If your website is misleading them, how does that honor their trust in you? How does it honor God?

Even if everything you say about your ministry is true, you still have an obligation to obey the tax laws of the land and be truthful with your donors.

I get that mistakes happen, and paperwork gets overlooked, and sometimes things just go wrong. But your bandleader also happens to be an experienced web programmer who could correct this problem with minimal time and effort. Does he not owe your donors that much?

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ShineTheLight
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« Reply #5 on: June 20, 2018, 02:37:28 pm »

Hi Kurt, thanks for the work you are doing for the kingdom:

In the spirit of being helpful, here's a link that the National Council of Non-profits has on "what to do if your non-profits tax exempt status is revoked".  It has a lot of good information for non-profits in exactly this situation.

https://www.councilofnonprofits.org/tools-resources/what-do-if-your-nonprofits-tax-exemption-status-revoked

& a quote from that webpage:

Communications: The nonprofit’s website, and all other communications, should be transparent about the fact that the organization is not tax-exempt. Remove any messages that state that donations to the organization are tax-deductible to the donor, or that describe the organization as tax-exempt.

Donor relations
: Be proactive about communicating with your donors and transparent in explaining that while donations given before the effective date of revocation are still deductible, future gifts are not, until such time as the nonprofit receives recognition from the IRS that is it once again tax-exempt. If your donors need more information on the deductibility of their gifts, refer them to IRS Publication 557.
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OneOfMany
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« Reply #6 on: June 20, 2018, 04:41:31 pm »

I just checked the website.

Jeromy Darling's www.thesalvageproject.org still claims on the page for donations http://www.thesalvageproject.org/donate to a 501c3 tax exempt charity.

Your band appears to be well received by your audiences. Why risk that by not telling donors the truth about your tax status and the legitimacy of their donations?

You have a board that oversees your finances. Finances & salaries are overseen by our Board of Directors: Ryan Stahl, Dirk Spitznagle and Karl Quickert

Have they not been doing their job by letting this situation continue?

Honestly Jeromy Darling it appears you have or claim to have the skills to recitify this situation on your www.thesalvageproject.org website. Your other members Celeste Rundquist, Matt Brown and Kurt Larson also stand to be held accountable as they are members of the group. It is an easy fix. The longer you wait the more it appears that you simply do not want to make the change on the website.

I would hope that The Salvage Project www.thesalvageproject.org can continue to bless people as those who you have performed for say you do.
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Huldah
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« Reply #7 on: June 20, 2018, 06:15:58 pm »

It would literally take all of five minutes to change the information.

Change this:

The Salvage Project is a Minnesota nonprofit corporation recognized as a tax-exempt private operating foundation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The charitable organization is qualified to receive tax-deductible contributions under the rules applicable for contributions to public charities pursuant to Section 170(b)(1)(A)(vi).

to something like this:

Tax exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code is currently pending. Contact the IRS or jeromy@thesalvageproject.org for more information.

Save the file, upload to the server, and you're done. I don't get why it still hasn't been corrected.
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OneOfMany
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« Reply #8 on: June 21, 2018, 06:09:11 am »

It might be possible for reinstatement of the tax exempt status to be retroactive.

Here are the requirements:

Organizations that were eligible to file Form 990-EZ or 990-N (ePostcard) for the three years that caused their revocation may have their tax-exempt status retroactively reinstated to the date of revocation if they:

1.) Have not previously had their tax-exempt status automatically revoked.
2.) Complete and submit Form 1023, Form 1023-EZ, Form 1024 or Form 1024-A with the appropriate user fee not later than 15 months after the later of the date of the organization’s Revocation Letter (CP-120A) or the date the organization appeared on the Revocation List on the IRS website.

That said it still would be ethical to place a notice on http://www.thesalvageproject.org/ website so that donors know that their donation is not at this time deductible.
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GodisFaithful
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« Reply #9 on: June 21, 2018, 09:07:48 am »

For Jeromy and his board and members of his band and ministry to not fix the problem is not only unlawful (advertising his ministry as tax deductible when it is not) it leaves his ministry open to a negative appearance.

It APPEARS that Jeromy does not want accountability, that he does not want people to see any of the inner financial workings of his organization.

It APPEARS that Jeromy does not think it is important to be in compliance with the laws that have to do with a non-profit, that he is not concerned about how this affects his trusting and faithful donors. It APPEARS that he thinks that he is above the law, just like on this forum he openly stated that he did not need to abide by the rules that he agreed to.
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Fireball
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« Reply #10 on: June 21, 2018, 09:46:26 am »

For Jeromy and his board and members of his band and ministry to not fix the problem is not only unlawful (advertising his ministry as tax deductible when it is not) it leaves his ministry open to a negative appearance.

It APPEARS that Jeromy does not want accountability, that he does not want people to see any of the inner financial workings of his organization.

It APPEARS that Jeromy does not think it is important to be in compliance with the laws that have to do with a non-profit, that he is not concerned about how this affects his trusting and faithful donors. It APPEARS that he thinks that he is above the law, just like on this forum he openly stated that he did not need to abide by the rules that he agreed to.
You sound just like Eliphaz the Temanite,  who made all sorts of accusations and assumptions about Job, saying he had all sorts of wickedness, and pointing out all sorts of fictitious "evil", you're straining a gnat and swallowing a camel... and in this case, you might not even be straining anything at all. You're HOPING to find something bad on Jeromy. Meanwhile the guy is do amazing things with others in his ministry...never mind that, because where's the dirt, right?

What's hysterical is that after the tax cuts and jobs act that Trump passed no one is going to itemize their deductions any more meaning nobody cares that their tax deductions can be written off.  Incidentally, you guys might not know this, but most people donate to gospel organizations because they actually care about the gospel and not deductions. I really don't think Jeromy needs your advice on how to run a ministry. I you're so concerned about this, why don't you simply give him a call and inform him instead of potentially spreading ALL sorts of gossip? How do you know he's not already in the process of fixing this? You don't... and you don't care. You are all terrible for doing what you are doing and it's so hard for you to hide it, despite all of your attempts to sound righteous.

Suggestion: Why don't you contact this guy and inform the forum of his response? That wouldn't be as fun, though, would it.
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ShineTheLight
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« Reply #11 on: June 21, 2018, 09:50:37 am »

1) I still itemize my deductions and so do many people (although fewer than prior to the tax cut to be sure).
2) A member of The Salvage Project board was made aware of the issue regarding revoked tax exempt status last week.
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Fireball
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« Reply #12 on: June 21, 2018, 09:53:58 am »

1) I still itemize my deductions and so do many people (although fewer than prior to the tax cut to be sure).
2) A member of The Salvage Project board was made aware of the issue regarding revoked tax exempt status last week.

Please, share your findings. Was it because Jeromy was maliciously trying to dupe a bunch of people? Do tell.
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ShineTheLight
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« Reply #13 on: June 21, 2018, 09:56:09 am »

There was no response but I did not ask for one, merely provided the information so it could be addressed.  Brian Holz posted on this site a couple of days ago indicating it was an issue with the accounting firm.  Brian is a missionary at Pine Ridge who invited Jeromy's band to play there.
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OneOfMany
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« Reply #14 on: June 21, 2018, 10:00:45 am »

There was no response but I did not ask for one, merely provided the information so it could be addressed.  Brian Holz posted on this site a couple of days ago indicating it was an issue with the accounting firm.  Brian is a missionary at Pine Ridge who invited Jeromy's band to play there.

Brian reiterated what Jeromy Darling told him.

There is a financial board for the ministry http://www.thesalvageproject.org/. To blame an accountant seems odd.

Plus..if he does have a tax accountant that did not file the papers I believe the accountant could lose their license.
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Fireball
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« Reply #15 on: June 21, 2018, 10:03:51 am »

There was no response but I did not ask for one, merely provided the information so it could be addressed.  Brian Holz posted on this site a couple of days ago indicating it was an issue with the accounting firm.  Brian is a missionary at Pine Ridge who invited Jeromy's band to play there.

OH....so it wasn't Jeromy's willing negligence? Who woulda thunk. So, why are we still going on and on about something we know to be a simple mistake with his accounting firm? You're right, lets go back to bashing Jeromy. I for one don't like his haircut.
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Badger
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« Reply #16 on: June 21, 2018, 10:04:55 am »

I still itemize my deductions as well Fireball.

This next year, I will be removing a non-profit because of the way their board is dealing with employees and financials currently.  I think we are to be wise stewards with our income.  From a giving standpoint , I believe it is my duty to make sure my donations are being used well and for the purpose promised.  A "Christian" non-profit who receives such donations should have perhaps an even higher standard of accountability.

I also asked Jeromy very early on what his income from his non-profit was.  He only said it was filed with the IRS - we now see this statement is somewhat problematic.
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Fireball
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« Reply #17 on: June 21, 2018, 10:05:55 am »

There was no response but I did not ask for one, merely provided the information so it could be addressed.  Brian Holz posted on this site a couple of days ago indicating it was an issue with the accounting firm.  Brian is a missionary at Pine Ridge who invited Jeromy's band to play there.

Brian reiterated what Jeromy Darling told him.

There is a financial board for the ministry http://www.thesalvageproject.org/. To blame an accountant seems odd.

Plus..if he does have a tax accountant that did not file the papers I believe the accountant could lose their license.

So, again, why don't you reach out to his accountant? Maybe he or she could shed light on this? Shall we gossip some more? Or should you do your due diligence?
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OneOfMany
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« Reply #18 on: June 21, 2018, 10:07:09 am »

There was no response but I did not ask for one, merely provided the information so it could be addressed.  Brian Holz posted on this site a couple of days ago indicating it was an issue with the accounting firm.  Brian is a missionary at Pine Ridge who invited Jeromy's band to play there.

OH....so it wasn't Jeromy's willing negligence? Who woulda thunk. So, why are we still going on and on about something we know to be a simple mistake with his accounting firm? You're right, lets go back to bashing Jeromy. I for one don't like his haircut.

OH FALLACY ALERT!!! I must go for now but maybe someone else can dissect your statement of non relevance.
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OneOfMany
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« Reply #19 on: June 21, 2018, 10:09:13 am »



I also asked Jeromy very early on what his income from his non-profit was.  He only said it was filed with the IRS - we now see this statement is somewhat problematic.


Therefore he lied.....
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