New York Post - April 16, 2002
STING and his wife, Trudie Styler, hosted the "biggest environmental fund-raising event in the world" Saturday night at Carnegie Hall with Elton John, James Taylor, Wynonna Judd and Smokey Robinson. But donors to the event's beneficiary, the Rainforest Foundation, ought to check out the charity's latest financial filing with the state attorney general before they open their wallets again.
Worthy-cause watchdogs recommend that charities give away at least 60 percent of their revenues. But according to the filing, the Rainforest Foundation Fund gave away a measly 22 percent of the funds it took in for 1999, the most recent year for which it has reported results.
On top of that, the foundation netted a meager $56,856 after expenses from its annual Carnegie Hall gala that year, despite collecting more than $1.6 million at the box office.
For 1999, the foundation's revenue totaled $2,229,383, of which $2,087,714 came from direct public support.
Of that total, some $412,710 went to unspecified "payments to affiliates" for what is vaguely described as "special event support." An additional $61,734 went to assist the "Ashaninka and Waiapi Indians," help build "forest management plans for local communities . . . build schools, health posts and housing."
Reps for Sting and Styler, who are board members, directed all calls to the Rainforest Foundation Fund, which begged for more time to interpret the numbers.
But revelers at Saturday night's star-studded event didn't seem to know or care about where their money was going.