Latest on the Foundation
Letter to the editor

At the 40th birthday celebration for Mission Viejo and the dedication of the Norman P. Murray Community and Senior Center expansion, the Mission Viejo Community Foundation gave to the city approximately $227,000 in contributions. The funds were comprised of approximately $112,500 in cash and approximately $115,000 from in-kind donations.

The Mission Viejo “City Outlook” newsletter on page 5 outlines $811,595 in pledges comprised of cash and in-kind donations. Of this amount, $400,750 was funded by the city in its two-year grant program as seed money.

At this point in time with the director’s salary and expenses, it’s quite possible that expenses exceed cash donations to the city. We do not have a current financial statement. The most recent one was provided for Dec. 31, 2005, and it was non-audited. One interesting feature to observe is the reflection of the in-kind donation as listed on Schedule A for July 2006 budget in the reserve category. This is problematic since it’s an in-kind donation and listed with estimated reserves.

Let’s all hope the Foundation achieves its goals and maintains its cash without eating up the contribution totals before they are received by the city.

James Edward Woodin
Mission Viejo