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Uploaded: Thursday, May 19, 2011, 9:38 PM
Updated: Monday, May 23, 2011, 6:56 AM
Raising money one door at a time
Residents give to door-to-door solicitors for 'Mr. Mom,' in spite of skepticism
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by Glenn Wohltmann
Pleasanton Weekly Staff
When a woman showed up at Lissa Anderson's door soliciting money to help troubled young people who'd gotten too old for the foster care system, Anderson had some reservations, but she made a $100 donation anyway.
"My very first meeting with her was when she came to my door and rang the doorbell and it was late — it was after 9 o'clock," Anderson said. "She went on to say she was with a program called Mr. Mom that helps children with foster care organizations that had been kicked out because they were too old, they were on the street. They were putting them up in hotel rooms, they were trying to get them jobs."
Anderson gave $100. The second time, two weeks later, Anderson said she'd just put her kids to bed and was settled in for the night; her husband answered the door and Anderson told him she wasn't sure she trusted Mr. Mom; her husband, however, gave another $100.
The third time, Anderson said she was having a tough day when the woman showed up in her driveway after dark.
"I just said, 'It is so inappropriate for you to be out this time of night,'" Anderson said. "She left (but) she came back 20 minutes later. She said, 'Whatever you can give me, we're just $125 short of our goal for what we need to raise for the night.'... She just kept going and going. ... I burst into tears."
Anderson is not alone in questioning the practices of Mr. Mom and other door-to-door solicitors raising money for needy causes.
Police say they occasionally receive calls from residents concerned about the legitimacy of door-to-door solicitors.
In a recent discussion on the Pleasanton Weekly's Town Square reader forum, one resident asked others to share their experiences with Mr. Mom and quickly received numerous replies from others who had been solicited. After unsuccessfully asking the Weekly to remove the posts, Denise Dinsmore, who describes herself as the co-founder and primary fundraiser of Mr. Mom, posted her own long explanation stating that her organization is legitimate and working hard to serve troubled kids.
Dinsmore has declined to answer questions from the Weekly, including requests for the names of the agencies or individuals who have benefited from Mr. Mom. She claims to have the required local permits to solicit and to have complied with all state laws. But according to city and state officials interviewed by the Weekly and documents on file with the state Attorney General, the group only last month obtained a business license in Pleasanton and state approval to solicit funds. Neither Danville nor San Ramon has any record of Mr. Mom applying for a business license.
All three cities prohibit any solicitations after dark, but there is a constitutional question that comes into play with enforcing the after dark restriction, according to Pleasanton Assistant City Attorney Larissa Seto.
"Technically, if an organization or person involved in a protected speech activity (such as charities and political organizations) wants to go to homes after 8 p.m., we cannot stop them. We can only encourage them to come back during more regular hours," Seto said. "In theory if the person at the home asks them not to come back, they should not come back because that would be trespassing."
However, she said a resident who feels harassed or threatened should call police.
"Our Police Department can go out if people call and tell us where they are," Seto said. "If a police officer is available, we'll send them out."
The Mr. Mom Non-Profit Organization has been raising money in the area since 2008, according to a registration statement filed last month with the state. The group admitted in a signed stipulation agreement that it had violated state requirements by not filing proper reports since it initially solicited donations.
With the filing of the registration statement and catch-up reports, the group, which lists a Pleasanton mail drop as its address, was cleared to resume fundraising by the state on April 22.
Registration with the state Registry of Charitable Trusts is required of any charity, but does not mean an organization has obtained its 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status from the IRS. Mr. Mom has no such IRS exemption, although Dinsmore says in her Town Square post that such an application is pending with the IRS. Dinsmore cites a "501(c) (3) non-profit number" in handouts that is actually the Federal Employer Identification Number assigned to Mr. Mom.
California law permits an individual or organization raising less than $25,000 a year for a charitable purpose to operate with few constraints as long as it registers and files a short annual report. Such groups, or even individuals, don't even need to be nonprofit organizations.
For small groups, the state has no way of monitoring how funds are spent. Detailed expenditure reports are not required, but state officials refer questions to the IRS website, which lists all tax-exempt charities including detailed information on where their money is spent.
"By law, the (group or) person has a duty to use that property for its intended charitable purpose," said Rebecca MacLaren of the state Attorney General's office in an emailed statement. "If you solicit and accept money for a charity, you're responsible for making sure it gets used for those purposes. Failure to do so may subject the solicitor to personal liability for the amount received."
Those who've met Dinsmore describe her as a "sweet" 20-something who apparently can be persistent.
It was this persistence that prompted another woman, who asked that her name not be used, to give Dinsmore between $1,000 and $2,000 since 2008. She added that many of her neighbors have also contributed.
"This woman — she seemed very honest. She would show up at my house at 11 o'clock (at night)," the woman went on. "She would say she hasn't met their daily quota, there were times she told me that if they didn't meet their daily quota, they'd have to kick a kid out."
The woman said the last straw came recently when Dinsmore asked that the couple contribute their entire year's donation in advance.
In her posting on Town Square, Dinsmore said Mr. Mom is soliciting donations to fulfill a financial commitment to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.
However, Jan Still-Lindeman, senior director of public relations for the national office, said there's no affiliation between Mr. Mom and the Boys and Girls Clubs, and that clubs don't endorse door-to-door solicitations. Local Boys and Girls clubs contacted by the Weekly say they have never heard of the organization.
Dinsmore would not provide information on how the funds she raises are spent, but in her Town Square posting she said she is helping a "very small number of kids that have aged out of foster care" and that "we also assist non foster care kids that are in desperate need of financial support."
None of the several foster care agencies in Alameda or Contra Costa counties contacted by the Weekly, however, had heard of Mr. Mom.
"Donors have to be proactive and make sure they know who they're giving money to," said Belinda James, head of the state's charitable trust section of the Attorney General's office. "What's important is not to give impulsively but to check out the name and make sure the charity appears in our website and make sure that it's current in reporting to us. That's a red flag, if the charity isn't current on reporting to our agency."
James said potential donors should not be afraid to ask questions if someone shows up and asks for money. Ask for written information from whoever is soliciting; any reputable charity will have the answers.
"If a donor is solicited and doesn't know about the charity, the best thing to do is to ask for written information before giving a donation," James said.Are you receiving Express, our free daily e-mail edition? See a sample and sign-up for Express.
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Posted by Mike, a resident of the Highland Oaks neighborhood, on May 20, 2011 at 2:18 am Never give at the door, no matter what the story is.
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Posted by Clarice, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on May 20, 2011 at 7:55 am ... or, restated, Never give anything to anyone, no matter what the story is.
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Posted by steve, a resident of the Parkside neighborhood, on May 20, 2011 at 8:26 am If these are the same people, they were in Parkside last Friday night and again last night. After I showed them the 'No Solicitors' sign on my front porch, they insisted they weren't selling anything.
Again, it was around dusk and I happened to be in the front yard, otherwise, we would not be opening our door to uninvited strangers at that time.
These people are searching for the gullible and overly-symathetic that fall prey to a sob story without checking theri credentials first. While it may be legal, it's very shady and reinforces that you should research and personally choose who you donate to before being approached and handing over cash. Common sense....just send these hucksters packing.
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Posted by KC, a resident of the Country Fair neighborhood, on May 20, 2011 at 8:30 am Honestly, I can't believe people actually give money to the solicitors. I politely say a firm NO thank you, and shut the door. Solicitors should know better than to come to people's homes after dark. Don't answer the door after dark. Didn't anyone ever listen to their mommies?!!
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Posted by More $$ than brains, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on May 20, 2011 at 9:37 am I can't believe anybody would give $1,000. to a stranger at the door in daylight, much less after dark. Sounds like a case of more money than brains. No wonder there are Bernie Madoff's, and the civic leader in Livermore conning old classmates...it work's...sometimes ! Was it P T Barham who said, 'there's a sucker born every minute !'.
Sounds like she found a rich neighborhood, who finds comfort believing they've helped somebody....tho probably NOT needy ! ! Coming back a second time (knowing she had a RARE find) should have been a tipoff...and the husband bought in too ??? the gullibility is amazing. It sort of sounds like the female who came to my door a year ago, saying she had 7 or 8 kids and needed money to take care of him. I said 'sounds like you need condoms more than money, and closed the door.'
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Posted by Carlos, a resident of the Highland Oaks neighborhood, on May 20, 2011 at 10:16 am It's just like feeding bears in a park. Don't do it!
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Posted by another gullible, a resident of the Stoneridge neighborhood, on May 20, 2011 at 10:30 am My husband and I are one the many gullible people that have donated to Mr.Mom. We have given about $500 over a period of 3 yrs to this lady. She usually shows up after dusk which did make me very uncomfortable. She can definitely be very pursuasive. She would come once a month at least and if we mentioned that we just donated last week or so, would say that she is just short of about $125 for the day. She gave out the receipts though for all the donations. Now I am not sure if they were even genuine. She mentioned that her organization houses the out of foster care kids in a single family home in Dublin Ranch. But we never checked. Didn't even think to in fact. After reading this article I now realise that she hasn't come knocking for a few months now. I don't know what to think!!! Hope the authorities can take of these kind of people who play on the sympathies of people.
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Posted by Fred, a resident of Livermore, on May 20, 2011 at 10:58 am I like the part where "Mr Mom" wanted the posts removed from this forum about her -- pure epic fail. She must be reading. Anyway if anyone like that came to my door at night asking for donations, especially after 8PM, I'd politely would say "No Thanks" and if persistent, I'd would warn them I'm calling the cops for trespassing.
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Posted by Neighbor, a resident of the Pleasanton Heights neighborhood, on May 20, 2011 at 2:16 pm Always ask for registration from Police Dept. Most don't have it. When they leave, call PD and report them. We've done this and the PD has responded in minutes and had them leave. Bottom line, don't give at the door. Exception...neighborhood children asking for donations for scouts, school, etc.
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Posted by iio, a resident of the Avila neighborhood, on May 20, 2011 at 3:59 pm Does anyone know of actual charitable activity that Mr Mom has done?
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Posted by Claudette , a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on May 20, 2011 at 4:36 pm Yes, I give to the little kids from the schools and scouts. And when I say little their parents are on the sidewalk :) Other than that, you can ask for their license to do business in Pleasanton (be sure to look at the date) and that normally does it. I've also said "Sorry, I could use a donation too."
Life is harder than ever these days for many people, so don't throw it away on those that are looking for the easy way out, by playing on your sympathy. They may be making more money than you!
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Posted by joanna, a resident of the Downtown neighborhood, on May 21, 2011 at 10:20 am [Portion removed by Pleasanton.com staff.] People should not be afraid to say no, esp. to someone who shows up on their doorstep after dark!!
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Posted by Resident, a resident of the Parkside neighborhood, on May 21, 2011 at 11:55 am Yeah, I don't even answer the door for trick-or-treaters anymore, day or night. Most of 'em come from Oakland and their parents are trying to make a killing off me by taking the tootsie rolls I used to hand out. Best policy in my book is to just never answer the door, and never give anything to anybody.
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Posted by Hybrid owner, a resident of the Valley Trails neighborhood, on May 21, 2011 at 4:53 pm Here's my standard speech for solicitors at the door: "I dont give out money to anyone who comes to the door. If you'd like to leave some literature on your organization or a website address, our family would be happy to do a little research and decided if this is a cause we would like to contribute to."
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Posted by Refund?, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on May 22, 2011 at 10:10 am If this is false pretenses at work, are the police empowered to investigate and prosecute like they would for fraud?
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Posted by Yet Another Teacher, a member of the Hart Middle School community, on May 22, 2011 at 6:45 pm Hybrid owner wrote: "I dont give out money to anyone who comes to the door. If you'd like to leave some literature on your organization or a website address, our family would be happy to do a little research and decided if this is a cause we would like to contribute to."
Which is what all good folk should say. Print that out and tack it to your refrigerator if you have trouble remembering it. ALWAYS investigate charities before contributing; even legitimate ones can sometimes waste a lot of the money they raise.
A good website to investigate charities is Web Link
I used that website to evaluate charities before I donated money to help the victims of Japan's recent earthquake/tsunami, and before that, when I gave money to help the victims of Haiti's earthquake. It's a great resource!
I have never been solicited for funds by this "Mr. Mom", but on the face of it, the whole deal sounds a bit shady. I don't necessarily fault the people who gave money, because they did so out of the goodness of their hearts, but you have got to use your head as well as your heart. Alas, the world does have its wolves and thieves.
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Posted by Kitty Kat, a resident of the Canyon Oaks neighborhood, on May 23, 2011 at 9:31 am I've lived in the community as long as anyone, and I've contributed generously to Mr. Mom's solicitations in the past. But as a matter of principle, the last time I was approached I asked to see specifically where the money was going. Perhaps next year if Mr. Mom knocks on my door there'll be carefully spelled out language that shows precisely how every one of my generous offerings is going to be used. Sometimes tough love is what is needed.
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Posted by concerned resident, a resident of the Vineyard Avenue neighborhood, on May 26, 2011 at 12:29 pm MR. Mom has yet to supply ANYONE with proof that they are helping kids off the street. What is very disturbing to know is that Mr. Mom was soliciting SPECIFICALLY to young teen/young adult girls 17-21 in Pleasanton on a job listing...see for yourself...the direct link is:
Web Link
and here is what it says:
We Provide Jobs And Housing For You!!!
Details
Country: USA
Location: California-Oakland/East Bay Pleasanton, CA 94566
Total applied: 40
Salary/Wage:commission
Job Category:Sales/Retail/Business Development
Relevant Work Experience:Less than 1 Year
Education Level:Some High School Coursework
Location:Pleasanton, CA 94566
Status:Full Time, Employee
Occupations:Field Sales;General/Other: Sales/Business Development;Sales Support/Assistance
Career Level:Student (High School)
Shift:Rotating
Relevant Work Experience:Less than 1 Year
We Provide Jobs And Housing For You!!!
Mr. Mom Non-Profit Organization provides first class housing and care for abused, neglected, and homeless females in exchange for daily volunteer work. We can change your current living situation and provide you a better life. We are looking for girls between the ages of 17-21 to work with our non-profit organization. You must be honest, hard working, highly motivated, and have no criminal record. We also need sales people and customer service representatives.
Please respond by email or call 877- 99 – Mr. Mom (877) 996-7666
mrmomnonprofitorganization.org
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Posted by concerned resident, a resident of the Vineyard Avenue neighborhood, on May 26, 2011 at 12:39 pm Here is another disturbing post they made back in 2008 soliciting for our recent high school grads in Pleasanton. Why is it disturbing? Because they are soliciting our kids and cannot show any proof that they are helping any of them. If they are not being helped, this makes you wonder WHY they are soliciting our young kids!!!
direct link:
Web Link
and here is what it says:
****FREE ROOM AND BOARD**** FREE ROOM AND BOARD**** (PLEASANTON)
Author Message
a2z
Free Classified Ads
Posts: 38,545
Joined: Jul 2008
Status: Offline
Reputation: 0
Post: #1
****FREE ROOM AND BOARD**** FREE ROOM AND BOARD**** (PLEASANTON)
We are offering free room and board to recent high school grads to help them get on their feet. Our housing is located in upscale neighborhoods, fully furnished, and includes cable television and phones in every room that call anywhere in the U.S.
In order to take advantage of our free room and board, we require that you work for our organization at least 5 days a week. You will be given a weekly per diem. You may come and go as you please after working hours. We only have 2 rooms available so please call or email us as soon as possible if you are interested in joining our program so we can arrange an interview.
Thank you,
Mr. Mom Non-Profit Organization
877-99-MR. MOM (877-996-7666)
high school grads, safe home, cheap housing, fully furnished, free room, room in exchange for work, free housing, cheap rent, housing for young adults, upscale housing,
Posted at Web Link
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Posted by Tom, a resident of the Valencia neighborhood, on Mar 2, 2013 at 12:14 am Be aware. This lady is back. This time she uses a different charity called "1998 MLD 5 Foundation". The address she uses is just a mail center in Manteca.
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Posted by Reed, a resident of Livermore, on Mar 23, 2013 at 9:09 am please do not believe this lady. she used a families sad story in livermore after they asked her not to anymore from what i understand during christmas door to door
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Posted by duped?, a resident of San Ramon, on Mar 31, 2013 at 8:25 pm I believe this person has visited our home at least three times in the last year, the latest a couple of weeks ago. After dark. Very compelling story and she is quite intense.
The first time I wrote a check for $50, the second $20 cash and the last I declined claiming personal problems. I told her she "was just here!" and asked for literature which I said I would read after she left. The handout says she is the cofounder of the 1998 MLD 5 Foundation. Hmmm
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Posted by Glenn Wohltmann, Pleasanton Weekly reporter, on Apr 1, 2013 at 10:46 am
Glenn Wohltmann is a member (registered user) of PleasantonWeekly.com Duped:
Could you get me a copy of that handout?
Email me at gwohltmann@pleasantonweekly.com
Thank you.
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Posted by duped??, a resident of another community, on May 8, 2013 at 10:25 am The lady has now started going around in Fremont. The new name of her charity is 1998MLD5 Foundation. Came to the door yesterday around dusk when people in the neighborhood were returning from work. Handed her $10.00 but will remember not to, if she comes back.
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