- Report: #1471675
Complaint Review: Rock to the Future - PA
Reported By:
James -
Philadelphia, PA, United States
Submitted:
Updated:
-
Author Confirmed
Why?
Rock to the Future
1201 North 5th Street Philadelphia, PA 19122 PA, United States
Phone:
215-302-9633
Web:
N/A
Categories:
Business Rating:
(0)
Tell us has your experience with this business or person been good?
Rock to the Future A non profit lining everyone's pockets. PA
I have always been skeptical of this non profit. The directors set up a non profit in their area of residence and then bolted to a cheaper area in Philadelphia. Both areas where Rock to the Future are set up are NOT low income areas. I thought I would apply for a job with them. I was overly qualified and the rate of pay they offered was horrible but I decided to check it out.
I was contacted 1 month prior to the interview and then told. "We will be on vacation so please do not contact us before the interview." Josh Craft and his wife were incredibly rude and condescending. Jessica sat behind her laptop and refused to acknowledge me. Her husband had no idea about my work experience or education.
Basically all he wanted to know was, how cheap could I work for, and how did I learn about the program. After I spoke with some members of St. Michael's Lutheran Church in Kensington they basically told me the money they are paid to rent the space is barely enough to get by. The ironic thing is that St, Michael's has a food bank that they manage to run with very few funds.
I would hope that Rock to the Future might consider not thinking of this church as a dirt cheap rental space but they do. It is incredibly sad that a place of worship is so incredibly disrespected. A red flag went up when I noticed 20 Apple laptops and about $50,000 or more of musical equipment. I was then made aware of how often donations are received, old instruments that no one knows what to do with.
Rock to the Future sells them and claims to give the money back. Really? What this non profit also does not disclose is that fact that they do NOT work with elementary school students. Well, that might cost more money! K-5 students would need an adult to pick them up from school or transportation.
Musicians work for years practicing, their families pay for expensive instruments, incredibly costly lessons. This is not a cheap hobby. Rock to the Future pays a musician $15 per hour. Jessica and Josh do NOT work other jobs. They also do NOT have children. From what I observed, they had brand new clothes, brand new laptops.
It appears to me that they are scrimping and saving on paying their employees and then they both receive pretty nice pay checks to run a non profit. While I cannot ask a struggling musician to not consider working for this place and cannot ask a parent to consider other after school programs. I would ask that someone making donations ask for a spreadsheet of how the money given through government grants is spent.
Please think twice before you accept a job or make a donation here. There are still many individuals struggling and living hand to mouth, meanwhile, Jessica and Josh both are rolling in dough. I am disgusted by what I have seen by this non profit.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
Jim
Beverly Hills,United States
Look The Information Up Yourself If You're That Concerned
#2Consumer Comment
Fri, January 18, 2019
Non-profit organizations like this one must file a 990 tax return that is available to the public to view. You can go a few sites where this information is stored; I went to www.charitynavigator.org. Salary information is also available for the people who run the non-profit, including the person you mention. It seems fairly clear based on what I read, that the people who run the non-profit do NOT line their pockets, unless you think $38,000 per year is a lot of money to run a non-profit (it isn't).
They also pay $16.4K in rent to the church - based on the tax return, which is more than they receive in government grants. I'm sure the church appreciates the donations in rent they provide. It also looks like their income statement is at least reviewed by an accounting firm, who also prepares the 990. In all, about 5.4% of their total expenses go for General/Overhead. The rest are program or fundraising based. That means for every $1 donated, 94.6 cents is used either for the program itself, or to raise additional funds for the program. That's a pretty good ratio.
The directors set up a non profit in their area of residence and then bolted to a cheaper area in Philadelphia. Both areas where Rock to the Future are set up are NOT low income areas. Irrelevant. It doesn't matter where a non-profit sets up their business. If the mission is served, then that's all that matters. In fact, if they moved to a cheaper location, then it shows the non-profit's management appear to be good stewards of the funds they receive.
What this non profit also does not disclose is that fact that they do NOT work with elementary school students. Well, that might cost more money! K-5 students would need an adult to pick them up from school or transportation. The primary reason the parent or adult would have to pick up the student and bring them is the liability issue. If the non-profit had to pick them up, or go there, then their insurance costs for the non-profit would fly through the roof. If there is an accident between the school and the church, then the non-profit would be liable for injuries. So yes, they need an adult to bring the child from the school.
Musicians work for years practicing, their families pay for expensive instruments, incredibly costly lessons. This is not a cheap hobby. Rock to the Future pays a musician $15 per hour. Jessica and Josh do NOT work other jobs. They also do NOT have children. From what I observed, they had brand new clothes, brand new laptops. I think you just outlined exactly why the non-profit exists pal, without even realizing it. Music lessons are expensive, and you have a non-profit willing to teach at-risk youth for free. Insofar as how the non-profit directors live, I just told you how much salary they draw from the non-profit. $38K isn't much. So much for your accusations.
I consult with a lot of non-profits, including churches and arts-based and music non-profits. They are difficult to operate because the funds necessary to run these types of non-profits are often higher than their expenses are. An arts non-profit I work with recently shuttered their doors due to lack of donations, and the owners paid themselves more than $38,000 per year. It is easy to malign a non-profit with a whole lot of accusations without a single shred of proof, which clearly you don't seem to have. I mean it took me all of 5 minutes to realize your accusations have ZERO proof to them. Your credibility therefore, is also zero as a result.
Final note: The next time you decide you're going to gossip about an organization, please go see the minister of the Lutheran church the non-profit meets in, confess your sin to him, and share with him the hate you seem to have in your heart. It will do you a lot of good because I find your decision to post such gossip - and that's what it is - sinful.
