AVN:Take the Pledge for What?

Today I received an Australian Vaccination Network (AVN) E-newsletter entitled “Pledging to help the AVN”. Here it is in full with my comments in between:

Pledging to help the AVN

I have promised to keep you all informed and that’s what I will try to do on a regular basis between now and the end of the month.

Firstly, I have to say a huge thank-you to those who have sent in donations – your support is so very much appreciated! We have not yet even gotten close to the point where the AVN will be sustainable, but at least we are paying off outstanding debts and nearing the point where we can start to see – perhaps – that the future may not be quite as bleak as we’d feared.

First Question.

WHAT WAS THE EXACT AMOUNT OF THE OUTSTANDING DEBT BEFORE THIS CURRENT DONATION DRIVE?

This is the question that EVERY member and supporter of the Australian Vaccination Network should be asking Meryl Dorey before they give their hard-earned cash to an organisation that seems, at best, to be grossly mis-managed. As outlined in a previous post AVN annual statements – 2005 to 2008, the AVN went from a $88,000 profit to a $58,000 loss in ONE YEAR!

Second Question.

WHAT DOES THE AVN HAVE TO SHOW FOR THIS OUTSTANDING DEBT?

AVN members and supporters, just what did you get for your money?

We are not out of the woods yet, but we are trying really hard to get there so please don’t think we’ve given up!

Taking the pledge
Many of you have been writing to say that you would love to donate funds, but you’re afraid that we will fold and your donations will all have gone for naught.

Nice to see that at least some AVN members are not so gullible as to keep throwing money into a bottomless pit of seemingly no worth.

THE DEBTS ARE YOURS, MERYL – AVN MEMBERS ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR MIS-MANAGEMENT.

I understand this fear completely and would like to offer a possible solution.

Because we have asked for $100 from everyone who can afford it and because so many of you have said you will be happy to donate this amount or more if we remain open, here is a deal I’d like to propose.

Pledge your donation. Don’t give us any funds yet, but let us know what you are ready, willing and able to donate to us should we decide to stay open.

That will allow us to add up how much has been pledged and, if these pledges total up to a figure that will allow us to continue, we will then contact you and say – thanks for the pledge, you can provide the funds now.

So if we do fold – you won’t be out of pocket. If we don’t, your donation will help to keep us going.

Questions for Meryl.

Would these pledges happen to have any significance with financial auditors of the AVN?

Is the AVN currently undergoing a financial audit – is this the real reason that you announced your closure?

You have a history of swinging from the AVN is good to the AVN is bad in one breath (see AVN: Beginning or end – which is it?, so why should anyone believe that this drive is no more than a ploy to clear outstanding debt before closure? Why should they trust you?

To pledge funds, please send an email to both meryl@avn.org.au as well as judy@avn.org.au. Give us your name and the amount you are pledging (it does not have to be $100 – any amount would be appreciated) and we will take care of the rest.

Please just keep in mind that we will be deciding by the 28th of February so don’t pledge more than you can afford because if things go according to plan, we will need those funds by that date.

Thanks as always,
Meryl

Is 28 February 2010 the date set by the financial auditors for you to show that you are solvent?

Just answer me this:
ARE AUDITORS INVOLVED IN THIS, AND WHAT WAS THE EXACT AMOUNT OF THE AVN DEBT IMMEDIATELY BEFORE THIS FUND-RAISING CAMPAIGN?