It's Important to Know What You Don't Know

[Res Ipsa]

Just bumping the thread because it’s interesting. From the Trib:

https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2023/05 ... -car-than/

The survey was commissioned by Skylight and conducted by the Boston-area research firm City Square Associates. Skylight was launched in 2020 by the Radiant Foundation, a nonprofit organization associated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and partially funded by the Deseret Management Corp., which manages entities affiliated with the Utah-based faith.

Yes, another change to the Bonneville Charitable Foundation dba the Radiant Foundation that was made when they amended the articles was to make it an integrated auxiliary of the church. That will show up on its 990s.

[Moksha]

Republicans uncovering how the world works:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XI5fhrvuqB8

[Res Ipsa]

Okay, what we know so far about Faith Matters:

1. It originated as a project of The Foundation for Interreligious Diplomacy dba The Foundation for Religious Diplomacy. I think that organizations 990s would show us about when it started. (The 990s include a description of the programmatic activities for that year, as well as how much was spent.) The Internet Archive shows that the project developed the "fm" logo that is currently used on the website.

2. At some time during 2020, the FRD transferred the Faith Matters project to the Faith Matters Foundation, Inc. created in August 2020. The FMF is an Idaho non-profit corporation, with two brothers in the Turnbull Family and their wives serving as the Board of Directors. The Turnbull family has a very large real estate company, which was used as the mailing address for the FMF when it applied for tax-exempt status. The Directors of the Board are appointed by the FMF's "members," whose identify has not been publicly disclosed. The evidence for this transfer can be found on Schedule "O" of the FMF's 2020 form 990, which reads:

TRANSFER OF FAITH MATTERS TO SEPARATE REPORTING -5580.

The FMF's first 990, for taxable year 2020, contains a matching amount as a liability. The Explanation on Schedule O states:

ACCOUNTS PAYABLE AND ACCRUED EXPENSES 0 5,880

I think this means that the FRD had $5,880 in outstanding liabilities related to Faith Matters in 2020, and that the FMF assumed responsibility for those liabilities in exchange for the Faith Matters website.

What the 990s for the FMF tell us: well, they don't tell us the answer to my question "Who controls Faith Matters?" Although the 990s tell us who the officers and directors are, they don't tell us who the members are. But they do provide some interesting information and leads, one of which is this: about six weeks before the FMF was incorporated, a for-profit LLC was formed in Idaho called Faith Matters Publishing, LLC. LLCs are owned by "members." The Certificate of Organization for FMP shows "Brighton Corporation" as the sole "governor." Governor is a more generic term for owners of legal entities like corporations, LLC's etc. Brighton Corporation is the Turnbull's real estate company. The most recent Annual Report for FMP lists the following as "members:" Brighton Corporation, William Turnbull, Susan Turnbull, and the David & Kristin Turnbull Family Trust. The latter is an estate planning vehicle.

I discovered the FMP LLC because it, along with Brighton Corporation, are what the IRS calls "related companies" of the Faith Matters Foundation, Inc. That just means that specific transactions between the Foundation and the two related companies have to be reported on 990 Schedule L. There is nothing illegal or inherently wrong with the relationship of these three companies to the Foundation. It does lead me to suspect that FMP LLC is a member of the Foundation. Remember that the conflict of interest provision in the Foundation's articles does not apply to members, but it does apply to "private persons." FMP LLC is not a private persons, and so the the Foundation's conflict of interest provision would not prevent the Foundation from distributing net income to FMP. Again, I don't think there would be anything illegal or unethical about this arrangement. The Foundation still has to report transfers to and from FMP anyway.

Other than evidence confirming that Faith Matters was transferred from FRD to FMF in 2020 and providing evidence of the existence of FMP, I don't see much else in the FMF 990s that is helpful in finding out who controls the FMF.

[Nimrod]

The Turnbull brothers were raised in a household of two religions held in strict, utter reverence: Mormonism and Republicanism. On Facebook, the Turnbulls however took umbrage in 2016-17 with Donald Trump and the Mormons that were then flocking to support Donald Trump. They could not see passed Trump's personal foibles and bombastic style, and If I recall correctly, did not support the wall along the Rio Grande or other boarder between the U.S. and Mexico. I don't know if they used the term, but it came across that they view Trump as anti-Christian.

I was a classmate of one of the Turnbull brothers through Jr. High, High School, and first year of college at BYU-Provo. In what I know of and have experienced with the Turnbulls, if they were asked by LDS leadership, I am sure that they would front Faith Matters for the LDS church. If that is the case, it would suggest that the LDS leadership shines on the Turnbulls' more moderate, less fanatic approach than is found in some quarters of the TBM ranks. However, knowing the Turnbull bros., I can also see Faith Matters as entirely of their own origin and control.

[Res Ipsa]

The Turnbull brothers were raised in a household of two religions held in strict, utter reverence: Mormonism and Republicanism. On Facebook, the Turnbulls however took umbrage in 2016-17 with Donald Trump and the Mormons that were then flocking to support Donald Trump. They could not see passed Trump's personal foibles and bombastic style, and If I recall correctly, did not support the wall along the Rio Grande or other boarder between the U.S. and Mexico. I don't know if they used the term, but it came across that they view Trump as anti-Christian.

I was a classmate of one of the Turnbull brothers through Jr. High, High School, and first year of college at BYU-Provo. In what I know of and have experienced with the Turnbulls, if they were asked by LDS leadership, I am sure that they would front Faith Matters for the LDS church. If that is the case, it would suggest that the LDS leadership shines on the Turnbulls' more moderate, less fanatic approach than is found in some quarters of the TBM ranks. However, knowing the Turnbull bros., I can also see Faith Matters as entirely of their own origin and control.

Thanks for the information. So far, the only things that raise a red flag for me is the association of the non-profit Faith Matters Foundation, Inc. with the for-profit Faith Matters Publishing, LLC. and the hidden identity of the members of the Foundation. But a red flag just means "pay attention" -- that's all.

[Doctor CamNC4Me]

The Turnbull brothers were raised in a household of two religions held in strict, utter reverence: Mormonism and Republicanism. On Facebook, the Turnbulls however took umbrage in 2016-17 with Donald Trump and the Mormons that were then flocking to support Donald Trump. They could not see passed Trump's personal foibles and bombastic style, and If I recall correctly, did not support the wall along the Rio Grande or other boarder between the U.S. and Mexico. I don't know if they used the term, but it came across that they view Trump as anti-Christian.

I was a classmate of one of the Turnbull brothers through Jr. High, High School, and first year of college at BYU-Provo. In what I know of and have experienced with the Turnbulls, if they were asked by LDS leadership, I am sure that they would front Faith Matters for the LDS church. If that is the case, it would suggest that the LDS leadership shines on the Turnbulls' more moderate, less fanatic approach than is found in some quarters of the TBM ranks. However, knowing the Turnbull bros., I can also see Faith Matters as entirely of their own origin and control.

That was utterly fascinating. Thanks for sharing.

- Doc

[Res Ipsa]

So, to add what the Faith Matters Foundation, Inc.'s 990s tell us:

One thing they tell us is where the Foundation gets its revenue (although it doesn't have to provide any detail about contributions for the first five years). They also tell us how the Foundation is spending its money, including how much of the expense is incurred in pursuing the Foundation's objectives (program expenses). Finally, it tells us what the objectives are.

So, 2020.

Revenues were $21,821, all from contributions.

The purpose of the Foundation was described as follows:

OUR GOAL IS TO PROVIDE A POWERFUL AND WIDELY ENGAGING PLATFORM FOR EXPLORING IDEAS, PRACTICES, AND INITIATIVES THAT PROVIDE DEEPER ENGAGEMENT WITH OUR FAITH AND OUR WORLD. ALL WHO ARE INVOLVED WITH FAITH MATTERS FOUNDTION INC SHARE A DEEP COMMITMENT TO THE RESTORED GOSPEL TRADITION, AND A PROFOUND DESIRE TO SEE IT THRIVE AND REMAIN VITAL AND RELEVANT TO RISING GENERATIONS.

The return requires the following information about the three primary programs the Foundation uses to accomplish its purpose:

[/quote]Describe the organization’s program service accomplishments for each of its three largest program services, as measured by expenses. In a clear and concise manner, describe the services provided, the number of persons benefited, and other relevant information for each program title.[/quote]

And here's the information provided:

TO FURTHER ENCOURAGE AND SUPPORT OUR EXEMPT PURPOSE OF ENGAGING AND PARTICIPATING IN RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE, FAITH MATTERS FOUNDATION INC PARTICIPATES IN THE FOLLOWING: A) SUPPORT PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF PODCASTS RELATED TO FAITH, RELIGIOUS AND SPIRITUAL TOPICS VIA A FAITH MATTERS FOUNDATION INC WEBSITE, PODCAST AND/OR SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS B) SUPPORT PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF ESSAYS RELATED TO FAITH, RELIGIOUS AND SPIRITUAL TOPICS VIA THE FAITH MATTERS FOUNDATION INC WEBSITE AND/OR SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS C) SUPPORT PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS RELATED TO FAITH, RELIGIOUS AND SPIRITUAL TOPICS VIA THE FAITH MATTERS FOUNDATION INC WEBSITE, PODCAST AND/OR SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS

Although the description includes three program descriptions, the return only lists a single total for all three: $17,221. But those three programs all come down to creating material for a website, so it's likely difficult to separate the costs for each. The components of the total are listed in Schedule O (which is the form provided to explain or elaborate on answers in the return):

EXPENSES MARKETING 5,318 VIDEO PRODUCTION 8,200 MISCELLANEOUS EXPENSES 3,703 APPLICATION FEES 650 STATE INCOME TAXES 20 TOTAL 17,891

The Foundation also spent $2,310 on independent contractors that was not included in the program expenses. I'm assuming that's the legal fees to set the Foundation up.

One odd thing is that the Turnbulls are identified as officers but not trustees. Both officers and trustees are supposed to be identified. The Turnbulls are both. Maybe an oversight. Regardless, none of the directors or officers were compensated. In fact, the Foundation had no employees at all.

2021

The most significant change is in the amount of revenue and expenses. That's not surprising, as the Foundation was created in the fall of 2020. So, 2021 is the first full year of operation.

Revenue: $73,340

Expenses: $50,230 (program), $22,321 (non-program -- professional fees and other payments to independent contractors). The breakdown of the program expenses is:

EXPENSES VIDEO PRODUCTION 40,719 PROJECT MANAGEMENT 9,531 STATE INCOME TAXES -20 TOTAL 50,230

I'm not sure what the payments for professional fees or other independent contracts represents. Could still be legal fees as the Foundation looks at how to structure its finances as it grows. Hard to say.

It also looks like the Foundation is paying a Project Manager as part of program expenses. That must also be an independent contractor, as no salaries were paid.

2022

Big jump in revenues and expenses, as the Foundation adds a convention to its functions.

Revenues: $311,540 (all contributions). Expenses: $285,763.

The breakdown of program expenses is:

PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF FAITH BASED, RELIGIOUS, AND SPIRITUAL MEDIA MATERIALS. $61,731.

HOSTING AND ADMINISTRATION OF CONFERENCES FOCUSED ON FAITH BASED, RELIGIOUS, AND SPIRITUAL TOPICS AND PRESENTATIONS. $129,703

OTHER: $61,731

The return also breaks down the program and non-program expenses by function.

Total Program Expenses: $285,763
Non-Employee fees for management services $28,000
Advertising and Promotion: $25,800
Conferences: $129,073
Media Production $61,372
Reimbursement of Board Expenses $7931

Total Non Program Expenses: $33,632
Non-Employee Fees for management of fundraising $ 26,000
Accounting $1615
Travel $593
Miscellaneous $2482
Bank Charges and Fees $173

The 2022 Return also includes schedule R, which addresses financial transfers with related entities. The amounts have to be listed only if they exceed $50,000

Brighton Corporation donated $50,000 (Identified elsewhere in the return)
The Foundation paid Faith Matters Publishing no more than $50,000 for shared employees.
The Foundation reimbursed Faith Matters Publishing no more than $50,000 for expenses
Faith Matters Publishing reimbursed the Foundation no more than $50,000 for expenses.

The Foundation is supposed to identify any officer or trustee that received over $100,000 in compensation from the Foundation or a related entity, including the amount of compensation. The Turnbulls all reported $0. Brighton Corporation is a huge real estate company, so I am skeptical that none of the four earned $100,000 or less from Brighton.

That's about it. Nothing that gives us any clue as to who controls Faith Matters Foundation, Inc. However, the existence of a for-profit publishing company owed by the Turnbulls that is being operated in conjunction with the Foundation leads me to lean towards the LDS church or someone high up in leadership is not among the undisclosed members.

There is one "connection" that I think is spurious. Faith Matters announced that it was going to publish an online magazine called "Radiant." https://www.associationmormonletters.or ... s-journal/ The Logo that was shown is not similar to Radiant's logo, which uses a different typeface and does not use a drop shadow. The magazine was launched, but under the title Wayfare. This looks to me like someone realized that Radiant is a brand used by the LDS church, and so decided to change the name. I would count it as evidence against control of Faith Matters by the LDS church, although I think the opposite could be reasonably argued.

So, all that investigation and I still don't know who controls Faith Matters. I'm out of sources. I guess I could ask.

[malkie]

Is something like the following a "normal" type of disbursement?

• The Foundation reimbursed Faith Matters Publishing no more than $50,000 for expenses
• Faith Matters Publishing reimbursed the Foundation no more than $50,000 for expenses.

that is, each of the two organizations reimbursed the other for expenses.

[Res Ipsa]

Is something like the following a "normal" type of disbursement?

• The Foundation reimbursed Faith Matters Publishing no more than $50,000 for expenses
• Faith Matters Publishing reimbursed the Foundation no more than $50,000 for expenses.

that is, each of the two organizations reimbursed the other for expenses.

I don't see anything inherently wrong with it. You have two organizations with the same people controlling them and that share a single workforce. I wouldn't be surprised if, for example, there were common expenses paid by one or the other that were then allocated between the two through reimbursements. Or even that an expense was paid out of the wrong account and had to be reallocated.

[malkie]

Is something like the following a "normal" type of disbursement?

• The Foundation reimbursed Faith Matters Publishing no more than $50,000 for expenses
• Faith Matters Publishing reimbursed the Foundation no more than $50,000 for expenses.

that is, each of the two organizations reimbursed the other for expenses.

I don't see anything inherently wrong with it. You have two organizations with the same people controlling them and that share a single workforce. I wouldn't be surprised if, for example, there were common expenses paid by one or the other that were then allocated between the two through reimbursements. Or even that an expense was paid out of the wrong account and had to be reallocated.

Thanks - it just looked a little strange to me - and since this is something that I know that I don't know, I thought I'd ask