The Michael Paul Wein Charitable Foundation

"Underpromise and Overdeliver"

our goals and mission
Home page volunteers I believe

for Beginners Table of Contents Eligibility for grants Initial requirements ongoing requirements FAQs why this info Calendar our goals and mission Our grantees Our trustees Legalities miscellaneous Site Map

What is this Foundation attempting to accomplish?

What we are trying to accomplish is disclosed in an article regarding his beliefs about philanthropy written by Michael Wein in 1997 when he first noticed that so many organizations in San Miguel that were soliciting funds (although most were probably spending the solicited funds in accordance with their promises) still left much undisclosed about their methods, their finances, and their operations.   His 1997 article is available by clicking on this link 

Foundation Profile - on THIS page, you will find 

What have we considered Our Mission
What are the Goals of this Foundation
information regarding "Our Founder"
What are the guarantees we make to our grantees

And, by clicking on legalities, you will also find the underlying legal documents forming and supporting our mission and goals

What have we considered Our Mission?

As stated in our certificate of incorporation (from the State of Texas) and our by-laws (see both of these documents at legalities), our mission is:

     To devote our resources and income to making gifts, grants, or contributions, and to providing financial and management assistance, to other charitable organizations which engage in activities such as the feeding of children, organizations which provide medical care to children, and other organizations or persons as the Board of Trustees may determine to be prudent.

Our application to be considered a Public Charity (under Section 509(a)(3) of the USA Internal Revenue code) was approved and our mission was described therein as follows:

The Michael Paul Wein Charitable Foundation, Inc., incorporated on August 8, 2001, intends to devote 95% of its time to making grants to donee organizations such as the following types of non-profit charitable organizations: 

..."Feed the Hungry", an outreach project of St. Paul's Anglican Church, which takes care of the once-a-day feeding of school children from impoverished areas who would otherwise go hungry throughout the day.

...The Unitarian-Universalist Church, whose outreach project oversees and makes grants to various organizations that take care of the welfare of needy children.

...other publicly-supported, non-profit organizations, that are organized and operated mainly to benefit children living in San Miguel de Allende. 

Our Trustees intend to do our own grant evaluations and allocations, giving more priority to charitable organizations that devote the highest percent of receipts to charity work itself, and the smallest percent to overhead .

The Foundation will devote 2% of its time to aiding in the publication of literature promoting the goals specified above. The Foundation expects to devote the remaining 3% of its time to administrative and investment duties, so as to maximize the return on the funds it has at its disposal, and reduce the expenses needed to run the Foundation.

No activities of the organization are to be conducted by any paid person or organization, officer, director or volunteer. Other than for reimbursement for actual expenditures on behalf of the organization for such expenses as printing, office supplies, postage, copying, etc., no officer, director or volunteer is compensated in any manner.

No part of the organization's net earnings will inure to the benefit of private shareholders or individuals, nor will this organization be operated for the benefit of private interests such as the creator or the creator's family, shareholders of the organization, other designated individuals, or persons controlled directly or indirectly by such private interests.

Although donations from other entities will not be refused, the Foundation expects to receive all current and future funding from Michael Wein, and then, still later on, from the Estate of Michael Wein. 

There is no present expectation that the organization will engage in fundraising activities, now, or in the future. If there is ever to be a decision regarding fund-raising from organizations or individuals other than Michael Wein, the decision will be based solely upon cost-effectiveness. 

What are the Goals of this Foundation:

...To help the underprivileged children of San Miguel and surrounding communities by aiding them in their nutritional needs, their educational needs, their housing needs, their medical needs, and other similar needs.

...To provide financial grants and administrative help and financial management techniques to organizations that, themselves, are involved in providing educational, nutritional, housing, medical, and other aid to children, in and around San Miguel de Allende.

...To provide incentives to local organizations to open their lines of communication to their constituencies of every type (the contributing and non-contributing public, the beneficiaries of their good works, the volunteers doing the work, and to all others interested in the organization).

...To aid local organizations to become more self-sustaining and to become more permanent so that when the original founders are no longer available, there are dedicated and trained replacements available in perpetuity.

...To encourage and aid any local charitable organization that holds itself out to be USA-tax deductible, to actually meet the requirements set by IRS for such a declaration.

...To encourage local charitable organizations that solicit contributions to have, where feasible, financial statements reviewed by independent professionals, but mostly to make these financial statements available to the public.

...To provide, where feasible, any or all of the above funds or services, without cost or obligation, to local charitable organizations.

Who is the Founder of this Foundation?

The Michael Paul Wein Charitable Foundation, Inc. is an outgrowth of the ongoing charitable work of its founder. Its intention was to formalize that process, and it is organized to continue its work long after the founder's eventual demise. The original and grants are funded by profits from two rental apartments at Mr. Wein's San Miguel home, but it is expected that by the time of Mr. Wein's death, the Foundation will be funded by an endowment totaling anywhere from us$2,500,000 (at very minimum) to well over us$5,000,000.  Various legal provisions and substantial monetary rewards are in place to locate and punish any impatient souls who might wish to profit in any way by speeding up nature’s own methods.

What are the guarantees we make to our grantees?

    Since the Founder can only physically guarantee our promises during his lifetime, he has arranged for many legal controls covering the trustee's actions after his demise.  There is more information regarding this at the following links: FAQs and detailed most specifically at trustees.   In addition, the founders will and the way the Foundation will be funded are an important part of this promise and guarantee.  And, lastly, although there should be no changes after his death from what the Founder decreed on this web-site, any changes that do become necessary must be fully disclosed at subsequent changes and you, the reader, may complain to all authorities if the changes do not appear appropriate.  A provision in the founders will that ensures continuation of the Founder's wishes can be read by you at the very bottom of the founders will page (written in larger print and in the color red). This ensures outsider's independent review of the Foundation's operations after the Founder's death.

 

Send all e-mail to mpwinsma@gmail.com with any questions or comments about this web site. SPECIFY EXACTLY (using copy and paste) (and mentioning this page name) what your question or comment refers to.   Note: in the event that the above information is no longer accurate, see the newer web-page listing various subsequent changes to this web-site after the founder's death.
Copyright © 2000-2005 The Michael Paul Wein Charitable Foundation, Inc