Let's Get Honest! Absolutely Uncommon Analysis of Family & Conciliation Courts' Operations, Practices, & History

Post Title: The National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE, looks like Move-the-Money Shell Games around $57M HHS grants (1995-2016), with case-sensitive short-link ending “-3fW.”  Being published April 6, 2018 “as is” except adding this information, a border, and establishing a certain font, after years buried on my blog as a draft.  This post is under 2,000 words.

Post was originally drafted — sometime AFTER the HHS Grants database underwent a facelift removing the ability to search by EIN# — possibly 2016, possibly 2014, definitely after 2013. Being published now because I had occasion to refer to it, remembered writing it, and (as sometimes happens on this blog) thought I’d already published it!  Blog search on the 1-800-799-SAFE telephone number above pulled up results from 2012, 2011, 2016. When I first revisited it today (April 6, 2018) and hit “save draft” the prior year simply did not show. On hitting “save draft” a second time, a prior revision date of April 2, 2016 shows, which in context makes sense as original drafted date.

[[April 2018 Notes: url to the now-expired logo inside red borders above MIGHT be found via Internet Archive Search: and is “http://www.thehotline.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/hotline-logo4.png” if readers want to search for an earlier version.  Nowadays I use more screen shots (with or without captions) to avoid this problem…The next-door image which hasn’t expired yet has upload date “2013/09”]]

(www.hotline.org; this is out of Austin, Texas)** (**see next quote)

Since we were just given the specific award number* — here’s the TAGGS.hhs.GOV reporting of it (I searched by Award#).  Notice in column headings that the Award name and the Recipient name are same, which they normally aren’t’.  Click HERE [=”https://tinyurl.com/TAGGS-HHSgov-90EV0426″%5D to see it on HHS site (Link saves search specifications, not search results).   *That is, for the HHS component, not the Dept. of Justice component.  If giving one award#, why not give the grant award# from the Office for Victims of Crime also? //LGH Apr 2018

If you click on the “Recipient Name” it should read (“Other, Special Interest Org.”) same as the tax return, which I’m showing below:

As re-run 4/6/2018; see next image:

TAGGS basic (not “Advanced”) search, re-run of Specific HHS grant 90EV0426 shows one more result in 2016, but not for 2017, though one existed. Click image to enlarge.||Note: Running “ADVANCED” entity (not specific grant#) search again in 2018 pulls up a 2017 grant, awarded Aug. 2017, same Award # (90EV0426) amount >$7.7M — but this was NOT included in a 2018 BASIC run specifying that award# the same day (See captioned image nearby). Something is “off” or heavily delayed data entry at the TAGGS level for a Summer 2017 award not to show over a half year later, by Spring 2018. This shows a discrepancy between Basic & Advanced search results, something I’ve noticed happens — a lot — on this database!)

Now please click on my “Advanced Search” of the same organization name, I picked several columns and did not select any years (which defaults to “All Years” — since 1995).  This table has 3 pages of results (3rd page, small) and at top, as you can see, reports $57 MILLION of grants, and 53 distinct awards.  Other things you may see is that this named organization is getting BOTH the SVDC grants (much smaller) and the hotline grants, which while they started fairly small in 1995 or so, they are now up to $4 million a pop.

You also, I hope may notice under the “DUNS#” column (not shown above), which is an identifier, that up until perhaps 2008, there were two different ones in use, but afterwards, only one.

Illustrates discrepancies in TAGGS database and (w/ rest of post contents publ 4/6/2018) obstacles connecting entity name to specific, continuing EIN# (I.e., 3 EIN#s and changing entity names are involved, but on TAGGS now EIN# can no longer be searched, just DUNS# or (unreliable substitutes) entity name. Obviously affects quality control, ability to compare with IRS filings. Also, Advanced Srch shows more results (image top row) than basic search, even on same grant# (here, 90EV0426) ¾ yr later!

I know something very unusual about this hotline, as to Tax Returns. I discovered an “anomaly” between the group that HHS was funding (millions of dollars over time) and the actual recipient organization by that name in Texas. As I recall it, I discovered this (some years earlier) by plugging in the EIN# to TAGGS.hhs.gov.  However, TAGGS.hhs.gov user interface, where viewers can search the grants, as I just discovered (and of course reported immediately to any readers) has recently gotten a facelift and “Search Recipient by EIN#” seems to be “off” the menu of options.

Nevertheless, I see an organization at a PO Box in Austin Texas, by this exact same name (National Domestic Violence Hotline) which for SEVERAL years in a row, starting with Fiscal Year (begins Sept. 1, ends Aug. 31 the next calendar year) 2007 reflected contributions & grants of exactly 0.00, i.e. ‘nothing.’   At the above link (and below, I provided six FY2007 Form 990 EZ annotated images during post 2018 update), on top left, you can see “Initial Return” checked.  Each subsequent year (and I just checked them) still reads “$0” funds received — until the last year shown in the next table, they filed a ‘Schedule N” Dissolution.  They said there were no assets to distribute.  This organization filed several years in a row as a completely empty “drawer” at that PO Box.  People are not always consistent labeling even their own organizations on tax returns, but I did notice that in (I believe it was) Year 2009, it picked up the name “foundation” — but without checking “name change” on the heading.

• Question:  WHY would anyone form and file tax returns for a blank 501© for several years, then after it received no funds, close it down?

Screenprints added April 2018 from FY2007 Form 990EZ Initial return (P.1 top), P2, Page showing “Reason for tax-exempt status” page showing it existed to support “National Council on Family Violence, EIN#75-1658287 (its Form 990 tables shown below).  The purpose of this strange, “zero-assets, zero-activity” supporting organization to another one which was already getting millions, incl. from government sources, year after year, is (to say the least) questionable, and a red flag.  Brief review (2018) of the other EIN# (but not yet a third one shown below in this post) unearthed yet more craziness which I won’t add to this blog which, in 2016, had already noticed some “funny business” going on herein. I checked also the current “hotline.org” website and noticed it still posts no financials (forms 990 or audited financial statements).  Questionable, from what I can see, is where those HHS grants actually went each year… //LGH.  (Next images are gallery format — click on any one and use navigation keys to see the others in the series).

?  Questionable, in my opinion. But an extra EIN# makes possible opening, presumably, of another bank account.  How accurate are the “0 activity” returns above?).   Back to original post’s text….

Now watch, or I should say, COMPARE, with this organization — also formed, it says, only in Year 2007 (same as the Hotline Above — although somehow the Austin, Texas-based Hotline allegedly had been receiving millions of dollars, collectively, since at least 1995 – 2006, but just not filing tax returns???).  Here is — and at the exact same PO Box in Austin, at the same time, the Initial Return of The Texas Council on Family Violence, Inc. (“website tcfv.org’).  The fiscal year is the same as the Hotlines, but apparently this was TCFV’s FIRST return, “2008” [EIN#061826451]  and if you check, it’s showing $2M grants, i.e., more appropriate to staffing that 24 hour hotline..  The Purpose descriptions on page 1 and 2 are also interesting..

TO PROMOTE SAFE AND HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS BY SUPPORTING Texas Domestic Violence SERVICE PROVIDERS, FACILITATING STRATEGIC PREVENTION EFFORTS, AND CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR FREEDOM FROM DOMESTIC VIOLENCE (p.1)

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(Code ) (Expenses $ 2,258,372 including grants of $ ) (Revenue $

SUPPORT TO SERVICE PROVIDERS -ASSISTS OVER 100 FAMILY VIOLENCE SERVICE PROVIDERS THROUGHOUT TEXAS IN MAINTAINING AND ENHANCING THE QUALITY OF SERVICES TO VICTIMS, INCLUDING PROVIDING STAFF AND BOARD TRAININGS TO SERVICE PROVIDERS, ORGANIZING CONFERENCE AND REGIONAL/ONSITE TRAINING EVENTS, MAINTAINING A RESEARCH AND RESOURCE CENTER, IDENTIFYING STRATEGIES FOR WORKING WITH MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES AND PROVIDING MEMBERSHIP SERVICES PREVENTION -WORKS TO CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT IN TEXAS IN WHICH PEOPLE, ORGANIZATIONS, AND COMMUNITIES ACT TOGETHER TO STOP DOMESTIC VIOLENCE BEFORE IT STARTS THROUGH RESEARCH, RESOURCES, EDUCATION, AND PREVENTION-FOCUSED ADVOCACY, TCFV SUPPORTS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PROGRAMS AND OTHER COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS WORKING TO PREVENT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PUBLIC POLICY – PROVIDES EXTENSIVE TECHNICAL LEGAL ASSISTANCE AND RESOURCES TO A LARGE GROUP OF DIVERSE SERVICE PROVIDERS INCLUDING LAW ENFORCEMENT, PROSECUTORS, THE JUDICIARY, PROBATION DEPARTMENTS, AND FAMILY VIOLENCE PROGRAMS AND ADVOCATES FOR POLICY CHANGES AND FUNDING THAT POSITIVELY IMPACTS THE LIVES OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIMS

And here are the last few returns:

Notice anything unusual about the latest one?

• What’s going on here — and what happened in 2014?
• (2008 return) The two officers, working 20 hrs a week on this one, are paid from a “Related Organization.”  The Officers, Dyanne Purcell and Sheryl Cates are well-known in the DV field… and as of 2008 reported $186K and $182K undere “TCFV” for, it was said 20hrs/week.
• The THIRD “related organization” was “National Council on Family Violence.” The TCFV tax return gave the EIN# on its “Schedule R” (for “Related Organizations”) so here it is:

OK, I get it.  THIS one dated back to 1978 and on the top row of returns, header reads:

NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOTLINE FKA  NATIONAL COUNCIL ON FAMILY VIOLENCE.

The website was NDVH.org and “LoveisRespect.org” (aimed at teens and youth).

They are “no longer the umbrella agency for the TEXAS Council on Family Violence” and so disposed of more than 25% of their assets — transferred $342 cash and $6.7M in (Fixed Assets and Securities) to the TCFV organization — which is why I saw that in their tax return.  WHY, is another question.  Why suddenly restructure the field.  More to the point, why doesn’t TAGGS.hhs.gov acknowledge this?

Well, there were $7+M of private donations, in addition to the $2+M Government, and the Balance Sheet shows also (Line 12) that they took $7.2M and invested it, which you can see on the tax return.  There is a Schedule describing “Other Investments” towards the end.

Final footnote (obviously this could stand some further multi-purpose, multiple nonprofits changing names (one takes over the name from another as you can see above), which would be another post.  I just noticed a sudden surge in donations in a single year (compared to surrounding years) and the year after, the entity changed its accounting period (bumped up one month — from starting Sept. 1 to starting Oct. 1) resulting in two filings both displaying the year-end “2016” in the following search results (different name can probably be ignored, as that database (990finder) frequently gets name wrong at the “search results” level.  Click through to (when doing a live search — not on the image below) to see actual corresponding business entity name matching the EIN#s shown…

Look at FY2014-2015 change in Total assets….

The URL and Fiscal Year END (expressed YYYYMM) show in the windowframe at top. This shows the $22M of private grants in a certain year, vs. amt of gov’t grants. This FISCAL YEAR 2014, which corresponds to “2015” in the table above, as that table (990finder search results) always displays year ENDING of any tax return…