The Commonwealth of Virginia has formally warned the public that a charity affiliated with two high-society polo events may not be a charity at all.
The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services announced that the Journey for the Cure Foundation, based in Hume, Va., “has solicited contributions … for allegedly charitable purposes,” but because it has not properly registered with the state, “contributors are cautioned that their contributions to such organization may be used for non-charitable purposes.”
As first reported by the Fauquier Times-Democrat, Tareq Salahi is on the foundation’s board of directors. He and his wife, Michaele, run the annual America’s Polo Cup (APC) match each spring, which attracts Washington’s moneyed set, as well as luxury sponsors such as Land Rover, Cartier and Ritz-Carlton. They also put on a fall match on the National Mall.
On the APC Web site, Journey for the Cure is listed as an “official partner,” and the site solicits donations of cash or auction items for the charity. Journey for the Cure and the polo organization also share the same phone number.
An APC spokesman said the commonwealth’s actions will not affect the polo matches. He said the charity “and others list our phone number since they are a 100 percent volunteer organization and have no paid staff, thus [are] unable to answer phones.”
Journey for the Cure’s own Web site states it is “a nonprofit, 501 (c)(3)-‘D’ Public Charitable Foundation supporting science grants and other funding for cures for [multiple sclerosis] and cancers. We also provids [sic] specialty line item funding to partners such as educational granst [sic] for programs for children that are deprived and US Armed Services projects for the men and women serving this country.” The site provides a federal tax ID number.
But Marion Horsley, a spokeswoman for the Virginia Office of Consumer Affairs, said apart from any federal requirements, the Virginia Solicitations of Contributions law requires that any charity register with her office. She said while the charity’s directors had been in touch with Consumer Affairs and appeared willing to comply, the office never heard back from them. “They did not come through with the information required [so] their registration is not complete,” said Horsley.
