Long Island AIDS Exec Earns $526K
as CEO of Three Charities
After I blogged on Monday about a NY Post article detailing the $363,000 annual salary of Gail Barouh, the executive director of Long Island Association for AIDS Care, this anonymous comment came my way:
This is just the tip of the iceberg. Gail Barouh is CEO of three "non-profits" : LIAAC , BIASHELP, and LINKS [sic]. Her combined salary is 526,405 annually. I have worked in HIV care for many years on LI, and I can tell you LIAAC has a reputation of providing very little actual services. They also have a reputation of abusing their employees to an unheard of degree. Dr. Barouh forces her outreach workers to "sell tickets" to LIAAC fundraisers under threat of dismissal. So, when you see "funds raised" on their website, think "staff robbery." Someone really ought to shut them down. I promise you, no HIV positive people will be harmed as a result- they won't even notice!
My curiosity was piqued and I checked the sites for BiasHELP, anti-bullying charity, and the Long Island Network of Community Services (LINCS), an association of human services groups, and indeed Barouh is executive director of these two groups.
The IRS 990 filing for BiasHELP for 2009 shows Barouh was compensated $106,528 for an average of twenty-hours of work per week. BiasHELP's revenue for the year was $568,392, and Barouh's salary ate up 19% of the budget.
For LINCS, their 2009 IRS tax filing reveals Barouh earned $56,672 for five-hours of weekly work. Revenue is listed at $426,480, making Barouh's pay 14% of their budget.
Add Barouh's compensation at LIAAC, $363,000, to the money she makes at the two other Long Island nonprofits, $106,528 and $56,672, and the total comes to a very robust $526,200.
So, the anonymous tip is much more than idle rumors. The info from the tipster bears up under scrutiny and should be shared with funders of and clients at the three organizations where Barouh is the leader. Further, the organizations also share a number of board members and staffers, making me wonder if there any other entities, either nonprofit or for-profit, that this crew operates.
Charity watchdogs on Long Island would be wise to look into the incestuous relationships of LIAAC, BiasHELP and LINCS, and how money is raised and spent.
Many thanks to the anonymous tipster who brought this new info to my attention.
Reports, proud muckraking, photos, videos and musings from the veteran LGBT and AIDS human rights advocate Michael Petrelis. Based in San Francisco since 1995. Contact: MPetrelis_at_AOL_dot_com. Vote Petrelis for BART Board District 9 in November!
5 comments:
Thank God for Whistle Blowers and Anonymous Tipsters. They bring the "truth to light!"
hi veronika,
i totally agree with you and i hope the tipster who share this new information with me gets some attention for his info back on long island. that half-million total compensation for the ED is quite high.
I can vouch for all of this as truth as a former LIAAC employee. The day after this news broke it was stated that the $106,000 was not used for bonuses but for life insurance for key players of her team. There was a paper shredder in every office and and it was not uncommon for most people to go to work thinking it was their last day. She is a very shrewd businesswoman and exploits the bad economy to find willing workers who don't ask questions.
I can personally vouch for the nonsense and mismanagement that goes on at LIAAC. As a former employee, I was let go after one year under the excuse that the position was being eliminated. The reality is that the position was just given a new title. Before working for LIAAC I was approached by Ms. Barouh to be one of her "hand picked" board members. She and her close group that includes John Haigney use and abuse LIAAC employees for their own gain. I could go on and on here but space and time do not permit.
I found your post after googling her because she made Newsday for skimming money from her charity that pays her these amazing salaries. Maybe she will get what's coming to her.
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