7 On Your Side helps recover $75,000 missing from nonprofit's bank account

ByRandall Yip KGO logo

Tuesday, December 13, 2022

$75K raised from nonprofit fundraiser goes missing

After a record-breaking year of fundraising, one North Bay nonprofit says the money was being held by their payment processor.

SANTA ROSA, Calif. (KGO) -- A small nonprofit in the North Bay working to stop HIV, Hep C and opioid overdoses is hoping to recoup $75,000 missing from its bank account.

Face to Face in Santa Rosa says it knows where their missing money is. It just can't get its hands on it.

Face to Face raised a record $70,000 this summer at its annual drag queen brunch and wine auction.

That brought its fundraising totals in the quarter to $75,000.

"We realized, wait a minute. That money is not in the account," said Sara Brewer, Face to Face's executive director.

She says that missing money is significant to a small nonprofit.

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"I'm being honest when I say that we're out here saving lives. We know that the Naloxone that we distribute, we've been told we've reversed over 3,500 overdoes. That's 3,500 lives that have been saved. This is urgent work to us," Brewer said.

The missing money would have been used to hire a driver for its van so it could bring HIV and Hep C testing as well as drug overdose prevention to rural residents who can't get to its Santa Rosa office.

Donations are processed through the payment system Clover.

Gary Saperstein is the group's development director.

"All I kept on getting was at first was, 'Oh, we see that your accounts have been flagged. And it looks like it had something to do with the large amount of money that you received on July 18,'" he said.

Face to Face assured Clover that the donations were all legitimate. Saperstein said every time he calls Clover, he gets the same answer.

"Risk management will get back to me within 48 to 72 hours, which never has happened at all," he said.

Frustrated, Face to Face contacted 7 On Your Side. We reached out to Clover and within a week, that missing $75,000 appeared in the nonprofit's bank account.

That means one thing.

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"We're better able to save lives as well as reduce the spread of HIV and hepatitis," Brewer said.

Clover did not respond to our numerous requests for comment.

Take a look at more stories and videos by Michael Finney and 7 On Your Side.

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