A fundraising campaign has been launched to help the staff of a D.C. nonprofit at the center of an investigation of its financial operations.
The Capital Pride Alliance and The DC Center for the LGBT Community are partnering to raise money to help the current and former employees of Casa Ruby, a nonprofit founded in 2012 to help LGBTQ youth.
In a release on the fundraising effort, Capital Pride Alliance stated that “The funds will provide immediate support to help them pay for rent, groceries, and transportation. They will also be connected to resources such as case management, counseling, and workforce development programs.”
The fiscal operations of the nonprofit came under scrutiny after Casa Ruby’s founder, Ruby Corado, was accused of mismanaging funds. Corado stepped down from her leadership position in the weeks that followed.
In September 2021, the District’s Department of Human Services decided not to renew an $839,460 grant for the organization. Casa Ruby had received more than $9 million in funding from a variety of D.C. government agencies since 2016.
In July, D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine filed a complaint alleging Casa Ruby and Corado violated D.C. laws related to fiscal oversight. The complaint asserts that Corado diverted money from the nonprofit to pay for personal expenses and that Corado exercised sole control over Casa Ruby’s bank accounts.
According to Racine’s office, Casa Ruby’s vendors and employees were either paid late or not at all.
Last month, a D.C. Superior Court judge approved a plan to set up a temporary receiver for Casa Ruby.
NEW: Today, my office is taking action to address Casa Ruby’s failures in their critical mission to help LGBTQ+ youth.
Their operations suggest:
➡️clear patterns of mismanagement
➡️poor oversight of programs & finances
➡️improper use of District grants & charitable donations.— AG Karl A. Racine (@AGKarlRacine) August 1, 2022
According to the Capital Pride Alliance release, the alliance and the D.C. Center for the LGBT Community are working with the appointed receiver, the Wanda Alston Foundation.
