The real troopers are the people who do it for the right reasons without any expectations of rewards. What bothers me about this issue is not that Kennedy received compensation, but rather that the story was clearly portrayed in a different light. There was no disclosure, and having watched the story unfold in the media, I can't recall any information that would lead one to believe that Kennedy was receiving a salary in pursuit of his mission. 40k over five months is something else entirely. Again, if the foundation had been up front about it, I don't see a problem.
People can made donations as they see fit.
But I think it is reasonable to expect that the involvement of the key player in this sort of initaitive would be out in the open from the get-go. I can understand why some donors would feel duped. I don't think the story was particularly damaging to the charitable sector, because it has faded rather quickly from the mainstream. Fortunately, due to timing or simply lack of media interest in going for the throat, this one does not seem to have picked up enough steam to do serious damage. CharityVillage Ltd. All rights reserved.