Brief Web site mission statements raise questions that are hard to answer. But its address is a prim white stucco townhouse in a gated community south of the city. The church's founder moved away in February, according to the man who bought the townhouse from him. Repeated phone calls, e-mails and a letter from a reporter who'd contributed to the church drew no response. It's one of three increasingly popular ways to raise money for charity on the Internet.
Today there are literally hundreds.
By next Christmas, there will be thousands. It's the next gold rush. At month's end, founder Michael Storm writes a check for the remainder to the donor's selected charity. In most cases, charity officials view Storm's fees as fund-raising expenses and send donors receipts for the full amount contributed. Others are mainstream, such as a Florida Easter Seals regional chapter and the Partnership for a Drug-Free America.