Management Eugene Melnyk - Lawsuits, rants and more... Part 5 (YOUS)

[Wondercarrot]

A billionaire launches his own charity. (After shuttering his last one under shitty circumstances)
It lasts 5 months.

do you:
1. Blame the donors?
2. Blame yourself for not realizing it was going to take more than 5 months to get off the ground?
3. Blame your billionaire self for not realizing the charity would need seed money during a pandemic?

A real Rorschach test on how you feel about personal responsibility.

 

[Sweatred]

A billionaire launches his own charity. (After shuttering his last one under shitty circumstances)
It lasts 5 months.

do you:
1. Blame the donors?
2. Blame yourself for not realizing it was going to take more than 5 months to get off the ground?
3. Blame your billionaire self for not realizing the charity would need seed money during a pandemic?

A real Rorschach test on how you feel about personal responsibility.

1. Yes
2. He has given it more then 5 months - it’s paused … not closed.
3. He did give it seed money. Who do you think has been floating it ? It hasn’t generated the revenue to pay for itself.

 

[BankStreetParade]

I don’t know what Weir/Phillips’ roles were, but I do know that Melnyk has more power than either of them did. People might give him the benefit of the doubt if he didn’t scare off every former player working for the Sens.

Not for nothing but where do you get this sense? Researching the Foundation, articles say - without dispute - that Phillips was brought on to be the executive director aka the head of the foundation with Weir as a senior director. I'd honestly be shocked if Melnyk was involved in any way whatsoever apart from licensing the Senators name for the Foundation to use. The guy's in Barbados like 350 days a year, he couldn't be more absent from Ottawa if he tried.

 

[Sweatred]

Not for nothing but where do you get this sense? Researching the Foundation, articles say - without dispute - that Phillips was brought on to be the executive director aka the head of the foundation with Weir as a senior director. I'd honestly be shocked if Melnyk was involved in any way whatsoever apart from licensing the Senators name for the Foundation to use. The guy's in Barbados like 350 days a year, he couldn't be more absent from Ottawa if he tried.

^THIS^ Factual info.

 

[Wondercarrot]

The top 2 are fascinatingly relevant here, oddly however none of the seven blame donors.

7 REASONS WHY NONPROFITS FAIL

1. Empty Optimism – or Pie in the Sky Dreams (without the proper ingredients to bake a pie)

I’ve seen some of the best, most needed (in my view), and earnest efforts falter and fail because the leaders simply did not accurately calculate the amount of support that would be available and the alliances and partnerships that they would need to support their humble beginnings. In other words – they lacked a sound business plan upon which to build a platform for success. The old saying ‘to fail to plan is to plan to fail’ is so very, very true.

1. Values Vacuum – or Poor Organizational Development

Healthy organizations establish core values that guide the way leaders and staff do business, and how they deal with each other and with outside people and groups at every point of contact. It is far too common for autocratic and self-focused founders to establish one core value: “do as I say.” These nonprofit heads find it very difficult to transfer authority or to share the limelight and leadership with an empowered team. There is little internal trust, and insufficient values to guard against abuses of power, privilege, and people. It is also an environment in which many unethical and even illegal practices can flourish, and often do. These organizations frequently fail in the first generation, and almost never thrive when the leader with all of the chips finally cashes them in.

Nonprofits Fail - Here's Seven Reasons Why - Tracy Ebarb

 

[Wondercarrot]

There seems to be this weird idea floating around here that this is some sort of licensed, arms length charity.
The charity is in fact a direct in house operation by the Ottawa Senators hockey club and is no way arms length or licensed out.
“Both Leblanc and Phillips said the foundation will try to keep costs low and will be more of an in-house operation instead of the arms-length set up of the former foundation. That group, incidentally, is still operating under the new name Ottawa-Gatineau Youth Foundation.”

Happy I could clear this up.

Senators launch new charity foundation, promise fans jersey rebrand - Sportsnet.ca

 

[Sweatred]

The top 2 are fascinatingly relevant here, oddly however none of the other seven blame donors.

7 REASONS WHY NONPROFITS FAIL

1. Empty Optimism – or Pie in the Sky Dreams (without the proper ingredients to bake a pie)

I’ve seen some of the best, most needed (in my view), and earnest efforts falter and fail because the leaders simply did not accurately calculate the amount of support that would be available and the alliances and partnerships that they would need to support their humble beginnings. In other words – they lacked a sound business plan upon which to build a platform for success. The old saying ‘to fail to plan is to plan to fail’ is so very, very true.

1. Values Vacuum – or Poor Organizational Development

Healthy organizations establish core values that guide the way leaders and staff do business, and how they deal with each other and with outside people and groups at every point of contact. It is far too common for autocratic and self-focused founders to establish one core value: “do as I say.” These nonprofit heads find it very difficult to transfer authority or to share the limelight and leadership with an empowered team. There is little internal trust, and insufficient values to guard against abuses of power, privilege, and people. It is also an environment in which many unethical and even illegal practices can flourish, and often do. These organizations frequently fail in the first generation, and almost never thrive when the leader with all of the chips finally cashes them in.

Nonprofits Fail - Here's Seven Reasons Why - Tracy Ebarb

There is no question we lack the ingredients (paying fans) to support sport initiatives.

 

[Wondercarrot]

apropos of nothing:
Very impressed by this foundation in ottawa led by sports figures, making a difference in the Ottawa community. Donation of sports goods, outdoor summer camps. Very impressive.

Home

 

[Sweatred]

apropos of nothing:
Very impressed by this foundation in ottawa led by sports figures, making a difference in the Ottawa community. Donation of sports goods, outdoor summer camps. Very impressive.

Home

Just think of what the Sens could do if they had any more than $100K to work with…

 

[Wondercarrot]

Imagining launching a charity with zero funding.
5 months.

They didn’t have enough cash to launch an NHL team based charity and burn 20-30k a month while also using shared services from the org. lmfao.

It really shows 3 things.
1. The absolute lack of commitment from the team and owner for this charity.
2. The complete incompetence of reaching out into the market to establish partnerships prior to launch. (Given the organization had zero interest into supporting their own charity).
3. The organization has no idea how much damage they have done in the market to launch an unfunded charity expecting people during a pandemic to carry it for them.

Truly amazing.

 

[Sweatred]

Imagining launching a charity with zero funding.
5 months.

They didn’t have enough cash to launch an NHL team based charity and burn 20-30k a month while also using shared services from the org. lmfao.

Well… that’s true. It wouldn’t surprise me if Ottawa fans just donated an all time low for a NA major sports team’s foundation.

 

[Micklebot]

Did Mendes offer anyone an open mic in his show? All I saw was an invite to his Zoom presentation of his explanation of how media worked.

You are accusing people of gas lighting when you have many of these realities misconstrued in your mind.

He invited people to a Q and A about journalism's role in sports, once again your caught twisting the meaning of his words calling it a show and his presentation....

No, he won't give up his background sources or disclose any info he wasn't given the ok to release but yes he will provide insight on why what he did wasn't unethical or against journalistic standards.

 

[Sweatred]

He invited people to a Q and A about journalism's role in sports, once again your caught twisting the meaning of his words calling it a show and his presentation....

No, he won't give up his background sources or disclose any info he wasn't given the ok to release but yes he will provide insight on why what he did wasn't unethical or against journalistic standards.

That doesn’t sound like an open mic. It’s sound like an education / information piece. Hardly the forum people are suggesting around here.

Good on him for sharing his insight. I’m not remotely concerned about his journalistic integrity. I know why he didn’t hammer the Ottawa fans or put a spot light on Phillips effectiveness as director.

 

[supsens]

apropos of nothing:
Very impressed by this foundation in ottawa led by sports figures, making a difference in the Ottawa community. Donation of sports goods, outdoor summer camps. Very impressive.

Home

wealthy people giving humans with real needs luxuries they don’t need. When asked to buy less balls and skates and donate to real causes they freak out,run off, throw mud and make sure to play the victim card.
Meanwhile maintaining a full time expensive staff way out of line with normal charitable behavior

 

[supsens]

He invited people to a Q and A about journalism's role in sports, once again your caught twisting the meaning of his words calling it a show and his presentation....

No, he won't give up his background sources or disclose any info he wasn't given the ok to release but yes he will provide insight on why what he did wasn't unethical or against journalistic standards.

Lol tv personality selling you his podcast with no standards using controversy to drive views

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

wealthy people giving humans with real needs luxuries they don’t need. When asked to buy less balls and skates and donate to real causes they freak out,run off, throw mud and make sure to play the victim card.
Meanwhile maintaining a full time expensive staff way out of line with normal charitable behavior

Do you have a link to support this?

 

[Stylizer1]

@everyone

 

[supsens]

Do you have a link to support this?

Per dollar donated, 51 cents go to the cause, which is not within Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending.
Ottawa Senators Foundation

 

[Wondercarrot]

I’m looking forward to the next update from Melnyks other charitable org at The Organ Project!
Could someone point me to the new updated site after “they paused it” a couple years ago?

 

[Wondercarrot]

There seems to be a lot of unsubstantiated mud throwing at The Ottawa Gatineau Youth Foundation.
People seem to be conflating the org structure, salaries, and outflow of donations/margins with the old Ottawa Senators Foundation.

It’s understandable given the only goal here for a small number of people is to obfuscate reality, but it would be valuable if while trashing the new charity that people use facts based on the new charity.

 

[supsens]

There seems to be a lot of unsubstantiated mud throwing at The Ottawa Gatineau Youth Foundation.
People seem to be conflating the org structure, salaries, and outflow of donations/margins with the old Ottawa Senators Foundation.

It’s understandable given the only goal here for a small number of people is to obfuscate reality, but it would be valuable if while trashing the new charity that people use facts based on the new charity.

It’s the old charity that refused to clean up its act but the Melnyk hate makes it ok because he dared to confront them over the heat they were taking
So now they are good

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

Pretty cool to see Ian come in here an offer an olive branch and equally lame to see people instantly write it off as some pr stunt. You just lost a lot of credibility.

This is the same guy that Melnyk attacked by calling him bush league and here he is still manning up to his story while the complainers cant even meet him halfway.

I'll say one thing, thats a hell of a lot more than Melnyk and the Senators have offered their fanbase. Their answer was to cut off media channels for not towing the line for them and use Garrioch as a mechanism to control what is written.

 

[Gil Gunderson]

I’m looking forward to the next update from Melnyks other charitable org at The Organ Project!
Could someone point me to the new updated site after “they paused it” a couple years ago?

They fixed the button. Our fearless owner gets all the credit now (as he should).

 

[Wondercarrot]

Do you have a link to support this?

nope. He does not.
Any links are to the old charity, he has provided zero information on the updated relaunched charity.
It’s no surprise really given he also believes the new and successful charity is only for wealthy people to give unnecessary luxuries so they can then play some sort of victim card.
You know....luxuries, like Rogers House. Lmfao.

 

[BankStreetParade]

Imagining launching a charity with zero funding.
5 months.

They didn’t have enough cash to launch an NHL team based charity and burn 20-30k a month while also using shared services from the org. lmfao.

It really shows 3 things.
1. The absolute lack of commitment from the team and owner for this charity.
2. The complete incompetence of reaching out into the market to establish partnerships prior to launch. (Given the organization had zero interest into supporting their own charity).
3. The organization has no idea how much damage they have done in the market to launch an unfunded charity expecting people during a pandemic to carry it for them.

Truly amazing.

Doing a bit of research on this Foundation, albeit information is relatively scarce, it looks like they brought on Weir as a senior director to head up their corporate sponsorships and Phillips to be the executive director. Both were brought on in August 2020 - so, presumably they had at least 4 months leading into the Foundation's inception late in January 2021 to get things rolling, start building a board of directors and bring some key partnerships/sponsor dollars on board for the new Foundation.

There's obviously almost no information about their fundraising (maybe some figures for the 50/50?) or their financial disclosures (will be released next year, I'd assume) so we have no way of knowing what they were able to accomplish or what their expenditures were in the interim.

I'd be really surprised if Melnyk was involved in any of the day-to-day operations of the Foundation as he doesn't appear as a director in any articles that I found about the inner workings of the Foundation. And, quite frankly, it's unlikely given his Barbados residency and general lack of interest in being physically present in Ottawa.

Should Melnyk have fronted more money for the Foundation to get rolling? Maybe? I mean, none of us have access to their financial disclosures so there's no way to know how much money he committed up front in Fall 2020 to get the organization off the ground, if any. It's more likely that it doesn't matter because one group will say he should have put in more money and another group will say the Foundation should have produced more donations and funding.

It's also entirely possible that Weir reached out to corporate contacts and was told they hesitated to partner with Melnyk and the Senators given his reputation or because companies are cutting their discretionary spending, etc., Weir then told Melnyk about the difficulty securing partners and Melnyk decided to can him. Phillips obviously doesn't like Weir's dismissal, sees the funding well is dry and tells Melnyk they have to pause until they can get funding and/or asks Melnyk to contribute funds to the Foundation. Melnyk balks, asks Phillips about reassigning him within the organization while they work out corporate funding for the Foundation and Phillips says "thanks but no thanks".

I think the key point I'm rebutting in your post is that you don't really know whether the charity was funded before launching or what the Foundation managed to fundraise in the span of time from Weir and Phillips' appointments. Everyone's arguing about this story like they have all the facts but it's pretty clear that facts are at an absolute minimum. No one should be taking such entrenched positions until more information is produced.