How Will The Donations Be Spent?
The mission of the Twin Towers Orphan Fund is to help mitigate the damage caused by the terrorist acts of September 11 by ensuring the children of the victims have as normal a life as possible. To do so, the TTOF will provide long-term higher educational assistance and help meet mental and physical health care needs for children who lost a parent in the World Trade Center, at the Pentagon, or onboard the four downed airliners.
Via individual Sec. 529 Education Saving Accounts funded in the names of the child beneficiaries, as well as general program funds, the TTOF will undertake innovative programs such as:
- Provides tuition assistance, room and board support, books and supplies to enrolled students at accredited two- and four-year colleges and universities and recognized trade schools.
- Provide for (or reimburse for) approved and nationally recognized health care insurance programs, including paying for premiums, co-pays and deductibles, where applicable, for children under the age of 18, or older if continually enrolled in institutions of higher learning.
- Provide for supplemental long-term mental heath care assistance by providing for individual and group counseling and other means available and approved by the TTOF.
- By providing funding for other charitable organizations that offer direct services benefiting mental and physical health care, scholastic tutoring for college bound children and other activities deemed beneficial for the long-term well being of enrolled children.
How much money has the TTOF received?
As of September 1, 2002, the TTOF has received slightly more than $5 million. This averages out to around $5,800 per child in our current registry, hardly enough to send any child through college. The Fund estimates that over the lifespan of the charity, the TTOF will need nearly $50,000 per child to meet it long-term mission.
When Will The Fund Begin Its Disbursements?
Disbursements have already begun.
Although directly related to mitigating the damage of the terrorist acts of September 11, the TTOF is not a disaster relief fund, but instead is a long-term higher educational and health care support trust fund with a potential life span of more than 20 years.
On Feb. 14, the TTOF transferred more than $1.6 million to a major national financial services firm to establish and fund individual IRC Sec. 529 Educational Savings Accounts for qualified children registered with the TTOF. The $1.6 million was distributed to 419 educational savings accounts, each with approximately $4,000. An additional $1 million will be distributed, prior to the end of 2002, to fund accounts for newly qualified children; this totals 52% of all donations. When each child reaches age 18, they will be able to draw from these accounts to help pay for higher educational expenses. For the children currently in college, TTOF has allocated $125,000.
$1.5 million dollars (30% of donations) has been allocated for Physical and Mental Health care assistance. This means helping with deductibles on health insurance, examination and prescription co-pays and other valid medical expenses not covered by insurance. It means post-traumatic stress disorder treatments and therapies, and it also means helping with elementary and secondary academic tutoring, and many other mental and physical health care needs.
Other donated funds are currently held in trust at San Joaquin Bank of Bakersfield and with the Kern Country Community Foundation Trust Investment Fund.
Don't Other Charities Take Care Of These Kids?
The Twin Towers Orphan Fund is not a disaster relief agency, such as the Red Cross. We don't know of any other fund that exists exclusively for the long-term welfare of children that lost one or both parents, although many charities provide on-site emergency disaster assistance to those in desperate need. We work with those agencies informally to help ensure children and families are getting their needs covered and to avoid duplication of benefits.
Isn't the Federal Government's Victim's Compensation Program (VCP) caring for these children?
Yes and no. The VCP provides for compensation for loss of income and personal losses much in the same manner as an insurance program. (Indeed, such payments maybe offset by insurance settlements) But like an insurance payment, the victims are being compensated for their losses - there are not to be enriched. In many cases, the children registered with the TTOF will receive no benefits from the VCP program due to divorce or other such disqualifiers that make it impossible for the federal government to recognize the children as the closest living relatives of the deceased. In any case, no amount of compensation today can make up for the loss of a parent over the long run.
Further, TTOF assistance provided to children is based upon the financial condition of the children at the time benefits are provided, according to the law applicable at that time.
All beneficiaries must meet a financial needs test acceptable to the federal government before benefits are disbursed. Until 2003, financial need is assumed under a special ruling of the Internal Revenue Service. IRS rules regarding charitable benefits for September 11 victim children after 2003 have not yet been promulgated.
What About The Promises From Government Officials That These Children Will Receive Special Benefits, Such As Free College Educations?
We applaud the State of New York and New Jersey and others who are making progress toward providing for the long-term care and support of children, including those who lost one or more parents in the disaster. This will make our job that much easier. But these programs will not solve the needs of all children who lost parents. Many victims were not NY state residents, such as those aboard the airliners who were from many different communities around the nation. Also, many of the state education program for victim's children remain unfunded by their respective state legislatures
Where Are These Kids Now?
To our knowledge, no children have been placed in New York State's vast foster care system. We know of many, however, having no living parents that have been placed with surviving aunts, uncles, grandparents, and even older siblings.
Who Founded The Fund?
The initial idea for the fund came from a loose coalition of public relations practitioners from around the country. More than 40 PR specialists joined together with the intent of using their unique access to the media on a local, city-by-city basis, to promote such a fund. One New York practitioner, along with one Bakersfield practitioner, became lead co-founders coordinating the work of all the specialists and serving as the primary motivators in seeking a host charity and establishing the fund as a program of an existing public benefit corporation - the fastest way to set up a tax-exempt fund. Along with the PR specialists, the fund was co-founded and is now hosted by a local Bakersfield charity called Family-to-Family Mentoring. Family-to-Family is providing the fund with its tax-exempt status, administration, banking service, accounting and telephone support.
Why California?
One of the funds co-founders, a local Bakersfield PR consultant, took the initiative and contacted local charities to see if any would lend their non-profit, tax-exempt status to host and become fund co-founders. Bakersfield has a rich history of giving and volunteerism making it possible for the fund to become established easily with all the support and supervision such an undertaking requires. Almost immediately, the fund became a local cause with the entire city embracing it as one of its main charitable institutions. The fund is overseen by the Office of the California State Attorney General.
Who Is The Host Charity?
The host charity is Family-to-Family Mentoring, which is a DBA for Garden Pathways Inc., the official state and federally recognized 501c3 public benefit corporation. Family-to-Family and Garden Pathways are synonymous and essentially the same organization. David Mills is the executive director. The telephone number is (661) 633-9133.
What Is Garden Pathways, Inc.?
Garden Pathways Inc. is the new name (recently changed) for the official non-profit that was originally incorporated as The (Bakersfield) Garden Community Enhancement Program, Inc. That organization is still listed in the phone books and rings into Family-to-Family. Garden Pathways, a community-based non-profit organization, provides innovative opportunities for families and individuals of all ages to discover and develop their unique purpose and creativity through collaborative efforts in mentoring, training and education in the arts and the art of living.
Why Isn't The Fund Listed In The Phone Book Or Listed With The State?
This is a brand new program of an existing charitable public benefit corporation (Section 501(c) (3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code authorizing tax-exempt, non-profit corporations). We expect the fund to be listed in directory assistance shortly under its own name. Only the parent charity, Garden Pathways, Inc. will be listed in the state's corporation registry. The fund is a program of Garden Pathways, Inc., doing business as Family-to-Family Mentoring.
Under its own name, the Twin Towers Orphan Fund is listed with the New York State Attorney General's office as well as the New Jersey Department of Consumer Affairs. Under the Garden Pathway's corporate name, the fund is listed the IRS, the California State Attorney General (file number 106510) and the California state Secretary of State Department of Corporations.
Why Doesn't The Fund Have An 800 Number?
800 numbers cost money and the fund does not want to take away from any donations to pay for incoming calls. We are hoping that a major telephone services provider will offer to the fund the free use of an 800 number.
Can TTOF Help Couples And Others Seeking To Adopt Orphaned Children?
Not at this time. To the best of our knowledge, no child has been left without some form of family support, be they an aunt, uncle, grandparents, older sibling or others. Public officials also state they know of no child who lost both parents, although there are many children who have lost one parent (the legal definition of an orphan).
We cannot provide any information on specific children who lost parents due to privacy laws and our internal policies. However, we have had several inquiries from concerned families and are maintaining a file, to be provided to the appropriate state authorities, should such a child become known to us. If you would like to be included in this file, please complete the form at http://www.ttof.org/html/adoptions.htm. Our mission is to provide long-term education and health-care support for kids who lost parents but we will keep all those in mind who have shown an interest.
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