Christian Appalachian Project, Inc.

Sometimes charities are not what they seem/appear. The closer you get and the more you learn it just simply leaves a bad taste in your mouth. Nothing worse than seeing hard earned donated dollars, which is what this organization runs on, being spent on things I can’t imagine the donor would approve of.

Just as an example…luxury company cars, extravagant travel arrangements and completely unnecessary purchases like brand new office furniture when it’s not necessary. Don't take my word for it, go ahead and drive by the Lexington office and check out the titanium level suv in the parking lot. Do you drive a luxury car? I’m sure you want to fund one for someone else.

Such a disappointing experience. After being a long time donor my 84-year old mom fell in the trap of being billed by the CAP son monthly basis. I called to let them know that my mom never agreed to these monthly charges. They promised a refund; however, not only that they have not processed a refund, they also continued to charge my mom. How is this possible? Is this organization for real or is just ta bunch of thieves taking advantage of people that want to help those in need?

From a first time DONOR not an administrator/associate/employee/volunteer: some thoughts on the comments I have read on this website. Many times, It is easy to complain but difficult to commend. Let's give thanks that you do not need this organization's services.

I have been in their clients' shoes. Military family 50 yrs ago; husband overseas many months; no on base housing; not much income; hungry a lot but made sure my kids were fed even if I did not have much to eat and I was pregnant. My mother sent me $5 a week which I used to feed my 1st infant daughter. Brought my 2nd infant daughter home to a chest of drawers 'bed' until a church thankfully gave us a crib from a family where the baby had died. Good thing we finally returned home to helpful families. We all survived! So I know how much any amount of money, food or other aid helps and given with a smile.

Now many decades later for I am in my 70's and still working, I feel I should give back. God has been good to me. I own a small struggling business, own rentals and support our employees' families. It is not easy but I am my own boss and realize freedoms others don't have. Many less fortunate should have the opportunity to do the same. With help, they can make successes of their lives and their families' lives also. They just need some compassion from donors like you.

Do you really think $171,000 is extravagant for a CEO? I do NOT! Especially since this organization has a high monetary percentage designated for aid to the unfortunate. Do you realize how much work, sweat and tears go into running a vast organization? Unless you own a business (small or otherwise), you cannot possibly understand the responsibility that it entails. Or, the work needed to make it last.

I did some due diligence before donating as I had never heard of this organization before. This was a first time solicitation. I receive many solicitations from other nonprofits on a daily basis and it is not a hardship to pick and choose which I feel is worthy enough to donate. It is no bother to receive mailings - if I don't want them, I throw them away. The real hardship is needing food, clothing, education (in a faith based institution), a roof over one's head and help in becoming self sufficient and successful when has little or nothing. The hand OUT should be the hand UP! It does not have to be permanent, just temporary.

I will rate this organization as a 5-star until something changes or I discover something differently to rate it lower. God bless your CEO, staff, volunteers, donors and especially those you help every day. Please continue your good works.

CAP is part of ReFrame Association, a national network of home repair nonprofits, which I run. The staff is always willing to share ideas and information with other organizations so that we can all do a better job with home repairs, managing volunteers, etc. The staff members are kind, generous, and passionate about helping.

I volunteered with CAP during 2004- 2005. I had an amazing experience and the organization has truly impacted the people of Eastern KY in a positive manner. CAP provides wonderful programs including housing repair, child care, respite, after school care, adult education, elderly care, and a host of other programs. There is a paid staff that is part of CAP and a board of directors... without which the organization would fall apart. Father Ralph Beiting started the organization 50 years ago and it is a huge undertaking... not everyone can be a volunteer anymore as there is too much work to do and plus... it's providing jobs for people in the area. Please consider volunteering for this organzation... it is a life changing experience.

Great organization that helps an area of Kentucky in great need!

I have been a board member since 2005 and have seen first hand what a wonderful program the Christian Appalachian Project (CAP) has developed. They are a service based organization that tries to strengthen the people of Appalachia and help them find a way out of poverty. I have served on the Development Committee as well as currently serving as the chairperson of the Program Committee and have seen the kindness of our employees and their willingness to help those in need. One of my favorite programs is our alternative spring break Work Fest , which benefits people whose homes have fallen into disrepair. How wonderful to teach college students to help those less fortunate. It has been a privilege to be associated with this organization.

I have been a Board Member for 8 years, have chaired the Personnel Committee, been Board chair for 3 years. I also assisted with upgrading the camp facilities and volunteer housing. CAP has continuously reviewd its mission, and strives to provide the maximum impact on people in need for the funds they receive. They look at the whole of hte person and their situation including the family. If the child has needs, they also look at the housing as this child cannot do good work in a poor environment. CAP continuously evaluates the needs of the area and adopts to those needs.

I have been a board member for over ten years. I have served on the finance and audit committees during that time. I have also participated in Workfest, and I have visited other operations. I can say the people of CAP are honest, hard-working, and devoted to serving the people of Appalachia. The legacy of Fr. Beiting is strong in that CAP works to serve the needs of of the poor many ways. We recently decided to focus on development of Appalachian children through their families, while maintainingg service to the elderly.
I have seen CAP lead college students to change houses that were virtually unlivable into decent homes. I can also tell you that the board is conscientious about ensuring donor money is well spent in accordance with our mission. CAP does invest in fund-raising because the environment for charitable giving is very competitive, but the money that is raised is well-spent.

In May of 2010 my Father In Law passed away and my wife and I moved back in with his widow, my wife's Mother, to care for her since she's in her late eighties and has senile dementia and severe hearing loss. We inherited a mess. My mother in law was donating money to multiple charities and was a member of thirty plus book clubs. Most, if not all, of those book clubs continued delivering books to the address and a mountain of debt was incurred. My Mother In Law didn't remember ordering them, and thought they were gifts.

In the category of charities, Christian Appalachian Project was one of many, and it was sending multiple requests for money in two different names at the same address. Both addressed to the Mother In Law. Since May of 2010, both my wife and I have called the Lexington Office to remove the address from the mailing list, Mom obsesses that she should do the Christian thing and donate money to the charity. And it goes on for days. Early on we learned to hide the contacts from CAP. We can do that since we're her guardians in the home. We've also e-mailed CAP, and made numerous contacts on Facebook. Still, the contacts come.

Recently I gave up. I got tired of hearing the same excuse repeatedly from the people at CAP, especially Phyllis Caudill. So, I submitted our evidence and filed a complaint with the Indiana Attorney General's Office, and after a short period, CAP through Phyllis Caudill responded to the mediation with the IAG. Glaring omissions notwithstanding, we were assured we wouldn't receive anymore contacts. Since that letter from the IAG, CAP has contacted us through the mail twice in two consecutive months.

I have serious doubts about the legitimacy of this group. I get angry when I think of anyone trying to ask for money from an 89 year old woman who can't hear well even with hearing aides, and has senile dementia.

It's been twenty months. Enough is enough already. If it goes a full two calendar years, I'm seeing a lawyer about harassment.

Luke 20:47
English Standard Version (ESV)
47 "who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

I have volunteered and continue to do so on a short term basis, in Housing, typically spending 5 months a year with them since 2009. CAP is an excellent organization to volunteer with, and has a direct and effective impact on the lives of those in Appalachia it serves. It also has a life changing impact on the college students who sign up to volunteer each spring on alternative spring breaks, known as Workfest (similar program for high school students, Youthfest).

Like so many charities, it has been severely stressed by the reduction of donations in 2012. It is not alone in this situation, and must try to maintain or solicit new donors to overcome this 25% or so decline.

I cannot say enough about this organization and the opportunity it presents for volunteers to truly engage and impact the needs of the poor in Kentucky.

In the interest of full disclosure, I am the president/CEO of Christian Appalachian Project (CAP) and a Board member. My purpose in posting a review is to address both reviews posted on 1-9-13.

First, in the review written by gfawkes1151916, it states that our website is misleading because we list a respite care program, when we no longer have one. This is false. We no longer have a residential respite program, however, CAP continues to provide respite care through an in-home respite program with three full-time employees who travel extensively to help meet the needs of families and individuals providing care to disabled loved ones. We provide up to 5 hours of relief at a time to allow individuals the opportunity to take a break and to do what they need to do.

Second, LaPointe implied that our founder, Reverend Beiting, would not be pleased with CAP in recent years. To my knowledge, until his death on August 9, 2012, he was very proud that CAP's mission continued to make a difference for people in need in Appalachia. It was a blessing to me to have served CAP with him for 3 1/2 years from 1982 - 1985. When I was asked to return to CAP in February 2010, I did so with a strong sense of keeping Reverend Beiting's legacy strong because the challenges of people in need in Appalachia continue to be great.

CAP is a transparent organization. Our IRS Form 990 is accessible on our website. Anyone with questions can visit us any time, scheduled or unscheduled, to see firsthand how we operate. We have nothing to hide. Should anyone want to call us to have questions answered, please call (859) 269-0635. May God bless you, Guy

This organization is awful and does not have the view that Cap orginially had. Father Biden would turn over in his grave to see this place that has become more money hungry than client concious.

Mr. Patton states CAP scores highly on transparency, and I'm sure he is referring to finances; however transparency indicates honesty and truthfulness. As of today, CAP's website- under the heading "Who We Serve" and "Disabled" they list Respite services. They closed this program and terminated the employees quite some time ago. This type of misrepresentation happened when CAP closed down their Adult Education programs. Years after the programs had been closed, they were still being advertised on their website as services CAP was offering the area.
And, I am not surprised Mr. Patton promotes himself as a businessman. "More bang for your buck" is a very businesslike attitude - but not one that should necessarily be associated with a "Christian Nonprofit." I'm sure to a businessperson, outsourcing American jobs to China, India, and Pakistan gives you more bang for your buck. I would think a Christian nonprofit should be more concerned with their mission statement of assisting those who are needy in Appalachia. CAP employees that have lost their jobs, I'm sure, do not see it as more bang for the buck.

I don't know if I would qualify under emerson1966's criteria as an expert, but I have been a consistent donor since 1985 and serve on the Board of Trustees for a regional non-fo-profit dedicated to welfare of senior citizens, am Secretary and member of the Executive, Finance and Co-Chair of the Employee/Volunteer Complaints Committee. I also own two private businesses.

If you dig into the data Charity Navigator, Christian Appalachian Project scores very well for a small to medium sized charity. Their percentages of revenues spent on administration and promotions (for donations) are relatively low - a very good sign. They also score highly on transparency, another key variable prospective donors should review. They should be commended, not criticized for substituting volunteers for paid employees - it gives you a much larger "bang for the buck."

I participated in Workfest 2005 and 2006. Workfest is an annual gathering of college groups that travel to Kentucky during their spring breaks to help rebuild homes in Eastern Kentucky. I am saddened to see negative reviews because both my experiences were awesome. Workfest was organized and the team leaders were excellent. They provided me and the other volunteers with guidance (most of us had never worked with power tools before this) and they also helped to educate us on some of the problems that people in this area face. It is truly mind-boggling that people can be living in such poverty in this country! The first house my group helped rebuild was owned by an 80-year old woman named Opal. Her walls were insulated with cardboard boxes and her house was basically falling down around her. She was extremely grateful for the work we did and not at all ashamed of her financial situation. We visited with her at the start and end of each work day and she was always thanking and blessing us!
My second experience with WorkFest was just as good as the first. The homeowners were extremely happy we were there and often cooked us traditional southern dishes to show their thanks.

If you want the chance to step outside your comfort zone, learn to use power tools, talk to people whose lives are completely different from yours (even though you live in the same country), meet other volunteers from places all over the US, and see a very beautiful slice of America, I recommend getting involved with CAP.

It is very interesting that no reviews are from experts, clients, advisers, or board members! It indicates that emerson1916 may have an inside view of the operation having volunteered in the administrative offices. I was going to donate to this organisation because I BELIEVE WE AS A COUNTRY WE SHOULD HELP THE DISADVANTAGED IN THIS COUNTRY BEFORE WE HELP EVERY POOR COUNTRY IN THE WORLD, but am not now because looking at the financials the is a reserve ? of 1.4 million dollars that is not shown! Admin and fund raising costs must be enormous! Choices for volunteer & donor should be severed, one might volunteer to get an inside look at the organizations workings!

I just cannot say enough positive things about CAP. Very impressed with how funds are used to help the poor. This is a grass roots, on the front lines type organization. Take a trip and see their operation in eastern Kentucky and you'll feel good about your donation, just like I did.

I was born in KY and know the problems there. As a Christian I felt it was a wonderful cause. Like others I have been concerned with the excessive solicitation letters I received. They appear to be declining under the new director. I hope so. The practice of sending excessive solicitations is not just a waste of funds but has caused me (and others) to stop donating. They must become more responsive and respectful toward their donors.

I started donating small amounts of money years ago to this organization in honor of family members. They treat small donors with the same appreciation of larger ones. After retiring, I decided to increase my donation by becoming a short term volunteer. I have served at WorkFest, YouthFest and Children's Summer Camp. I have observed how the funds are spent. All persons involved are dedicated to stretching the donations, and at the same time having quality programming. I admire what this organization does for the people of Appalachia. They are truly Americans helping Americans---They are 'What's Right with America"

I received my first solicitation from this organization yesterday and the outside of the envelope said "check enclosed." Sure enough, there was a $2.00 check enclosed. This was an obvious gimmick that I find to be offensive and a potential waste of money. For this reason alone, I will not give to this organization. Moreover, I've recently been flooded with solicitations from various organizations and I'm just getting tired of it. Obviously, I gave to some organization that gave/sold my information. From my perspective, charities would do well to avoid gimmicks, overly emotional appeals and supplementing their income by selling their contributors' contact information.

I chose to donate to this organization because back in April of 2011 they had a reasonable overall score of 58.37 with administrative expenses of 3.6. I asked at that time, that they not solicit me further and I would give on my own schedule. Since then, I have been receiving solicitations at least twice a month. This is a worthwhile charity and many, many poor in Appalachia need their help. However, it bothers me that the past president continues to draw a salary of $71,532. I realize it takes qualified people to run an organization like this, but the salaries of the exec.VP ($93,687) and controller/ treasurer ($82,532) seem like a lot considering the needs of those they claim to serve.

After requesting that I receive fewer fund raising requests in the mail, I continue to receive two or three requests a WEEK from CAP. I will continue to donate on my own schedule. It's a shame they didn't honor my request. That being said, I believe in their mission, and think they are doing good.