My Nonprofit Reviews
NoIntegrityISF
Review for Ian Somerhalder Foundation, Los Angeles, CA, USA
I originally started donating to & following this organization when I'd heard about the plans for an animal sanctuary. As an advocate for no kill shelters, the idea was very appealing to me. I paid attention during Ian's live chats and started noticing he ignored addressing important logistical and safety questions. Everything was the same scripted propaganda. Finally I thought something might happen after he'd announced the purchase of the land. Still nothing but talk. And then he stopped even doing that with no status updates or announcement of a change in plans. Yet volunteers keep asking for donations for it.
During the time I followed the organization, I saw more and more contradictions in what they claimed to be about and what their behavior actually showed. How can the name sake of an organization preach saving the environment yet his actions contribute to the problem? Integrity is important for the legitimacy of an organization. Over time it became more apparent that it was all a facade.
Additionally, Ian had pushed repeatedly for people to get involved and volunteer. So I applied to volunteer. It took several months before I heard anything. When I finally received a response, it came in the form of a rejection letter as if I had been applying for a paid job. I'm well educated and I have years of experience yet somehow that didn't qualify me to donate my time to help for FREE! However, I was told I was more than welcome to start a community crew to beg for donations. That was when it was clear to me they weren't about making actual change. They only cared about money and appearances. And over the last few years, it's become glaringly obvious that the organization is all an image game for the name sake. Had I realized earlier that the organization was a scam, I wouldn't have wasted my money. I would've donated to local organizations that have SHOWN they're doing what they can to push for real change. It's awful how this organization preys upon the public's compassion to fool them into giving money for things that will never happen. It preaches to youths to take action yet it does none itself.
More Feedback
Was your donation impactful?
No
How likely is it that you would recommend that a friend donate to this group?
Unlikely
How likely are you to donate to this group again?
No
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2016
First, thank you for supporting and advocating for No-Kill Shelters. ISF has purchased our land and safety and logistics are a big concern, which is why ISF lawyers are currently and thoroughly involved in the planning process. I'm sorry your volunteer application process was unpleasant. In the last year we have reorganized our system. It appears you applied several years ago. If you would like to email me at hr@isfoundation.net, I would be happy to search our past applications from before I was HR and see what happened. ISF is so grateful that we receive an enormous amount of volunteer applications. While many are qualified, we unfortunately do not always have a spot which matches their talents. Currently we are keeping those applications on file for a year in case spots open up. But again, if you would like to email me, I'd be happy to find out what happened to your application.
