Editorial: Tough spot

The future of Lawrence’s largest food bank now depends on the community’s support.

The severity of the financial problems facing Just Food has now been put before the public, along with a plea for the community’s help to save the local food bank.

The situation left behind when Jeremy Farmer resigned as Just Food’s executive director is every nonprofit board’s nightmare. Board members trusted that Farmer was competently and honestly running an agency, whose mission he appeared to passionately embrace. Now, the board is faced with $61,000 of unpaid federal and state payroll taxes and evidence that Farmer made unauthorized payments to himself of more than $52,000. Without a significant inflow of money, Just Food may be forced into bankruptcy.

Who should be responsible for meeting the agency’s financial obligations likely will be a matter of considerable local debate. It’s true that, at the end of the day, it’s the responsibility of the Just Food board, whose members put their faith in their executive director. The lesson that the Just Food board is learning the hard way should be noted by other nonprofit board members throughout the community, at least some of whom know how easy it would have been for them to be similarly duped by a deceitful executive director.

To their credit the 12 current members of the Just Food board already have committed more than $10,000 to help meet the agency’s obligations. That is a significant amount that shows that board members understand and accept their responsibility in this situation.

However, the board commitments alone won’t be enough to keep Just Food out of bankruptcy. It will be up to community donors to help keep the agency afloat. It’s understandable that some donors may be unwilling to donate to an agency that has previously mismanaged funds and is seeking money now to pay a tax debt. However, Just Food serves an important mission in the community, and paying taxes — usually with donor dollars — is an obligation of any nonprofit agency.

The Just Food board is painfully aware of the mistakes that were made and is trying to put the agency back on a firm footing. Hopefully, with the community’s support, their efforts will be successful.