Article Contained Misleading Statements

To the Editor:

I wish to clarify some statements made in your recent article about the Seedlings Foundation (“Phone Company’s Charity Deal Raises Money — and Questions,” September 20). While I understand some skepticism, some statements that were made are definitely misleading.

You wrote, “… scores of charities have ended up with far less or nothing at all after they responded to pitches made by independent sales representatives of Excel.” Yes, some have not made much money, but those that have not cannot be described as having “responded” since they could not muster their members and supporters to participate. Naturally they made no money. But on the other hand, they were not charged anything for the privilege of trying, so your characterization of them somehow being ripped off is not well deserved. They just had no support from their own people and they wasted our time trying to help them.

Also, we do not “pitch” our program. Our members select a charity that they wish to support and then a process of qualification begins. If it appears after a survey of the organization that there is insufficient support from the organization’s members and supporters to participate, then we do not offer the program to that organization.

Our members are not “sales agents.” We are not involved in sales at all. We offer the opportunity to make a stewardship choice where none existed before.

Your characterization of Excel as being like Amway or Mary Kay is ill-conceived. Excel is network marketing, and Amway and Mary Kay are multilevel marketing.

You also wrote, “… and recruit at least three of that charity’s supporters to become Excel representatives themselves and to recruit both new customers and other people to the sales force.” Unfortunately, this is totally wrong. Those who volunteer to help gather pledges will be registered with Excel as reps, but this is only a formality and costs them nothing, and they are not expected to “do” anything except help gather the customers for the charity. We never ask them to “recruit other people.”

We do ask them to tell other charities about the program, and if they refer another charity that does the program, they will get a bonus and so will their charity.

Seán Milroy
Operations Director
Seedlings Foundation
Sanford, Fla.