Petaluma’s Polly Klaas Foundation was honored by the US Dept. of Justice this week, being named the 2011 Missing Children Nonprofit of the year by the United States Department of Justice’ Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
In Oct. 1993, Violet and I founded the Polly Klaas Foundation (PKF) to protect ourselves from potential speculation that we would misappropriate money donated to help find Polly, who had been kidnapped on Oct. 1. Upon learning of Polly’s tragic death on Dec. 4, it was our intention to lobby for laws that would protect children, use the remaining $283,000 to help find other missing children, and continue fundraising. On October 21, 1994, without my knowledge or permission, the PKF board of directors secured a trademark for the name Polly Klaas. In November 1994, in an act of stunning moral cowardice, the board of directors of the PKF voted me off the board during a secret meeting that I was not privy to. When they informed me via telephone I felt as if I had lost my daughter yet again. Violet and I were no longer welcome at the Foundation that we had created and hoped would become Polly’s legacy.
In September, 1994 several events foretold our rocky path and lonely crusade. On the 13th I stood on the podium with President Clinton on the White House south lawn when he signed The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994. The President gave me the first pen that he used to sign the bill. Among other things the Crime Bill provided for 100,000 new cops, allocated $6.1-billion in prevention funds for at risk children, and nearly $10-billion for prison construction costs.
Days later the board of directors informed me that I would no longer be allowed to pursue criminal justice legislation, arguing that a non-profit organization is prohibited from advocating for new laws. They knew that this was not true and continued supporting and promoting legislation long after they gave me the boot.
Before the month was out I had submitted a separate non-profit application to create the KlaasKids Foundation, from which to lobby, advocate and promote legislation. The PKF board said that I had created a conflict of interest by finding an avenue that would allow me to pursue goals that they forbade me from pursuing. This became the justification for kicking me out of the Polly Klaas Foundation. Ironically, one of the stated goals on the Polly Klaas Foundation’s current mission statement is to effect legislation which, “Will ensure that children can be safe in their own homes and communities.”
When Violet and I were shown the door we had $2,000, a fledgling non-profit that would become the KlaasKids Foundation and sense of urgency. We believed that there was no time to lose, because otherwise everyone would forget. We struggled. She worked a regular job, I volunteered my time. We lived frugally, turning our home into an office, with a small loft devoted to personal space. We worked 18-hour days writing, advocating, traveling and otherwise pursuing our window of opportunity. Fortunately, our voice was being heard on television, radio, in the op-ed pages of newspapers and at KlaasKids events throughout the country.
As KlaasKids built a solid reputation for action and accomplishment the PKF struggled. With just a few months of operating expenses left in their account, they launched a high profile car donation program. For the next several years a confused public donated millions of dollars worth of vehicles as the PKF produced minimal results.
How do I know this to be true? Because over the past two days many people, even some that I have known for years, congratulated me for the OJJDP recognition as the 2011 Missing Children Nonprofit of the year.
The KlaasKids Foundation may not have won any awards, but I will stack our accomplishments up against any other missing children’s NPO. Below I have outlined some of KlaasKids 2010 accomplishments. I have left off our Print-A-Thon programs and the tens of thousands of free Child ID Kits that we distribute throughout the year.
The KlaasKids Foundation may not have won any awards, but I will stack our accomplishments up against any other missing children’s NPO. Below I have outlined some of KlaasKids 2010 accomplishments. I have left off our Print-A-Thon programs and the tens of thousands of free Child ID Kits that we distribute throughout the year.
· KlaasKids offers multiple levels of support for the missing and their families. From grassroots search-and-rescue assistance, to human trafficking intervention; from legislative support to providing experts to the media, KlaasKids remains at the forefront of safety innovation and proactive advocacy.
- In 2010, KlaasKids’ search and rescue efforts provided assistance in 86 cases. Our search center has also played an active role in 33 missing person/trafficking cases. Of those, eight out of nine children were rescued from human trafficking. In the other 25 cases, nine were safely located, four were recovered, and 12 remain missing.
- KlaasKids actively advocated for California’s Chelsea’s Law, which increases prison time, prohibits sex offenders from entering parks frequented by children, and increases use of trackable GPS devices to monitor paroled offenders.
- We also supported California laws AB 33, which requires law enforcement to establish written procedures on how to handle missing child cases;
- AB 34, which will reduce the time to notify the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and California’s Violent Crime Information Center (VCIC) from four hours to two;
- AB 1022, which establishes a position in the Department of Justice for a new director to oversee missing children recovery processes.
- KlaasKids also continues to work with the Flying J chain of truck stops to bring a broadcast quality suite of television options to America’s 2,000,000-plus long haul truck drivers, so that they can become an army of first responders whenever a televised Amber Alert is issued in the United States.
- In September, KlaasKids initiated a lawsuit against California’s Department of Mental Health (DMH) for releasing tens of thousands of potential sexually violent predators in violation of Jessica’s Law, which was passed in 2006 Jessica’s Law mandates that, prior to release from prison, violent sex offenders who meet certain offense criteria be evaluated in person by two expert psychiatrists or psychologists. If the experts agree that the prisoner is a violent sexual predator with a high risk of reoffending, they must be referred to the District Attorney for civil commitment proceedings. However, in many cases since 2007, the DMH has provided only a cursory “paper screening,” or records review, of potential predators by only one mental health professional in lieu of an expert panel in-person evaluation.
- On the proactive front, KlaasKids long-standing relationship with Fight Crime: Invest in Kids has paid great dividends. As you will read in this edition, the California branch of this national non-profit organization, led by more than 400 police chiefs, sheriffs, district attorneys, and crime survivors, has ensured that California is the nation’s leader in supporting after-school programs.
WOW! How ABSURD that you could be voted out of the foundation you and Violet created in YOUR daughters name!!
Mark you have done many wonderful things. It is always with heart-stopping amazement that I try to imagine what kind of people would dupe others about missing persons to make themselves look good or worse yet to steal money etc from them. I am sorry that this has all happened but I truly believe that things happen for a reason, you have taken something horrible and turned it into a way to help others. Those people you have helped will never, ever forget your organization and the things you do for them.
This is an outrage. I am so sorry for what you have been through and I so admire what you've done in Polly's honor and in her memory. I live in the Bay Area and I remember when Polly went missing. I am devastated to know that there's an organization out there using your daughter's name as they are after kicking you off the board. I can't say I'd have been able to handle this with the grace and dignity that you shown.
At the end of the day, you Marc are "KlaasKids" just as I am sure you were PKF. I hear nothing of this organization, but I sure know of KlaasKids and even more, I definitely know of you. I'm a mom myself and watch CNN when you're on. I always say to myself that if my child were ever missing that you'd be the first person I'd call (knock on wood). Not only to help with the search, but to guide me through the process you've described where you did anything and everything asked of you so you could immediately be ruled out so resources could be used elsewhere. I am also always amazed at your ability to look at this missing children cases and instinctively know the likely profile of the person involved. I remember Polly so well and I am in awe of what you have done and continue to do to save children from Polly's fate.
I wish you all the best Marc. Please keep doing what you do. The parents and the children in this country need you and you've done right by your beautiful daughter and honored her memory in such an amazing way. There's no doubt that in your devastating loss that you've saved so many parents the pain you've endured. And I thank you for this.
God bless.
Lisa
I don't get it Marc. Do you mean to tell me they voted PKF which you are no longer even a part of Non-Profit of the year? That's crazy! Sounds like they are misappropriating funds and a investigation needs to be done. Then you go on to say, "they secured a trademark for the name Polly Klaas." How the heck can they trademark your daughters name? That's crap. You need to file a lawsuit in federal court. Sounds like they are using the Missing to bankroll their pockets. There was another shady missing child site out there in the Northwest who I felt was doing the same thing and I noticed they are shut down now. It was called "ChildSeek."
Dear Marc and Violet,
You have my full and continuing support for KlaasKids Foundation. I donate my time andd energy to many child advocacy groups, so I'm going through my facebook friendships and pages I've liked to make sure I have no affiliation with the Polly Klaas Foundation. This is a tragedy that your sweet daughter's name has been monopolized by this group for their own 'interests'. I'm appalled by the treatment Violet and you have received. This information is new to me since I've only been in the position to advocate for children quite recently in a more pronounced effort. Thank you for this information. I'm currently active with the Army of Angels who are involved in the National Child Abuse Prevention Month of which you will be participating and of which some of the proceeds will benefit the KlaasKids Foundation. I will do my best in honoring Polly's name with my efforts in helping to make people know of this most worthy cause which is close to my heart.
Thank you and Violet for your continuing battle in saving our children. I know I speak for many who feel the same way I do about the hard work you both do in Polly's memory. We stand beside you in bringing our children out of the darkness and into the light.
My Best, Kat McLaughlin