Chapter 13 - THE FOUNDATION
The board did not hand Evelyn absolute power after the incident.
That would have repeated the same problem in reverse.
Instead it adopted reforms.
Independent treasurer.
Conflict-of-interest disclosures.
No family-controlled vendor without competitive review.
Caregiving reimbursements separated from foundation expenses.
Temporary chair incapacity required:
defined medical documentation,
two independent board officers,
and written notice to the chair when possible.
Evelyn supported all of it.
Including limits on herself.
One director asked:
“Do you really want the incapacity rule this strict?”
Evelyn said:
“I want it clear.”
The foundation recovered part of the disputed money.
Grant repaid $41,000 after vendor adjustments.
Celia repaid $23,000 in unsupported reimbursements.
Other amounts were accepted as legitimate expenses.
No one lost everything.
The board reforms included one rule Evelyn initially resisted.
The chair could no longer approve emergency grants above a defined threshold alone.
“That has nothing to do with what happened.”
Pauline said:
“It has everything to do with founder dependence.”
Evelyn frowned.
The board was using the crisis to fix weaknesses around everyone.
Including her.
She voted yes.
That vote convinced several directors the review was not simply revenge against Celia and Grant.
The foundation continued operating.
Evelyn eventually apologized to foundation staff too.
“I trained all of you to come to me for everything.”
One employee smiled.
“You did.”
“I liked being needed.”
Another said:
“We liked having one answer.”
“Exactly.”
Founder dependence had been convenient for everyone.
Until the founder became physically slower.
Then the organization looked for a substitute person instead of a better system.
That was how Celia’s rise became plausible.
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The cure was not finding a kinder substitute.
It was distributing authority clearly.
