Chapter 10 - THE SECOND HOUSE
The audit found another problem.
A foundation-owned guesthouse near a rural shelter campus.
Purchased for visiting veterinarians and disaster-response teams.
But records showed Margaret used it personally:
eleven weekends in two years.
No rental payment.
No board approval.
She argued:
she was conducting site visits.
Some weekends had no scheduled foundation work.
Value of personal use:
estimated $18,000.
Small relative to the endowment.
Still misuse.
Then foundation paid:
$9,400 in furnishings selected by Margaret,
including designer furniture not required for operations.
Again:
not millions.
Pattern.
Charity and lifestyle had become blurry because Margaret saw no meaningful line between:
her image,
her house,
her family,
May you like
the foundation.
She believed all four served each other.
