By Joe Michael
The Ethiopian Sport Federation in North America (ESFNA) is a money-spinning organization owned by few individuals who never care for sport at all. The organization maintained its tax exempt status from the Federal and State governments by claiming that it is a non-profit organization, and it doesn’t affiliate with any political group. Ironically, each year thousands of Ethiopians are required to pay fees to watch soccer tournaments; people with political motivation and affiliation have been making donations; soccer tournament gatherings have been used as a juncture for political propaganda, etc.
The leadership of ESFNA has been advised in multiple occasions to be isolated from any politically motivated donation, and to make it clear to the public how much money they are making each year. Since all donations and business profits have been utilized in the name of ‘assisting Ethiopians’, the public has a right to know if the funds have been used for what they were originally obligated for- that is assisting Ethiopians.
ESFNA has been urged numerous times to provide articulated financial records attesting the allocation of funds. To date, no one, except the so called ESFNA executives know how much money ESFNA has raised in the name of Ethiopians, and how much of the money were justifiably spent.
Recently, we learned that ESFNA received a donation of $300,000 from the Ethiopian tycoon, who is a close ally of the current Ethiopian regime. While the motive behind such a huge money donation is mysterious, one thing is very clear for most of us that once again, the ESFNA collected the money in the name of assisting Ethiopians.
Although we appreciate the social gathering opportunity facilitated by the annual soccer tournament, we all hate to see our Ethiopian identity being used to raise money for no other reason than boosting few individuals’ prosperity.
ESFNA should be reminded of its legal obligations that sport gatherings cannot be used as a means for political propaganda, donations should not be collected from politically driven donors, and the public must be informed about the expenditure of funds received from the sale of tournament tickets and donations.
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The writer can be reached at [email protected]
Of all the cheap flights in the market, the flights to london are the only one that offer quality on flight services. Although the flights to boston have always promised quality, they have seldom delivered it. A good example would be of flights to phoenix that accepts the bad quality, or the flights to paris, that accept that they are outrageously expensive.
36 thoughts on “ESFNA Should Be Reminded”
I still believe these people of this sports organization should be left alone on this one. I am not sure what Joe’s intentions are. He sounds someone trying to be even with these guys. I never had the chance to be in any one of these gatherings but I have heard from various people who have been there that the festival has been entertaining and an excellent meeting place with friends who have not seen each other for a long time. I would like to remind these folks not to align themselves with any political groupings but I will not accuse them to be just that already. I sense a trace of covetousness in this article. It carries a truck load of unfair warnings. He may be trying to tell on a small 3rd world entertainment organization. That is what I feel about this article. If I am wrong I will stand corrected. Mr. Elias, thank you letting this comment ride on your website.
This is really important information and a red light for those who are corrupting the money in the name of Ethiopians. Every body of us should know that woyane is trying to use the assocation to disintegrate our unity. The diaspora community should tell them something and establish a comitte to investigate the situation. if they are not in a possition to clean themselves from the economic and political embezelement they have been engaged, they have to know that we have the right to establish a nutral and visionary assocation any time soon.
thank you elias, please keep it up exposing such corrupted groups
ESFNA is wrost. I had a dream that this organization will be naked for the public to see its ugly features. the land we live in is a place one can rise and fall down ungracfully like a tree.
Honest man,
You are missing the point completely. ESFNA is a 501(C)3
organiztion and as such its books have to be open. These
guys are using this organization as their piggy bank, there
is a lot of corruption within the organization and they refuse to mend their ways. In fact, they claim that they
have never made any money for the last 25 years.
To make matters worse they have been in the tank with woyane
through Alamoudi. It is really time to bust this syndicate of frifari lekames. ESFNA needs to be reorganized so that it
would be a useful venue for all kinds of Ethiopian civic activities. They hvae also refused a girl’s team to play in the tournament and that is against Title IX and thay should be busted for gender discrimination.
THEY ARE ROTTEN TO THE CORE!!!
First and most I would like to say happy 25th birth day to ESFNA.ESFNA has managed to survive so many obstacles to be undoubtly the most successful Ethiopian organization of any type. Recently their is a smear campaign underway possibly by weyane and anti Ethiopian elements. The poor losers are mad that Ethiopians are joining together to shine with unity. They are spewing their idiotic rumors to convince us as if our IQ is 5.Hey losers don’t make fool out of your self instead come to the stadium and chill out.
Bastards! I am boycotting it,and I will tell others to do the same.It was supposed to be political free, but these greedy people accept money from a woyana snake.
So called Honestman, shut the hell up. Your input is a mere nonsense, and it is not needed here. If you love woyana go kiss their ass. Don’t act like you are anti-woyana and then go ahead and support such as a ESFNA. It is very simple you wither love woyana or hate woyana. What is your stand?nevermind your stand is corrupt get corrected.
I think it is time to boycott ESFNA or simply organize a counter ESFNA outfit that is more transparent and honest. What is the deal between the Sheik and ESFNA anyway? This is not the first time he is doling out over a quarter of a million? Is he trying to own it ahead of the incorporation of the women team so he could have….
ESFNA should reflect the value and ethical standard of a non profit organization.
ESFNA shouldn’t be a toy for blood sucking tplf business man.
Thank you for your information.ESNF shold be free of any political organization. taking a huge money from the person loyal to one party will raise a question why?
I believe ESFANA is a usless organization.What good has ESFANA has accomplished since it’s establishment except being a show-off arena ? Let us try this:-How about turning ESFANA to a political party or a charity organization,for one year, and see how many people turn up ?
ESFANA Y_FANA
These days anyone can post a message online which is a sad truth. Just b/c “Joe Michael” said ESFNA is being used to benefit few individuals, it doesn’t make the organization all evil.
Who the hell is Joe Michael? Based on what facts is this person questioning ESFANA? Whoever you are, can you be more specific than presenting blind accusation. Trust me I have no association with this organization. I love ESFANA as this is the only opportunity I have to meet with my families and friends. But I don’t mean that the orgn shouldn’t be questioned for its wrong doings if it did any. Those who have doubts about ESFANA’s finances and work ethics should directly contact the organization or seek other venues to find out.
As always most ER readers emotionally react rather than rationalize on the postings.
I truly smell cheap smear campaign and trouble in this article.
Let them make money and get money from every corner, as long as their books are clean and abiding by the law of the land. As far as we know, ESFNA is neutral and is not involved in any political activity. If it had, weyanne would have them change the venue of the annual tournament to Addis by now. To the contrary, they have stood their ground for so long. So lets at least give them credit for staying here in North America, where it all started for a long 25 years.
My suspicion is that this sounds like another scheme by agents of destruction to create havoc and confusion and ultimately attempt to destroy the one institution that has survived for 25 years. Please stop shading your crocodile tears in the name of accountability to smear the name of an entity that has come a long way.
I am not saying ESFNA should not be accountable. What I hate is when those with political agendas come out of the woodworks trying to dictate and interfer in the internal affairs of this entity.
Joe or whover you are, if you are truly someone with real concern, this is not the right platform for such accusation on smear campaign. If you are truly for the people of Ethiopia and the good of Ethiopians in the Diaspora community, you would have approached this matter by going to the source and address it there. However, you chose this platform hoping it will cause damage. this tactic is all too familiar. If someone is truly concerned or had credible information, one would obviously go to the appropriate people and seek clarification. But using a web site to spread your sleazy con job sounds like the old style political mud slinging that we are accustomed to see before.
Beth,
Thank you very much. I am not aware of their being linked to any political groupings. I am not why they have to do that. They still can function in independence. They are here in America, right? Am I wrong? They can get contributions for corporations and donor organizations here in the USA. But what do I know? Right? They must thing in the long run. Governments can come and can go. We have seen three in our country in our life time already. Even the Soviets are history.
I have no information about this organization except that they have been organizing such an annual event. I have not come accross an Ethiopian for the last 5 years. I thought the article was a little harsh and rather sounded finky to me. But thanks for shading some light on this one and I stand corrected. God Bless.
Whatever this Al Amudi dude offers, ESFNA should spend only on projects that are useful useful.
Why spend two hundred fifty thousand dollars on Atlanta Dome?
Why Spend Two hundred thousand dollars on LA coliseum?
Why Spend three hundred thousand on RFK Stadium?
When the spectators at any given time are, the most twenty thousand?
We know these stadiums have the capacity to take well over 80,000 people. But why do we get them for an event that is strictly Ethiopian and interests only at most 20,000 people?
We have spectators , the most 10,000.
Every Ethiopian who support democracy should not be going to ESFNA
This article is nice he is great Ethiopian
Elias Kifle thank you for letting us know that ESFNA is Weyane company
ESFANA is dead. They have turned their eye on the plight of the ethiopian people and has opted to aliegn themselves with the tplf agent and admininstrator of Meles’s personal fianance, Alamoudi. We must change the leadershiop before the woyane officaily control it or we should boycott the event as i did.
Jara and Yasazinal:
Either you two are the ESFNA elite deliberately trying to mislead the public at large or totally and completely don’t get it. We really don’t give a rats ass who Joe Michael is. The point is why is Sheik Al Amoudi (TPLF’s money laundromat man)so interested in this organization, he is paying this outrageous sum of money. We know that he financed the ‘Millennium Fiasco’ trying to showcase the crown achievements of the TPLF at the beginning of EC 2000. What are his designs vis a vis ESFNA; that is what everyone wants to know. If you know the answer please enlighten us otherwise please zip up!
Thank God there are still people who have the courage to speak up their mind. Mr. Joe Michael has truly won my respect for his clearly defined position in what is noble and honorable as opposed to being a subservient and low down beggar who is wiiling to sell his pride, honor and dignity to the highest bidder. Bravo! Yoseph for a job well done!!!
This is the kind of journalism that we expect from ER. Continue in this line.
Surafel,
I am not in anyway affiliated to ESFNA. Trust me, I do not know any soul there, nor do I care who runs it. What I know is they have been doing this for the last 25 long years. They may not be perfect, but considering the suspicious nature of our community, they have been doing fine. At least they have not failed to organize every year.
Can they improve their ways? Yes, they can. Do they sometimes disappoint us in terms of what appears to be lack of sound judgment and disorganization in programming and choice of venue? Yes they have. Have they moved the venue to Ethiopia, like what weyannes wanted? NO, THEY HAVE NOT! And I hope they keep it that way. Does the Sheik somehow try to get a piece of the action or try somehow to be be seen as part of the ESFNA events? Sure, he does. That is in the nature of that individual. I guess he not only likes the attention, but he also wants to control everything. But does ESFNA let him control them or snatch this event from them? I doubt it very much.
What Joe wrote, is nothing new. Their books should be open to the public that seek informatio, becuase of their non-profit status. That is a legitmate concern, and I agree with Joe or with whomever raises that issue.
I am quite aware about Alamoudi’s intention. Everyone knows he always likes to be in the middle of any action that has mass following. He likes to rub his nose everywhere there is some gathering. I personally don’t like the guy becuase of his recent attachment to the regime. But just becuase he put a few thousand dollars to ESFNA, that does not mean he is going to take over ESFNA. I just don’t see it happening. If you are saying his money is “dirty” and should not be honored, then that is totally another story altogether. My point is guilt by association has harmed our community in the past. So, we need to be careful when we campaign and use the web as a platform to right any wrong we see in any of our problem solving solutions. That was the crux of my concern and comment. What I was trying to convey and question was the tactic and wisdom used to come out in the open when there is a better way of dealing with this matter.
I am sure some of the fear provided by the author are well founded and may be so true. However, the timing and the manner it was presented, is quite questionable. As I have said earlier, my problem is not with the merit or demerits of the contents of the article, but with the tactic used and its timing. For all we know what Joe said may well be real concerns, but we need a better way of approaching our collective concern than to gang up on this institution just about the time they are trying to host Ethiopians from all over the world.
Peace.
this organization needs to be dismanteled and replaced with a comptent one
What is the difference between criminals and those who harbor them? We all know what the Sheik is up to. ESFNA was not supposed to be surrendered to the Sheik knowing what he is up to.
If ESFNA wants to earn people’s trust, it has to do a lot of explanation.
A watchdog group has been formed to investigate corruption inside the Ethiopian Sports Federation in North America (ESFNA). According to the group, which calls itself ‘ESFNA Watch’, board members of ESFNA are accused of underreporting earnings, exaggerating deductions and exemptions, and participating in questionable tax shelters. For details, click the groups web site, esfnawatch.com
This bloody suckers and hodams should be exposed to IRS. USA is a country where law and order fuction perfectly. These corrupted hodams have a close tie with arab’s agent and they are working with both weyanes and arab’s agents against their own country and ppl. shame on you. The solution, they must be faced for irs , and the organization should be led by true ethiopians or true ethiopians should form another organization
Selam All,
As a former Secretary of ESFNA, I read and view articles and websites on ESFNA (Ethiopian Sports Federation in North America) with keen interest. I read Mr Joe Michael’s, Mr. Yilma Bekele’s and decided to drop a few facts. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT I AM NOT SPEAKING ON OFFICIAL CAPACITY BUT SHARING MY VIEWS.
It never cease to amaze me how it’s, at times, perfectly okay for inidividuals to simply slap titles on individuals and organizations with impunity. Mr. Michael, for instance, says “…(ESFNA) is a money-spinning organization owned by few individuals who never care for sport at all”. This is the first sentence of the article. And, in entirely contradicting second sentence writes, ” The organization maintained its tax exempt status from the Federal and State governments by claiming that it is a non-profit organization, and it doesn’t affiliate with any political group.” Which one should we believe? Folks, ESFNA is either a profit or non-profit organization. It can’t be both. And, the organization I served and care about is neither owned by individuals nor a money-spinning machine.
Here is ESFNA for me. ESFNA is a non-profit organization–on the Federal level. It is comprised of 27 soccer teams from 22 North-American States (including Ontario, Canada). It has an Executive Committee of Nine members and 27 Board of Directors representing the 27 teams. At the beginning of a tournament ESFNA brings over 650 players from all over the world–primarily from North America. It’s growing since its inception in 1984 mirrors that of the Ethiopian migration experience in North America–the first teams were from Washington D.C., Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco,…. This is the only Ethiopian Organization that I know that have had 7 presidents, as many Secretaries, even more Treasurers….
I know ESFNA had its share of mind-boggling short-comings in planning and executing its stated and desired objectives. Primarily, because it’s run by volunteers (not salaried or commissioned) on part-time basis…. More can be said…..Please ask anyting you want and I will gladly and honestly tell you what I know.
Coming back to the Sheik’s donation. As ESFNA stated it in its website, this is not the first time Sheik Mohammed donated money to ESFNA. If you remember, he was a special guest at the 2002 ESFNA tournament. Right afterward, he donated $450K–which we had a press release on at the time. I know for fact where the money went. A $100K of it went to the starving and drought-stricken Ethiopia of 2003. If you remember over 14million people were facing famine at the time. At the time ESFNA had 25 teams and each received $10k donation. The rest of the money ($100K) went to assist the 2003 and 2004 tournaments–ESFNA made a decision to host the tournaments at bigger venues (please ask why if you want).
I’m sure ESFNA will once again use the money for similar purposes. I tell you the truth, neither the Sheik nor his political views were ever an influence in ESFNA. Trust me when I tell you this–don’t underestimate ESFNA’s Board of Directors! As for me, his donations are not dissimilar to his assistance in paying Singer Tilahun Gessesse’s, Ethiopian National Goal-Keeper Ali Redi’s medical expenses or other benevolent contributions to Ethiopian causes. Much can be said, but, since most of you may live near to one of ESFNA’s member teams, please go and speak with the team representative for more details. Your questions and comments are welcome.
Redeat Bayleyegn
Phoenix, AZ
ESFNA is doing business with suspended non -profit status
Mr. ESFNA ,why did ESFNA changed the agent name on June 2008 after this information was posted.
According to IRS ESFNA never informed IRS that the non-profit status was suspended by Secretary of State.
You can not be suspended state level and be a tax exempt federal level.
As a former ESFNA secretary,why did you amended the suspended status.
Fasil Ababa,is the current agent name,and it is to late for ESFNA to comply with the law.
ESFNA incorporated in DC on June 18,2008 in DC.
ESFNA should not host tournament in CA while the non-profit status was suspended.
http://www.sos.ca.gov/
1. Select Business Programs
2. Slect Business Entity
3. Select California Business search
4. Type Ethiopian Sport Federation in north America
The information displayed here is current as of “JUN 20, 2008” and is updated weekly. It is not a complete or certified record of the Corporation.
——————————————————————————–
Corporation
ETHIOPIAN SPORT FEDERATION IN NORTH AMERICA
Number: C1478825 Date Filed: 3/21/1990 Status: suspended
Jurisdiction: California
Address
3501 WEST 84 PLACE
INGLEWOOD, CA 90305
Agent for Service of Process
FASSIL ABEBE
The information displayed here is current as of “JUN 06, 2008” and is updated weekly. It is not a complete or certified record of the Corporation.
——————————————————————————–
Corporation
ETHIOPIAN SPORT FEDERATION IN NORTH AMERICA
Number: C1478825 Date Filed: 3/21/1990 Status: suspended
Jurisdiction: California
Address
2050 SW EXPRESSWAY 30
SAN JOSE, CA 95126
Agent for Service of Process
MAKONNEN GEBREHIWOT
2050 SW EXPRESSWAY 30
SAN JOSE, CA 95126 For information about certification of corporate records or for additional corporate information, please refer to Corporate Records.
Blank fields indicate the information is not contained in the computer file.
If the status of the corporation is “Surrender”, the agent for service of process is automatically revoked. Please refer to California Corporations Code Section 2114 for information relating to service upon corporations that have surrendered
Commentator 27, thank you for your question:
Here are two important things a reader ought to understand. There are two-non-profit status. A federal and state(s). ESFNA is a non-profit organization on a federal level–and NOT SUSPENDED! ESFNA dutifully files Form 990 every year. It is in good standing and can do business in any state it chooses! And as Commentator 27 informed you, it has now acquired a non-profit status in Washington DC. Washington DC wouldn’t have granted ESFNA a non-profit status if it wasn’t in good standing on the Federal level. ESFNA can apply and rightfully gain non-profit status in the 50 states of the union. What that means is that it has to file returns and applications (such as Form 990) with all the states. For an organization run by part-time volunteers, such process would be too cumbersome. Thus, in the past, ESFNA had applied and gained non-profit status in the State of California. Now that status is suspended because we didn’t continue filing returns to the state. We are perfectly aware of it and chose to not do anything about it–I guess until now. For instance, I know about this issue since 2002 and it’s not hidden from ESFNA Board members. As all of you know, ESFNA had a tournament in San Diego in 1995, San Francisco/San Jose 2001 and Los Angeles in 2006–if its status was suspended on the Federal level, how was it able to organize and file 990 on these years? I don’t know if Commentator 27 is aware but this is not a big deal at all. Readers who have limited knowledge on this matter shouldn’t be alarmed. If an organization neglects or chooses to let a non-profit status expire, it only means that the organization will not reap the benefits of a non-profit organization from that state. Simple as that! And, as Commentator 27 informed us that ESFNA has taken a step in amending its officer, on a “suspended status”. When I was a secretary, I didn’t find amending the officer a top priority. It shows thus that if ESFNA wants to regain its full status back from California, it just needs to recomply with the state’s re-instatement requirements. Trust me, there is nothing in this tangent.
Thank you for your questions and feel free to send another one.
Redeat Bayleyegn
Phoenix, AZ
You are so stupid and do not mislead Ethiopians.
It is best for you to be quite and let IRS finished the investigations.
1. To incorporated a non profit status is no big deal.
2. ESFNA changed the agent name after the information leak the week of June 6,2008 to the current PR.
3. IRS had told us that it was ESFNA’s responsibilities to inform IRS that ESFNA was suspended in the sate of CA.
4. Why did ESFNA changed agent name after the information leak?. The agent name was the same since 1990 to 2008.
A 501c tax exempt status is issued by IRS.
Secretary of State does not have to notify IRS that a corporation is suspended.
ESFNA was filing 990 tax return while it was suspended by secretary of state.
ESFNA incorporated in DC one June 18 after the suspended information was leak .
ESFNA is doing business with suspended non-profit status.
It is driving with suspended driving license in another state.
Now IRS is informed thanks to the watchgroups.
Redeat,
Thank you for your response in this matter. However, I also have some concerns about the whole ESFNA non-profit assertion and its activities in the real world.
1-Why is it the Federation always sales the vendors instead of giving them for free to older Ethiopians, women, small businesses, etc.
2-If people like the Tycoon donated huge amount of money, why do we still have to pay for tournament ticket?
3-Most importantly, after being in business for about two decades, are you saying ESFNA don’t have a strategic plan to host annual soccer tournaments by itself without a help from people like the Tycoon?
4-What do you think is ESFNA’s problem?
Thanks again.
What Ethiopians in diaspora in particular in the usa didn’t know about was that the woyanaetplf crimefamily spyes and agents have had infliterated EFSNA long time ago and didn’t Ethiopians know that these agents had run ESFNA for the purpose of isolating Ethipians from ESFNA leading to creating mistrust between Ethiopians and ESFNA and finally leading ESFNA to its disintegration.
We have to direct our attention to how the EFSNA was infliterated and was run by tplfwoyane agents? We must also focus on how to safeguard organizations such ESFNA from being cracked into and ifliterated by anti-Ethiopians, in the future.
Members of the committee, possibly all of them or the majority of them or the very few key members were in fact planted as spy agents by tplfwoyanae crimefamilies and were working in clandestine as nothing but elements against Ethiopians. Do we, Ethiopians know how to safeguard organization and organizations from woyanetplf crimefamily infliteraters?
No doubt about it. Al Amoudi and woyanaetplf crimefamilies are aliens and anti-Ethiopians, and are one and the same working as one against the wellbeing of Ethiopians and against the security of Ethiopia. Both enemies of Ethiopia must be removed from the surface of Ethiopia by any means possible. This is urgent.
The most important question is, how could possibly that alien and anti-Ethiopia, Al Amoudi dare to have had contribute a sum of $300,000 to ESFNA after having fooled and disrespected millions of Ethiopians by coming out of the closet in 2005, indeed and in fact openly declaring himself that he was one of the key members of the crimefamily since his out of thin air arrival with the robbers and murderers in Ethiopia?
What Ethiopians in the diaspora (usa) must ask is that the supposedly donation in the amount of $300,000 on a check must be posted or published on local newspapers to confirm that the amount had been donated so that Ethiopians in diaspora and else where would decide what to do with the money. If members of the committee in ESFNA refuse to do so, it means it was either a fake claim designed to breakup the relationship between the ESFNA and Ethiopians or the amount was in fact a pay out which altimately these agents in the ESFNA would share amongest themselves. Either way, the whole thing was planned to cause harm on Ethiopians.
If indeed, these members of the commeettee were not agents and anti-Ethiopia and in fact,were true pulic servants, they should have informed and consult with the public whether the donation would be accepted or not by Ethiopians;this would suggest that it was a well planned work designed by the agnets to create chaois and mistrust between ESFNA and the diaspora.
Finally, Al Amoudi would not fool himself to have had donated the amount for it would be the foolish attempt to foolishly win the hearts an mminds of the diaspora; whether, the donation is real or fake, it is the work of both tplfwoyane and Al Amoudi through their agents to fool Ethiopians.
Dear IRS was not informed,
What is the need for insut in a civilized conversation? Please assume for a while that you and the rest of us are sitting around table to discuss this and assume some kind of civility–for the sake of understanding. I’m certain that you are better than this.
The reason I’m in this discussion is because there are some out of this world perceptions and imaginations about ESFNA–and legitimate questions (i.e by Mamo at # 30). I’m using my real name; I told you where I live and up to what level I have served in the Federation. I will tell you the truth. Okay moving on to the questions….
IRS, I told you already that ESFNA has been aware of our suspension of status by the state of California. But once again, ESFNA is in good standing with the IRS on the Federal level. Fasil Abebe is ESFNA’s new Public Relation’s Officer (the third one in five years via democratic election). He started his duty in January. At this time, he is greeted by websites and discussion forum chats such as ESFNAWATCH about ESFNA’s non-profit status. It’s my understanding that since there is much chatter about this issue the Executive Committee decided to do something about it –at least updating the name of the current agent. Nonetheless, ESFNA’s status suspension in California wouldn’t affect the Federation from doing business in california. As I informed you in my last entry, we had three tournaments in California since 1990. In all these tournaments ESFNA didn’t misrepresented itself as an entity that has a non-profit status by the state. We only said and rightfully received benefits associated with the Federal governments stipulation of a non-profit entity. Therefore, no big deal! All I can say is don’t try to read too much into it.
Finally, if you want me to “…to be quite and let IRS finished the investigations, ” I will gladly do when you also do the same. However, when there are so much rubbish thrown at an organization that I was a part of since 1992 is undly attacked, I will tell my side of the story.
Redeat Bayleyegn
Dear Mamo,
Thank you for your questions.
Here are my answers based on my personal views on the questions:
Answer to Q1: ESFNA is a non-profit organization. But, it doesn’t mean it doesn’t have costs associated with its operations. Organizing an annual soccer and cultural tournament has sizeable costs. And, its source of revenue are limited; and selling vending rights is one of the major sources of revenue to offset its costs. If it doesn’t generate revenue by selling vendor rights, there wouldn’t be a continuity to the annual events. This is the basis explanation. I can also reply to your questions with this inquiry: How do you define “older Ethiopians”? How do you approach them? What if they don’t want it?…. What kind of women? Why not men? Also, small businesses are in business to create profit. Why should a non-profit organization give them something for free?….
Q2. Mamo, I also wish if ticket prices could be lowered. But, in order to do that, there must be a consistent source of revenue that can subsidize this main source of revenue to the Federation. ESFNA is 25 years old and this is only the second time anyone gave it any money–sizeable, too. Please read my first entry on June 28 to find out what ESFNA did with the first donation. ESFNA needs entrace fees just like you and I need our paychecks.
Q3. I believe the Federation has survived and will survive without anyone giving it any money. But it only helps to receive donations. Tournamets will be hosted in better stadiums and hotels if ESFNA has better cash reserves. One of the reasons ESFNA decided to host tournaments in bigger venues recently is due to providing better facilities to participants and better soccer fields to the players. And, ESFNA tries its best to make sure its revenues from tournaments is bigger than its costs. However, there are instances where ESFNA hasn’t generated enough revenue or even operated in the red. However, regardless of donation or not, there will be another tournament.
Q4. “What do you think is ESFNA’s problem?” Here are a few that I would like to call challenges:
1. ESFNA’s inability to best communicate with the public. Trust me however, it tries through its web-based radio, website, townhall meetings in potential host cities….
2. ESFNA has baggage issues the public hasn’t forgotten or forgiven yet–even after ESFNA has amended some major ones. For instance, it has blundered closing night music shows. It had individuals who have been accused of misusing funds when individual teams, NOT the Federation, was 100% in charge of costs and revenues from tournaments. ESFNA’s ticketing system was not upto par to the public’s perception before it started hiring the likes of TicketMaster.
3. ESFNA expansion. This is the challenge of finding a way to incoporate “more” teams in addition to the existing 27. As the number of Ethiopians grow in and outside of the current 22 member cities, the demand to expand the Federation is becoming acute. Expansion has numerous challenges and rewards the Federation is keenly aware of it.
4. The need to infuse the Federation with better qualified individuals. ESFNA is run by gallant volunteer individuals in the Board and Executive Committee–not to mention at the sub-committee levels. First let me share with you how individuals come into ESFNA. In ideal situation, member teams elect their team leaders and send one or two individuals to the biannual Federation meetings. Thus, those individuals become ESFNA’s Board members. Once these individuals serve minimum of 3 years as Board members, they become eligible for the 9 Executive Committee positions. Basically, you have to go through the teams to be eligible to serve in the Federation. And, ESFNA may not get the best and the brightest and the more qualified individuals because individuals have to go through the local teams to come to the leadership of the Federation. The system may not be as inviting because not many people wish to get involved in their local clubs.
5. ESFNA’s inability in finding major corporate sponsorship and partnership. Hosting the annual tournament is a major task. And, ESFNA EC has been a sort of event coordinator/executioner/task-master and has little time to doing long/short strategic planning…. ESFNA may need to look into professional hired management practices…. It can be more and better than what it is now–by building on the existing.
Sorry for the long response.
Redeat Bayleyegn
Phoenix, AZ
Redeat,
Thank you for your prompted response. I really want to thank you for your optimism and for your time to answer all the questions.
I hope the Federation will learn from this prospect and advances.
Once again, thanks you and I whish you and your loved once to have a good time in DC!
Redeat
YOU ARE THE MAN!! not quite into the ethios social or political issues but dude i loved your what you worte and i did learn a lot about the ESFNA thing. Also, i love the way you comminicate with dummie… so intelegent. We need more ethiopians like you. Bless you
Do not let Redeat mislead you.
Call IRS at 1800-829-4933 and ask to transfer you to the tax exempt 501 c department.
ESFNA’s Federal Tax id is 52-1790724
ESFNA was suspended by secretary of state in CA.
Number: C1478825 Date Filed: 3/21/1990 Status: suspended
Jurisdiction: California.
Ask IRS the following question?
How come a non-profit can be suspended at the state level and be a tax exempt Federal level?
They will tell you once IRS is informed they will be terminated federal level too.
IRS will not update you the investigation progress about ESFNA. It will take time for the investigations.
You can email to IRS [email protected].