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Business ProfileforPure Urban Excellence, LLC
At-a-glance
Related Categories
Business Details
- Location of This Business
- 14423 Old Hammond Highway, Suite G, Baton Rouge, LA 70816
- BBB File Opened:
- 11/7/2019
- Business Started Locally:
- 2/8/2018
- Type of Entity:
- Limited Liability Company (LLC)
- Number of Employees:
- 1
- Contact Information
Principal
- Ms. Joaquinna Winslow, Owner
Customer Contact
- Ms. Joaquinna Winslow, Owner
- Additional Contact Information
Email Addresses
- Primary
Customer Complaints
0 Customer Complaints
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3 Customer Reviews
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Most Recent Customer Review
Jeffrey P
12/29/2023
Pure Urban Excellence, LLC Response
01/14/2024
Greetings Mr. ****:
It is not ethical to pay a grant writer on commission, as professional grant writing associations such as Association for Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and the Grant Professionals Association (GPA) have unanimously deemed this practice as unethical. Not only is it unfair to the grant writer, but it can also lead to serious consequences for your organization with your funders.
Refer to each organization’s Ethics:
Association of Fundraising Professionals
ETHICAL STANDARDS
Adopted 1964; amended Oct. 2014,
COMPENSATION, BONUSES & FINDER’S FEES
Members shall:
21. not accept compensation or enter into a contract that is based on a percentage of contributions; nor shall members accept finder’s fees or contingent fees.
Here is a direct link to the rule: *******************************************************
Grant Professionals Association (GPA)
GPA CODE OF ETHICS
Compensation:
17. Members shall work for a salary/wage or fee. Pro bono work is also allowable.
18. Members may accept performance-based compensation, such as bonuses, provided such
bonuses are in accordance with prevailing practices within the members ’own organizations
and are not based on a percentage of grant monies.
19. Members shall not accept or pay a finder’s fee [3], commission [4], or percentage compensation based on grants and shall take care to discourage organizations from making such payments.
20. Compensation should not be written into grants unless allowed by the funder.
[1] Defined by American Heritage Dictionary
[3] Finder's fee – payment made for introducing a nonprofit to a funder and/or contingent upon the nonprofit receiving a grant from that funder.
[4] Commission – flat-rate fee or percentage paid for services rendered when a grant is awarded.
Here is a direct link to the rule:
******************************************
Grant awards are meant to fund future expenses outlined in your grant budget, not past expenses. Since grant writing takes place before a grant award is received, paying a grant writer from awarded funds, which you are wanting to do, is not an allowable grant expense. If funders discover that you have paid a grant writer from awarded funds, you may be required to repay all awarded funds, along with possible penalties and interest.
A grant proposal is also a contract with the funder, and it is expected that your organization will fulfill what is laid out in it. Grant funders prioritize maximizing the impact of their investment in your organization, and therefore, fundraising expenses, including grant writing, are rarely considered allowable grant expenses.
Regarding fees, here is an extracted list of the fees found online from: ********************* that grant writers can and will charge.
ESTIMATED FEES
Funding Strategy: Affordable/Fair: $900-$2,500; Premium $2,500-$8,000
Grant Applications:- -
LOI/Straightforward: Affordable/Fair: $300-$1,200; Premium: $1,500-$3,000
Moderate Difficult: Affordable/Fair: $1,200-$3,500; Premium: $3,500-$6,500
Federal Grant: Affordable/Fair: $3,500-$5,500; Premium: $7,000-$25,000+
Hourly: Affordable/Fair: $50-$75/hour; Premium: $100-$150/hour
Unfortunately, you are essentially requesting that PUE go against these ethical rules set by both organizations. Surprisingly, you are also indicating that your Pastor advised that you should go against the ethical rules by both organizations too.
Based on your complaint and actions, it appears that you could not afford the rates. You were refunded and not charged; however, there remained a balance from the continued services that you requested to continue receiving. Additionally, you received more services and have claimed that the meetings never occurred, and claimed that work on your grant writing never transpired.
Grant writers execute more than just writing the grant. Depending on the project, they also provide, communication and PM with funders, design for your program, development for your budget, organization of needed contacts, research for the grant funding, and additional consultation. All of the listed occurred. Yet, you claim that no action was taken on your grant writing and that no services transpired.
Lastly, it would behoove you to complete an accurate criminal search.
Please visit: **********************************
Click on Offender Watch (on the left image of the handcuffs)
Next Click Search for Offenders in your area (the magnifying glass top left)
Make sure that you check that you are not a robot, in order to share by email to the third-party that also has not conducted this search.
Next, select the tab to search by name.
After your search, you will not find any criminal history or criminal activity.
We have reached out to you on numerous occasions to resolve this with you; yet, instead of responding, you have posted on this website.
PUE strongly urges you to take immediate action to rectify this matter.
Thank you for your understanding.
Respectfully,
Chief Legal Officer
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