The American Lung Association is threatening to shut down its Seattle-based Northwest chapter because of "fundamental violations," including an allegation that the chapter president may be trying to divert the nonprofit's funds.
Last month, Mike Alderson, president and CEO of the Northwest chapter, started a group called the Pacific Northwest Lung Cancer Foundation in Seattle.
On Thursday, Lung Association officials in Washington, D.C., announced it had received complaints that Alderson's nonprofit had been established to divert funds from the century-old health organization.
"We don't know if any diversion has happened," Lung Association spokeswoman Carrie Martin said. "But the (national board of directors) felt that it was important to act promptly to ensure no misuse of funds."
In a written statement Thursday, Alderson said his office "strongly disagrees" with the national organization's interpretation of their contract.
"(We) will address these allegations through the appropriate channels," wrote Alderson, who is a former chief financial officer for the University of Washington's Department of Athletics and most recently the head of Solutions, a nonprofit credit counseling service.
Martin said the chapter's other violations included its rejection of a grant for a Lung Association program that helps teens quit smoking. It was also "wavering" on a commitment to promote flu shots, and had changed its mission to something "inconsistent" to the national organization's goals, Martin said.
"People have donated money to fulfill the Lung Association mission, so the board really acted to protect these donor dollars," she said.
The Lung Association's mission is to "prevent lung disease and promote lung health."
The local chapter's mission, according to its Web site, is to "assure lung health" for its region "through research, education, community service and advocacy."
When asked to elaborate on the alleged inconsistencies, Martin instead emphasized the fact that the mission was changed in the first place.
"The fact that they changed the mission, they failed to provide these programs, and they established this new corporation really indicated to the board that they are diverging from the American Lung Association," she said.
"It is everything wrapped up together that is very troubling."
The chapter has 30 days to remedy the situation, or its affiliation with the national organization will be terminated.
A spokesman for the state Attorney General's Office said a quick search of its records yielded no complaints about the Northwest Lung Association chapter.
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