Unmerited Favor: The Compassion and Peril of Mercy ( Un missable Series Book 2)

by Jerry Summers

  Sean sits back and sighs. “Look, what you’re talking about is a huge task to accomplish legally.”

  “Are you telling me you won’t help me? This one campaign could make you very rich,” Bonnie replies tightly.

  “Of course I’m going to help you, and you’re not going to pay SGM or me a single dime! Mark was my best friend and mentor, and I’ll do this just to honor his life and memory. But if we start down this road, there is no turning back until we succeed, and I have to warn you, it’s going to be a very nasty battle. I’ve never lost before, but we’re talking about all-out war here, and I don’t take prisoners, so unless you’re prepared to get dirty and win, I don’t want to get started. What’s it going to be?”

  Bonnie sits forward, looking at him intently. “I believe I’ve already made my position clear.”

  “OK, then I have a few questions for you. Have you received the Internal Revenue 501(c)(3) status for Stevens Environmental Relief Fund (SERF) yet?”

  “Yes, just this week we got the designation. Why?”

  “Because I believe our best attack on Mother Earth Cooperative (MEC) could be luring away their funding. I think we could bring the supporters over to the Stevens Environmental Recovery Fund, and since we’re already much better funded, any organization receiving funds or donating funds to Mother Earth Cooperative could be restricted from receiving funds from SERF. We have to be very careful in how we write our mission statement and update our bylaws, but we can include some bullshit statement like ‘We will not interfere, compete with, or duplicate funds from another nonprofit organization engaged in primarily the same type of environmental restoration work.’ We’ll cover this in more detail after Bradley has come and gone today. Don’t mention any of this to him, please.”

  Bonnie nods. “Brilliant.”

  Bradley then knocks and enters the room.

  Sean introduces Bonnie. “She’s the founder of SERF and has retained SGM to help with marketing and fund-raising for SERF, since it is a relatively new nonprofit organization. SERF’s strategy is to avoid duplicating the work of other nonprofit organizations. We need you to research all contributors or recipients of funds to or from MEC. That organization, up until now, has been the largest organization working in an area similar to ones SERF intends to fund, and it is SERF’s intention not to duplicate funding or compete in the efforts already being pursued by MEC.”

  Bradley asks, “Why do you want to know who their donors are?”

  Bonnie replies, “Because we don’t want to solicit funds from their primary donors.”

  “I see that, but why wouldn’t you? Many of these donors would be willing to contribute to both organizations, and I don’t think you should exclude them from your potential donors list.”

  Bonnie looks thoughtful. “Point taken. How do you feel about that, Sean?”

  “I think that’s an excellent observation. When do you think you can have all your research completed, Bradley?”

  “If it’s a priority, I could have the major donors and recipients of MEC within two weeks, and the smaller donors identified in just a little bit longer.”

  Sean nods. “Make this your number one priority, and if you need to shift some of your other workload to someone else, I will personally make sure it gets cleared off your desk immediately.”

  “Yes, Mr. Green. I’ll have the list to you as soon as possible.”

  “Thank you. I think that’s all for now,” Sean says, and Bradley leaves the conference room. Then Sean turns to Bonnie. “In the meantime, the first organization I think SERF should help is Diablo Mining.”

  Bonnie gives Sean a confused look. “Can you tell me why?”

  “Well, since MEC has targeted Diablo Mining, who better to make into the poster child for environmentally sensitive mining?” Sean replies, smiling deviously. “Then we can use David Hill’s statements about Ricardo targeting his own family as an example of the type of extremes MEC supporters will go to, thereby discrediting them not only in Hugo’s eyes, but also in the eyes of most governmental officials in Brazil. Since it will be SERF getting behind Diablo Mining, it won’t be obvious Global Metal Refining is putting its money where its corporate mouth is, and both organizations will benefit immensely. Next, we’ll seek to hinder funding for any organization currently associated with MEC, and as the funding pipeline starts to dry up, many of those organizations will seek funding from SERF. We will then have the leverage we need to require them to disassociate from MEC.”

  Bonnie ponders this for a moment. “What if they don’t?”

  “Then we deny their funding request. If our awards are much larger than MEC, which they will be, it becomes a financial necessity for them to switch. We strike the largest blows quickly with their biggest donors, then continue undermining their support as they struggle to recover.”

  “That’s financial manipulation at its finest, Sean.”

  “I prefer to view it as proper financial motivation.”

  “Call it what you will, it’s an incredible strategy in the making.”

  “I’m glad you like it. Are you ready for this type of battle? You’ll be right in the middle of everything, being SERF’s founder.”

  She shrugs. “I’ve never been afraid of a good fight.”

  “That may be true, but these people could get desperate, and desperation is what killed Mark. Don’t think for one minute that either one of us is exempt from the same result. I’m committed to this project, even if it costs me my life. Are you?”

  “Wow, I’ve never thought of it in those terms before, but yes, I am! Don’t you think you should discuss this with Jessica, though, before we begin?”

  “Honestly, I think this is something we both need to discuss with Jessica before we begin.”

  “I agree. When can we get together and talk to her?”

  “I’ll have Evelyn contact Nate and get you on both of our schedules for dinner, under the guise of a business meeting regarding Beauty Boutique. That way she won’t suspect anything strange. I’ll make sure she has all the up-to-date sales figures, and we’ll talk about those, then discuss SERF’s plans with her together.”

  “Thanks, Sean. You truly are a great friend, but I don’t want what happened to me to happen to Jessica.”

  “Neither do I, and now that we understand it’s a possibility, all of us will be more careful, I hope.” He smiles at her. “Get out of my office. I have paying clients to take care of. Drive safely.”

  Bonnie smirks. “I love you, too, pumpkin. Take care of Jessica for me.”

  “You have no idea how well I do that.”

  She raises an eyebrow. “Oh, yes I do. Don’t forget, Jessica and I talk about everything, including your skills in the sack. From what I hear, you’re doing a great job so far.”

  Sean blushes and makes a face, then turns away from Bonnie’s grin. “That’s good to know. I’m not sure it’s good you know, but thanks for the enlightenment.”

  “Anytime. Have a great day with your paying clients.”

  “Oh, just go,” he replies, laughing.

  CHAPTER 20

  DESKTOP DOS AND DON’TS

  The next morning, Bradley calls Sean’s office.

  “Good morning, Mr. Green. I just thought you might like to know that Global Metal Refining is sponsoring various environmental symposiums in which many of the funds raised directly benefit Mother Earth Cooperative, making Global Metal Refining its largest corporate donor. To date, Global Metal Refining has committed to raise one million dollars annually for the next ten years.”

  “Wow. Very good,” Sean says. “Now I need you to research any restrictions preventing Global Metal Refining from switching or restricting funds to any particular organization.”

  Bradley says, “I’ve already done so, and no such restrictions apply at this point.”

  Sean reiterates, “So if G
lobal Metal Refining wishes to limit funds to Mother Earth Cooperative to fifty thousand dollars annually and shift the remaining nine hundred fifty thousand dollars to Stevens Environmental Relief Fund, there is nothing preventing this shift other than Global Metal Refining’s board of directors?”

  “That’s correct. It’s strictly an internal decision.”

  Sean chuckles. “Interesting. Are you positive? If I make a proposal to Charlotte Evans, I don’t want to look like an idiot.”

  “Yes, sir, I’m positive. In fact, I’d actually put my own money down on this one,” Bradley says with a wry smile.

  Sean grins. “Great work. One last thing to clear up. If Global Metal Refining makes that kind of switch, what effect do you think it will have on Mother Earth Cooperative’s bottom line?”

  “In my opinion, it would be devastating. I don’t think it would bankrupt the organization, because I believe they have enough individual donors to maintain a presence, but it would dramatically cut the funding for many of their programs and campaigns. I think it would set the organization on its heels for at least five years, unless they were able to secure another, similar-size corporate donor immediately.”

  “So, hypothetically of course, if Global Metal Refining switches its funding from MEC to the Stevens Environmental Relief Fund, how would the other major corporate donors react?”

  “I suspect that depends on the reasons for the switch as well as the mission statement from SERF.”

  “And in the present market, should SERF’s mission statement be narrowly focused on environmental relief or restoration? We’re aiming to be beneficial after mining operations cease.”

  Bradley considers for a moment. “Since mining operations are the largest portion of Global Metal Refining’s business, and since it’s Stevens Environmental Relief Fund, I’d suggest you change the name to Stevens Environmental Restoration Fund and have its purpose for existence be to restore lands to their natural state after mining operation completion. That way you satisfy the environmentalists with restoration, and you entice the businesses involved in mining practices to contribute to SERF as a viable means of limiting governmental interference because the industry is appropriately self-policing.”

  Sean nods, thrilled. “Excellent suggestion. That way SERF differentiates itself from every other environmental group hell-bent on shutting down mining practices altogether. It will have found the perfect niche as an environmentally conscious organization. Perfect.”

  “It would be perfect. If SERF sets itself up as the self-policing arm of the mining community with the endorsement and funding of the industry itself, and its purpose being to assist—not prevent—global mining practices, it’ll become a monopoly for that particular part of the industry,” Bradley confirms, wondering where exactly this is going.

  “And I have the perfect spokesperson and president in mind for this newly formed organization. Can you please identify all the potential corporate partners engaged in mining practices that would have the ability to contribute one million dollars or more to SERF on an annual basis for a minimum of ten years?”

  “Yes, of course,” Bradley replies, and Sean hears the keys of his computer clicking over the phone.

  “Thank you. Keep me up to date on all your findings.”

  As Sean hangs up, his mind is reeling with all sorts of possibilities. He pauses, grinning in disbelief at the luck of this particular draw. Then he dials Bonnie to share the tremendous opportunity Bradley has unwittingly given them.

  Bonnie answers. “Good morning, Sean. I wasn’t expecting to hear from you for at least a week. Is everything OK?”

  “Things are fantastic this morning.”

  “What makes them so fantastic?”

  “I just got off the phone with Bradley. He figured out that the largest corporate donor for Mother Earth Cooperative is none other than Global Metal Refining, through all those symposiums you made Mark set up.”

  “Are you serious? Well, that’s karma,” Bonnie says with a giggle.

  “I know. Bradley also suggested we change SERF from Stevens Environmental Relief Fund to Stevens Environmental Restoration Fund, and set it up as the self-policing arm for the global mining community.”

  “Go on, I’m listening,” she says, intrigued.

  “I think it’s a terrific idea. In fact, I would suggest you, as the founder and executive director, make Hugo Montes the company president and spokesperson for the organization.”

  “Really? Why?”

  Sean chuckles. “Who better to represent the interests of the mining industry? His cousin paid to have your husband murdered in a deranged attempt to assist MEC in putting an end to the mining industry’s profitability? What a press release that would be…”

  Bonnie’s mouth drops open. “That’s brilliant, and it opens the door to solicit funds from other mining companies.”

  “Not only that, it also repays Hugo for all the negative press Diablo Mining has been receiving and goes a long way to fulfilling the commitment Mark made Hugo. It fits perfectly into our strategy to position Hugo as the international environmental spokesperson for eco-sensitive mining practices and makes Global Metal Refining the industry pioneer for proper environmental restoration practices. It’s a win-win for both organizations and for every other corporation that joins in supporting such an innovative response to what is otherwise considered an environmental tragedy.”

  “Damn. I like it, and I can definitely see how this could devastate MEC’s footing if handled correctly. It will take very little effort to change the word relief in the organization’s name to restoration.”

  “Good. Let’s get this done immediately. I’m going to contact Charlotte Evans to see if the board can look at this change during this month’s meeting. If the name change is completed, I’ll also contact Hugo and see if he would be interested in being the first president and spokesperson for the fund. Am I authorized to offer a one-hundred-thousand-dollar salary for the president’s position?”

  “Yes, please do.”

  “Terrific. I’ll get back to you as soon as I get Hugo’s commitment.”

  “Great. In the meantime, I’m going to go ahead and secure a beautiful executive office space I’ve been considering on Bridgeway in Sausalito. It’s a fabulous facility overlooking the bay. It’s a short drive for me from home and just over the Golden Gate Bridge for you and Jessica. Oh, by the way, I want you, Jessica, and Wendy to be the board of directors for Stevens Environmental Restoration Fund. Will you do it?”

  “I’d be honored, and I’m sure the same is true for both Wendy and Jessica as well, but I wouldn’t dare be so bold as to speak for either of them, so you’ll need to get their commitments individually.”

  “I already have commitments from them. You were the last one I needed.”

  “Well, then you’re going to need to hire a chief financial officer and vice president of business development. I see Hugo Montes as more of a figurehead than an active employee. What do you think?” Sean makes a note on a piece of paper next to him to contact Hugo.

  “I agree. He’ll be the perfect media face, and I’ll run the day-to-day operations as the executive director. I’m talking to Skip Duran out of New York for the CFO position, and Jim Bush from Chicago for the vice president of business development. Both said they know you. Is that true?”

  “Yes, I know them both, and they’re good at what they do. I also believe they’re good people, so that’s a bonus. Skip wants to find something a little less stressful and closer to his only daughter, who is going to Stanford University in Palo Alto, so this could be a great fit for him. Jim is extremely good at raising funds and has amazing contacts, but he isn’t going to be cheap. He’ll probably want a guaranteed salary around three hundred thousand dollars and a percentage of the funds he raises without a cap on income possibilities. Sausalito is a perfect fit for him. He’s single, ha
rdworking, and a fitness buff. If you get him, he’ll be a hard-charging, globetrotting person who will demand a generous expense account, and he likes to fly first class, so if he has access to a private jet, he will be in heaven. I think you’ll need to get a jet specifically for Stevens Environmental Restoration Fund, because Global Metal Refining is going to start limiting the use of its jet to only their executives.”

  Bonnie chuckles. “I’ve already stolen their corporate pilot and purchased a jet, but Charlotte doesn’t know that yet, so let’s keep this between us, shall we?”

  Sean shakes his head, grinning. “OK. When are you going to get serious about Skip and Jim?”

  “I will sign the lease on the Bridgeway building today. It’s fully furnished. I have the receptionist hired, I’ve identified my personal assistant and human resources director, and I’ll hire both of them immediately. Once I have possession of the facility, I’ll start filling the key office positions, and that’s when I’ll put the full-court press on Skip and Jim. When I bring them out, I’d like to have a series of interviews scheduled, starting with me, then going to Jessica, Wendy, or you, and then to HR. The final interview will have to be with the full board for sure if we want either of them. I figure we’ll have them fly out on a Friday evening for an introductory dinner with all of us. Then we’ll progress to formal interviews on Saturday, with the final board interview and job offer Sunday morning. Can I have access to your jet for one of them on that Sunday?”

  “All that sounds excellent. And of course you can. I’ll have it available for you when you need it.”

  “Wonderful, thanks.”

  “Anything for you, my dear.”

  “You’re such a sweetheart. No wonder Jessica is enchanted by you.”