An audit of a nonprofit contracted by Denver to manage a fund intended for social services found the organization misused taxpayer dollars.
The Caring for Denver Foundation, an independent arm contracted by the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment (DDPHE), used taxpayer funds for meals and alcohol, awarded grants for illegitimate purposes and did not verify the accuracy of grantee data, Denver Auditor Tim O’Brien said in a report released Thursday.
“It is troubling that Caring for Denver is not always verifying grantees are telling the truth nor confirming grantees are spending money as voters intended,” O’Brien said in a corresponding Thursday news release. “The foundation’s approach to trust grantees but not perform thorough due diligence is careless. It harms the city’s and Caring for Denver’s reputation as good stewards of taxpayer money.”…