CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Show Me The Money

As I think about Krishna Disaster Relief, naturally, one of my concerns is money. Laxmi is a form of energy and it takes energy to do anything in this world. If you’re flat broke, your options are almost zero, what to speak of trying to create a worldwide, disaster relief agency.

I thank God for what he has given me and with it I have the means to write this book and give it to you. I also want to acknowledge the assistance that Mrs. Marjorie Herndon has given over the years. But introducing Lord Krishna on the worldwide, disaster relief stage is going to take more than just this small book.

I have spoken about the vital need for across-the-board support. Regarding this book’s presentation to the GBC, money also needs to be mentioned since everything that follows involves a lot of energy and funding.

I frequently say that a good idea is fine—however—the really big challenge is to implement the idea. Among other things, this requires the financial resources to get the job done.

My initial insight into Krishna Disaster Relief was free of charge. The basic idea that I experienced at that 4th of July parade has not changed one bit. The beginning chapters have covered all of this. But, as I attempted to implement what I saw, I automatically encountered a need for money. I bought a word processor which I used to type out my first newsletters. Along the way, others made donations for postage, printing, etc. Presently I have purchased this computer to continue my work on this project.

But all these attempts are initial steps, only. Many more are needed. Although the mention of money can be a troublesome topic, the best news is that I am 100% convinced that Krishna Disaster Relief will more than pay for its own way.

I think the GBC needs to hear this early on. They need to be convinced of this. And I’ll do my best to explain things clearly. But make no mistake, initially, to implement this plan, laxmi is going to be needed. Therefore, as part of the GBC endorsement, ISKCON needs to provide Krishna Disaster Relief with an allowance.

Wanting to avoid long chapters, nevertheless, there are several points about all of this that I would like to touch on—things concerning the financial structure of Krishna Disaster Relief. These are details that just make common sense, at least to me.

Perhaps number one on this list, Krishna Disaster Relief needs someone to fill the position as director. Like a CEO or president, this person would "run the company" and manage the finances. One thing that he or she would do is open a bank account so that checks can be made directly payable to: "Krishna Disaster Relief"—and deposited. Of course, once this checking account has been established, Krishna Disaster Relief can also write checks to pay for various things.

This account—named, "Krishna Disaster Relief," needs to be part of the initial steps taken by ISKCON. Krishna Disaster Relief needs to be Krishna Disaster Relief—and Food For Life needs to be Food For Life. Organizationally the two entities will work together hand in hand. However, financially the two should be kept separately. This is an extremely important point to get right.

Another strong suggestion is that Krishna Disaster Relief should have its headquarters at the Potomac temple. Because of its location, Washington, D.C., can be reached easily via public transportation—by bus and then subway. Couple this with the fact that most countries have their embassies located in Washington (which we will need to visit), the reasoning is clear.

A third point is that Anuttama prabhu works out of Potomac. His office is called ISKCON Communications and as you examine this blueprint you will see that he will be working closely with Krishna Disaster Relief. A forth consideration, again related to Potomac’s close proximity to Washington, is that both FEMA and NVOAD have their national headquarters located there. Also, a federal, disaster relief college is close by. I’ll mention more about this shortly.

Finally, because Washington is so near, I can easily envision the day when various senators, congressmen, ambassadors, and even the President and Vice President of the United States will visit the Potomac temple to see our Krishna Disaster Relief facilities. Hopefully, the temple will establish a nice restaurant for this purpose. Personally, if the Potomac temple has any specific role to play in the larger scheme of things, I would like to see the headquarter’s for Krishna Disaster Relief expanded and let the temple property be a show place for it.

As far as ISKCON providing Krishna Disaster Relief with an allowance, I am in no position to dictate where this money should come from. Perhaps several sources. But I have always wanted to see everyone involved. This is why from the very beginning I have planned that each and every ISKCON temple and farm community should support Krishna Disaster Relief with a small, monthly stipend. The details of this can be worked out, but I like this idea because it will give Krishna Disaster Relief a respectable position within every ISKCON facility. Many Christian denominations do this very thing. For example, once a quarter in every Lutheran church throughout the world, there might be a special collection earmarked for a specific ministry. Multiplying each small amount given by the total number of churches creates a big amount.

This is actually a good idea. All it will take to implement this financial connection is for the GBC to say so. It is also a good idea because, then, when we say that we have a worldwide, disaster relief agency, supported by a worldwide organization, this can be factually shown. People look at the money trail. What I am saying in this paragraph is really important. This will transform the paper tiger into a legitimate, disaster relief agency that the world will recognize and welcome.

My final point on the financial profile of Krishna Disaster Relief has to do with an organization that I have not mentioned yet. Only a few years old, this is a group that is rather new to me. It is called InterAction and is located in Washington, D.C.

I first heard about InterAction on CNN as the organization to contact for more information regarding the severe famine in North Korea. I was able to quickly locate them on the Internet and a few days later received a large envelope containing all kinds of literature on who they are and what they are doing—and also how to join.

Besides consisting of over 160 different organizations, InterAction seems to be on the cutting edge of a wide variety of social and global concerns. Disaster Relief is one of the major issues they address.

Part of their information package contained material to apply for membership. Reading this over, I could see that they set a rather high standard. Part four of their requirements cover the financial standards that must be followed.

The director of Krishna Disaster Relief should follow these standards—even if we don’t choose to join InterAction. In a later chapter I will say a few more things about InterAction. I will also be giving you their Internet address in the appendix. As far as the information package I received from them, I will be forwarding it to His Grace Priyavrata dasa.