OSF Board Response to Baseless Accusations

1/28/2019

OSF Donors,

The Open Stories Foundation has always taken very seriously our core mission, which is “To promote understanding, healing, growth, and community for people experiencing or impacted by religious transition.”  We also take very seriously our fiduciary and ethical responsibilities to our donors.  This includes the maintenance of an active and independent board of directors, implementing and overseeing highly ethical accounting policies and practices, and implementing and actively monitoring a professional set of sexual harassment policies and procedures.   

With your support, we have had an incredibly positive impact on the lives of orthodox, progressive, and post-Mormons over the past 8 years, and with your continued support, we hope to make even more of a positive difference within Mormonism and Post-Mormonism in the years ahead.

Over the past few years we have noticed that every 6 months or so a few members of the community will launch baseless attacks on either individual podcasters or on the OSF – usually with the intent to smear reputations or undermine confidence in OSF operations.  When this happens, we are always caught between: 1) not wanting to give attention to false allegations, and 2) wanting to defend ourselves.  We have consistently found that trying to decide how to respond to these baseless allegations often consumes an incredible amount of time and energy in ways that do not contribute to the mission of the OSF, and that lead to staff and board burnout.  Consequently, going forward it will be our policy to not respond to baseless allegations.  Instead, this letter will be provided in response to such attacks.

As always, if active donors have any concerns, we welcome your questions, feedback, etc. at openstoriesboard@gmail.com.  

Sincerely, 

The Open Stories Foundation Board of Directors