http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/WATCHBLOG/20228

Tax returns differ on salary for Crow’s wife
Just who is paying Sybil Francis?

As The Arizona Republic’s Anne Ryman reported, the wife of Arizona State University President Michael Crow works at two nonprofits: the ASU Foundation and the Center for the Future of Arizona.

Both organizations filed federal tax returns stating they paid Francis a salary during the 2005-06 year. The foundation’s returns show it paid Francis $160,000 a year as a senior adviser for an estimated 65 hours of work each week. The center reported it paid her a salary of $114,230 the same year as executive director, and $114,370 the following year. (The foundation’s returns for 2006-07 haven’t been filed yet.)

So what gives?

Former ASU President Lattie Coor, chairman and CEO of the Center for the Future of Arizona, tells Ryman his center’s reporting is inaccurate.

“I didn’t realize (the center reported her salary),” he says. “We clearly had made an error.”

Coor says the center paid Francis’ salary for three years from January 2002 through December 2004, and then the foundation began paying her. Francis remains the center’s executive director but she earns no salary, Coor says.

“She works here, and she’s an employee of the (ASU) foundation,” he says.

A coalition of unions and community members who have wrestled with ASU over labor issues released a report this week criticizing the foundation’s spending. The report questioned whether Francis should be employed by the foundation, whose board of directors includes Michael Crow. It also questioned how one person was “simultaneously employed” by two non-profits.

The tax-return error raises one other question that perhaps only accountants can answer: If the Center for the Future of Arizona didn’t cut Francis a check after 2004, how was it able to reconcile the reported expense in its IRS return? If the money was spent, it went somewhere else.

Those accountants may need to doublecheck documentation that apparently eluded them for two straight years.

The Foundation, too, wants the “biggest bang for the buck to go to the mission of the organization.” Although $2.5 million spent on meals, entertainment and gifts sounds extravagant, it represents two percent of the $125 million raised that year – two percent. That year, $47.6 million in grants and allocations went to ASU.

Our mission (link: http://www.asufoundation.org/history/index.asp) is always at the forefront of all of our activities.

As for Sybil,
She is an extremely accomplished professional woman- no doubt. Her salary is just part of the “discussion’ it should not be just about her - but it seams to be since her husband is the President.
Part of the problem is the “business model” intesecting with a “non-profit” model. MOST non-profits struggle to pay the rent and bills. Most non-profits want the biggest bang for their buck to go to the mission of the organization. I guess this all comes down to philosphy and when the foundation spends over $2 million on meals and entertainment, and $617,0000 on gifts, flowers and trophies- huge red flags go up. HUGE. In the future, hopefully the foundation will look at it’s spending and redirect it’s resources to the mission. 100 bucks may be small change to the foundation but it is a nice meal out to a graduate. And 10 meals for a student or a book for a class. That should always be the thought process when spending someone’s money - which it is when you work for a non-profit.

Regardless, a discussion is always a good idea. The researcher didn’t have this intention, however. The “report” had a cover letter addressed to Dr. Crow dated March 24. It arrived by mail on the 24thth, prior to the scheduled press conference at 9 a.m. on March 25. A copy was never received by the ASU Foundation.

The coalition’s stated intention to “make every effort to include any corrections in the final version” was entirely bogus evidenced by printed copies of the report already distributed to press contacts throughout the United States by that time.

Regarding the salaries mentioned above, they are for staff at an LLC wholly owned by ASU Foundation that manages the technology transfer process for ASU. Translation: they take the research that is being done at ASU and get it to market to bring back revenue to benefit the university. The salaries of these positions are at market rate for the positions they hold with these responsibilities.

As for Sybil Francis, you mention “$160,000 is a lot of scholarships.” Perhaps. But the students benefit more by the $50 million that she has helped bring to the Foundation in gifts in just the last 4 months. Additionally , she co-chairs with Rep. Ed Pastor a $3-million scholarship campaign in which she personally raised $1 million from a single donor. She also co-chairs the Foundation’s Women in Philanthropy Group, helping the membership grow to 230 and raising close to $1 million in scholarship and program funding for ASU students and programs.