A youth nonprofit run by a Virginia Democratic politician tied to Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move campaign continued to solicit donations despite losing its tax-exempt status in May, and failed to organize a youth basketball camp for which it was selling tickets.
Michael Futrell is running in northern Virginia’s 2nd District for a seat in the state’s House of Delegates. The seat is currently held by a Republican, but President Barack Obama’s strong showing in the area last year gives Democrats hope for a pickup.
The first line on Futrell’s campaign website touts his foundation Make the Future, “a nonprofit organization which provides underprivileged and at-risk youth here in our community programs and activities to develop leadership and personal responsibility.”
Make the Future’s website explains that it is a “non-profit 501c3 organization founded in 2010” which “has grown to be a pillar of strength and change in the community.” The group supposedly offers basketball camps for area children at least once a year, the most recent of which was set to run this week at the cost of $135 per camper.
But while you wouldn’t have known it from a look at their website, Make the Future is defunct and its basketball camp does not appear to exist.
A check of the IRS’ database on exempt organizations reveals that Make the Future’s tax-exempt status “was automatically revoked for its failure to file a Form 990-series return or notice for three consecutive years.”
Although the group’s status was lost on May 15 of this year, Futrell continues to heavily advertise Make the Future on his campaign website and in campaign literature.
In the “Why am I running?” section of Futrell’s profile at Democracy for America, he lists Make the Future as the chief rationale behind his campaign.
The group was also advertising and charging admission for fake events. A youth basketball and “academic enrichment camp” scheduled for this week, which the website trumpeted as a “staple event in the community,” was not held as promised, even though tickets for the event were on sale as recently as Aug. 27.
The Daily Caller News Foundation called the General Heiser Boys and Girls Club in Dumfries, Va., where the front desk confirmed that the advertised camp was not taking place.
It’s unclear how many campers, if any, purchased admission to the fictitious event.
Despite a revoked nonprofit status and no apparent projects, Make the Future’s website had a working “Donate” button, and a reporter from TheDCNF was able to give $1 to the group through PayPal on Aug. 27.
That $1 was refunded by Make the Future later that day, and the website itself was shut down shortly thereafter.
“We are currently updating our website,” Make the Future’s homepage now reads. “Please visit with us again later. Thank you.”
The group’s Facebook page also abruptly closed down on Aug. 27.
A mass e-mail sent by the Futrells the morning of Aug. 28 states that “Make the Future is in [sic] currently not accepting donations at this time and all donations made after May 2013 have been refunded. We look forward to updating you with our new organizational changes in the near future.”
Futrell’s questionable nonprofit was recently linked to Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move initiative combating childhood obesity. In March, Futrell and his wife were invited to the White House for a “Communities on the Move” event held by Mrs. Obama.
“I was so excited to see the first lady!” Futrell wrote at the time, adding that “so many of the people in the room came up after the event to ask about all that we do here in Virginia, and how much they wanted to help.”
This is not the first instance where Futrell has inflated his campaign credentials. On his Democracy for America profile he states that “As a lifelong educator, I am running in Virginia’s 2nd District to the House of Delegates, to ensure a better future for our families.”
But Futrell’s LinkedIn profile shows that he was a teacher at a school in Ohio for less than a year in 2008. Most of his professional experience is in sales, including a three-year stint as a pharmaceutical representative.
The Futrell campaign did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.