FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 14, 2023
*Updated 12/20/23
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Former Long-term StarVista Employee Charged with Unlawful Activities
California licensed marriage and family therapist, Clarise Blanchard, is alleged to have contrived financial security breach of nonprofit organization spanning several years.
San Carlos, CA – Recently, executive leadership at StarVista, a nonprofit that delivers high-impact services through counseling, case management, skill development, and crisis prevention to San Mateo County residents, learned that a former employee (Clarise Blanchard) participated in unethical, unlawful activities against the organization during her tenure.
The scheme was discovered after Blanchard’s retirement when StarVista received word of a $50,000 charitable contribution from a family foundation. The fund was from a family foundation that StarVista was not aware of nor had any knowledge of submitted grant applications on StarVista’s behalf to this family foundation. While following up on that supposed contribution, StarVista discovered that it was not deposited into StarVista’s bank account. StarVista immediately began an audit which revealed that Blanchard had set up a bank account for herself using the StarVista name at Chase Bank. She had directed about $700,000 in grant donations intended for StarVista to unlawful Bank of America and Chase bank accounts between 2009 and 2022. The audit also found that, unbeknownst to StarVista, grant proposals and thank you letters to the family foundation claiming to be from the organization were written, and the signatures had been forged from 2009 to 2022. In addition, StarVista also discovered that Clarise Blanchard served as a Secretary of the family foundation. The family foundation only makes contributions to preselected charitable 501c3 organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
Fiscal audits determined the former employee acted alone and independently, in their own self-interest, and certainly not as an agent of StarVista. Blanchard’s actions were in no way consistent with their job duties and were completely outside the scope of their employment at StarVista. (Blanchard) selfishly abused her influence to initiate and perpetuate multiple levels of dishonesty.
“The most important thing we can stress is that no service partner assets have been misappropriated,” comments public relations spokesperson, Candace Reese Walters.
Along with strong internal controls, StarVista’s financials are audited annually by an external, third-party auditor to provide assurance to the public that financial statements are free from material misstatement. These audited financial statements, along with tax returns (Form 990), can be obtained and accessed through the StarVista website.
StarVista is fully committed to ensuring the public of accuracy in funding and records, and these funds will be used to benefit the community that StarVista serves. StarVista will continue to empower individuals, inspire hope, and strengthen our communities.
“StarVista will continue to be accountable, vigilant and proactive in our security measures in the best interest of our staff & those we serve,” further comments spokesperson, Reese Walters.
STARVISTA MISSION
We deliver high-impact services through counseling, skill development. and crisis prevention for children, youth, adults, and families.