From ANIMAL PEOPLE, May 2007:
SACRAMENTO–“As of today, [founder] Terri Crisp is no longer
associated with Noah’s Wish, Inc. in any capacity,” the Noah’s Wish
web site announced on March 28, 2007. “We wish her well in her
future endeavors.”
Signed by the “Noah’s Wish Board of Directors,” the message
disclosing Crisp’s departure followed two days after a similarly
signed March 26 acknowledgement that “Noah’s Wish is in the midst of
an ongoing civil investigation by the California Attorney General’s
office concerning funds received by Noah’s Wish during Hurricane
Katrina.”
Noah’s Wish told the Chronicle of Philanthropy in November
2005 that it had received $6.5 million in donations after Katrina.
“Tax documents for Noah’s Wish obtained by the Sacramento
Business Journal reported revenue of $8.4 million, almost all of it
from contributions, between July 1, 2005, and Dec. 31, 2005,”
reported Business Journal staff writer Kelly Johnson on March 30,
2007.
“Some $4.8 million was in unrestricted assets,” Johnson
said, while $1.5 million was declared as “temporarily restricted
assets.”
Charitable donations are deemed legally “restricted” when the
donors in some manner expressly communicate, at the time of giving,
that the donations are meant exclusively to serve one particular
purpose. A vague statement such as “to help animals” does not
restrict a donation, but a statement stipulating “to help the New
Orleans animals” or “to help the Katrina animals” might be construed
as a binding restriction.

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