Non-Toxic Neighborhoods

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Non-Toxic Neighborhoods also known as NTN, is a California consulting business founded by Kim Konte. NTN was originally registered as an LLC by Konte and business partners Christina Shea, former Irvine, California Mayor and city councilwoman, and another Irvine resident, Robert Johnson. NTN was converted to a stock corporation in 2021, with Konte as the proprietor. The company takes donations through a nonprofit fiscal sponsor, Players Philanthropy Fund.[1][2][3]

In their USPTO trademark application, NTN states their purpose under identification, “Charitable services, namely, collecting monetary funds from the general public and from businesses to assist communities in getting rid of and preventing the use of toxic chemicals.”[4]

The consulting business originated from the Irvine, California group, Non-Toxic Irvine, founded by five parents including Kim Konte and Robert Johnson, that campaigned for organic landscaping in the city and successfully passed an organic IPM policy with help from then councilwoman Christina Shea.[5]

Company partners

NTN was incorporated in 2018, and became a business partner with Stonyfield Farm for their StonyFIELDS program that donates money to cities to switch to organic management of fields and parks.[6][7]For a time in 2020, the limited liability company NTN was a project of Farmer’s Footprint, a nonprofit organization founded by Dr. Zach Bush, MD. Bush is still listed as an advisor to the company.[8] [9]

All American Asphalt and fraud allegations

NTN has protested the All American Asphalt plant in Irvine, California with others seeking that it be shut down or moved due to the air pollution affecting residents in the surrounding neighborhoods where NTN founder Konte lived.[10]

During this time, a website alleging fraud and misconduct by Konte and former business partner Christina Shea was created. An anonymous complaint said to have been submitted to the Orange County District Attorney and Fair Political Practices Commission were made public on the site that states, “Contrary to its public image as a charitable non-profit organization, Non Toxic Neighborhoods was created in 2018 as a Limited Liability Company co-owned by Shea and Konte. Both of them, on public financial disclosure forms filed in 2019, reported earning between $10,000 and $100,000 from Non Toxic Neighborhoods LLC.”[11]

The NTN website states, “We’re a nonprofit on a mission to make every park, athletic field and school free of harmful and synthetic pesticides.”[12]

In September, 2020 Konte was a guest on the Be The Change podcast with host Christine Dimmick. When the host asked, “Can people donate?” Konte replied, “Yes. We are a nonprofit…”[13]

In 2022 Konte again referred to the company as a nonprofit in a recorded panel discussion at a live event in Texas, “We want to be out of business – Like, our nonprofit wants to just work on other things…”[14]

NTN takes donations through a fiscal sponsor, Player’s Philanthropy Fund. [15] Fiscal sponsorship allows entities to use the IRS tax-exempt status of the sponsor to collect donations for charitable purposes. A fiscal sponsorship does not exempt a business from sales tax, or make a business into a nonprofit entity.[16]

The California Attorney General regulates charitable activities and organizations in the state, and provides a tool for verification.[17]

According to the documents filed with the California Secretary of State’s office, Christina Shea’s involvement with the company ended in January, 2019, and Robert Johnson filed a resignation for Agent for Service of Process in March of 2022. Only Konte is listed on the initial filing for Non-Toxic Neighborhoods, Inc. dated 2021. The filing shows the company is authorized to issue 100 shares of stock.[18]

Articles and resources

Related Sourcewatch

References

  1. ↑ Non-Toxic Neighborhoods website, Who We Are, accessed February, 2023 https://nontoxicneighborhoods.org
  2. ↑ California Secretary of State, Business Search, Non-Toxic Neighborhoods, Inc. and Non Toxic Neighborhoods LLC, accessed February, 2023 https://bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov/search/business
  3. ↑ Players Philanthropy Fund, All Clients, accessed February, 2023 https://www.ppf.org/all-clients
  4. ↑ USPTO website, Non Toxic Neighborhoods LLC, Application Filed: 2020-07-20 https://uspto.report/TM/90061413
  5. ↑ How Irvine Became SoCal’s First Non-Toxic City, OC Weekly, July, 2016 https://www.ocweekly.com/how-irvine-became-socals-first-non-toxic-city-7317638/
  6. ↑ Stonyfield website, StonyFIELDS Initiative, accessed February, 2023 https://www.stonyfield.com/playfree
  7. ↑ Community-Led Efforts to Ban Glyphosate in Public Spaces Pick up Speed, GOSIA WOZNIACKA, DECEMBER 17, 2019 https://civileats.com/2019/12/17/community-led-efforts-to-ban-glyphosate-in-public-spaces-pick-up-speed/
  8. ↑ Non-Toxic Neighborhoods website, FAQ, accessed October, 2020 http://web.archive.org/web/20201027070117/https://nontoxicneighborhoods.org/faq/
  9. ↑ Non-Toxic Neighborhoods website, Our Advisors, accessed February, 2023 https://nontoxicneighborhoods.org/our-advisors/
  10. ↑ Stop Toxic Air Pollutants in Irvine, California website, Our Team, accessed February, 2023 https://stapirvine.com/our-team/
  11. ↑ State, DA Investigations Of Christina Shea, Kim Konte, Non Toxic Neighborhoods Requested, Non Toxic Fraud website, accessed November, 2021 http://web.archive.org/web/20211104171729/http://www.nontoxicfraud.com/state-da-investigations-of-christina-shea-kim-konte-non-toxic-neighborhoods-requested/
  12. ↑ Non-Toxic Neighborhoods website, Take Action, accessed February, 2023 http://web.archive.org/web/20230224161735/https://nontoxicneighborhoods.org/take-action/
  13. ↑ Fighting For Pesticide Free Public Parks, Be The Change podcast, 24:38 time stamp, September 9, 2020 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fighting-for-pesticide-free-public-parks/id1491238030?i=1000490729485
  14. ↑ WHAT GOOD SHALL I DO - How to take action in an urban environment, Force of Nature YouTube, July 20, 2022 https://youtu.be/_Z5sSSAu3JA
  15. ↑ Players Philanthropy Fund, All Clients, accessed February, 2023
  16. ↑ 8 Things Fiscal Sponsorship Isn’t, Nathan Hewitt, Fractured Atlas website, October 18, 2019 https://blog.fracturedatlas.org/what-fiscal-sponsorship-is-not
  17. ↑ State of California Department of Justice, Registry Verification Search https://oag.ca.gov/charities/content/info
  18. ↑ California Secretary of State, Business Search, Non-Toxic Neighborhoods, Inc. and Non Toxic Neighborhoods LLC, accessed February, 2023 https://bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov/search/business
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