Dear HCN, This past September, I was contacted by one of your reporters who was doing a story on the Stock Farm, a gated community in Hamilton, Mont. (HCN, 11/11/02: Behind the gate). The reporter contacted me because I am the director of a local nonprofit organization and she wanted to know if, in my perception, the Stock Farm supported local nonprofits. I worked very hard to make the following three points:

1. Yes, our organization receives support from the Stock Farm and its members. While not all members of the Stock Farm support our organization or any community organization, this is true for the community at large as well.

2. The Stock Farm is not a panacea. Simply because there is a segment of the community that is more affluent than other parts of the community does not mean that financial support is a given.

3. The onus of raising funds for any organization lies with that organization. Approaching major donors is a skill that many of us in the local nonprofit community are still developing and approaching major donors (whether they live in a gated community or not) is challenging for many of us.

Imagine my surprise when I read your article and saw that my comments painted an entirely different picture. I find this extremely unfortunate, as I worked very hard in my conversation with your reporter to be as objective as possible. Perhaps High Country News isn’t concerned with the effects of your reporting, but I can certainly tell you that you have most likely harmed the ability of nonprofit organizations to secure donations from gated communities in the future.

Stacey Umhey Hamilton, Montana

Stacey Umhey is executive director of S.A.F.E. (Supporters of Abuse Free Environments).