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Remember when we all thought Yéle Haiti was a good idea?

Well, as has been its reputation for the last couple of years, Wyclef’s foundation, Yele Haiti, is in the news again. This time, they’re being sued by a consulting firm for not making good on a bill.

According to EURweb, Yéle Haiti is being sued by HVC Global Hospitality Services for allegedly stiffing them on a bill with a balance of $108,972.

HVC claims that in 2011, they contracted to provide six months of job and hospitality training for 120 students in Haiti back in 2011.  In their lawsuit filed in a New York Supreme Court, Yéle agree to pay the total bill of $285,000 over the course of the program.  However, they allegedly didn’t keep up with the payment and since Yéle has been shut down since 2012, HVC is still looking for a way to get paid.

The bleeding has never stopped and it’s been a debacle almost since its inception.  At this point, it would seem only “right” that maybe Wyclef go into his own pockets and pay the foundation’s outstanding bills.  I mean, we know he is rolling in the dough and since this was his “baby,” he should do the right thing.

Did you ever contribute to Yéle Haiti?

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From Essence

Paris Jackson may only be 15 years old, but she’s got big dreams for her late father’s dilapidated Neverland ranch. According to Event magazine, Jackson wants to restore it for sick and underprivileged kids to use and enjoy.

Jackson made a special trip back to the ranch two years ago to find the famous ferris wheel was removed. “I cried and cried,” said Jackson. “It’s beautiful there. It still has good energy.”

Although her dream to revive the ranch won’t be easy, Jackson says she’ll begin the project when she becomes an adult.

You can read the rest over on Essence. That sounds like a really sweet idea though; she seems to have the giving spirit just like her dad.

Did you ever want to visit Neverland when you were young?

Egypt Sherrod, host of “Property Virgins,” broadcaster, and philanthropist

Egypt Sherrod’s voice has become a staple in urban radio. The award-winning broadcaster has hosted shows in top media markets like New York’s 105.1, 100.3 The Beat in Philadelphia, 92Q in Baltimore, and now V103 in Atlanta, in addition to serving as a pop culture pundit on television shows like Access Hollywood. But, you may be surprised to discover her empire includes a successful career in real estate and a charity helping families in her new hometown.

Despite her success in New York City, Egypt felt a pull to relocate from the bustling metropolis to a city with a style all it’s own, Atlanta. The move allowed her to grow her brand to reflect her many passions in life. In addition to taking over hosting duties for HGTV’s Property Virgins, she launched her charity, Egypt Cares Family Foundation.

I caught up with Egypt to discuss how she is navigating the changes in her life, and the variety of ways she promotes her special brand of female and financial empowerment.

MadameNoire: You recently relocated to Atlanta. How did the move impact your career?

Egypt: The move to Atlanta marked the opening of a new chapter in my career. My 12 years on New York radio and television were great for me but I felt like I needed to GO so I could continue to GROW. Atlanta is a different city with a pulse of its own and I was just ready to see new people, places and things. So, currently I’m on V103 in Atlanta & filming season 10 of Property Virgins here.

Madame Noire: How did the opportunity to do Property Virgins come about? How does it complement your brand?

Egypt Sherrod: I’ve always been an HGTV fanatic. As a licensed real estate agent and someone who genuinely has a passion for the industry, I was truly drawn to watching Property Virgins even with its former host. So imagine my surprise when a casting director contacted me because he remembered me from a previous audition and thought that with my real estate expertise I would be a perfect match as the new host of Property Virgins.

MN: When did you become a licensed realtor? What made you want to get involved in that industry?

ES: I’ve been licensed for about eight years. I started out as a real estate investor in my 20′s flipping properties for profit. Then I got wise to the game and figured out if I could become a licensed agent I could keep that commission in my pocket. I got bit by the real estate bug in the process.

MN: Are you an active realtor? How do you juggle running your own business in the midst of everything else you have going on?

ES: Yes my license is active, and my real estate business partner and I still do a number of deals annually. In addition to being involved in residential transactions as part of a successful real estate team doing direct deals, because I speak to millions of viewers nationwide each week by way of my show, we also refer out quite a bit of business to a network of agents across the country. There aren’t enough hours in a day, but by having a great partner and an awesome support staff, we make it work!

For some people the definition of success is attaining a lot of material things. For others it’s fame or fortune. For me, success means being fulfilled and leading a balanced life. I feel that I have truly been blessed in all areas of my life and the only true thing to do is to give back. I compare it to tithing, but I’m tithing of my time, spirit and knowledge.

Valentine’s Day, V-Day, Doomsday, D-Day – the one time of year where singles across the world are reminded of just how single they are. Commercialism and society put so much pressure on people regarding this holiday. What many fail to address is that although Valentine’s Day is commonly associated with a romantic kind of love, it isn’t the only form of love. So, before you get all down on yourself for not having a significant other to spend the day with this year, start throwing yourself a pity party or even linking up with a random person all for the sake of not being alone, check out nine ways to spread love this Valentine’s Day that will not only leave you feeling fantastic, but will help someone else as well.

Source: Getty Images

Well, this a bit disheartening but nobody is perfect.

Tracy Mourning, wife of former Miami Heat player Alonzo Mourning, was arrested on Friday morning driving under the influence in Miami.

According to The Huffington Post, Mourning was clocked going 28 miles over the speed limit in Coconut Grove while driving her Porsche.

When a police officer finally stopped her a few blocks down, she’d apparently been swerving and she ran a stop sign.

At that point, the officer says Mourning then put on her charms and asked in a nice voice, “What did I do officer,” followed by a wink and then saying, “Was going fast, wasn’t I?” Okay so even at almost 4am and knowing she was wrong, Tracy tried to use the “bat your eyes” trick to get out of any trouble.

But the officer wasn’t buying it. He said her eyes were bloodshot, she was slurring her speech and reeked of alcohol. After failing a roadside sobriety test and refusing to take a blood alcohol test, she was then arrested.

No word yet on what time she was released and when she’ll have to appear in court. Her hair still manages too look good, even in the booking photo.

The Mournings have become pillars of the community in Miami where they spend countless hours giving back.  Alonzo has been known for years to throw one of the best fundraising events in town with his “Zo’s Summer Groove.”  Along with that huge money maker, the couple often scouts for other ways they can get back.

Hopefully, Tracy can get this taken care of and be extremely careful when it comes to drinking and driving (how about just don’t do it).

Honestly, how many of you still get behind the wheel even though you know you’ve probably had one too many drinks? Do you still get in the car with someone who you know has had too much to drink and let them drive?

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From ESSENCE

Inspired by a recent trip to India, designer Rachel Roy recently celebrated her 39th birthday with a mission of giving, instead of receiving gifts. Roy has partnered with the charity: water campaign to raise $20,000 to give 1,000 people clean water in India. “Water changes everything. Diseases from unsafe water kill more people every year than all forms of violence, including war,” explains Roy.

On What She Observed During Her Trip To India

This is my fourth year working with charity:water actually! I heard about them around the time of my 35th birthday and what I love most about charity:water is how simple they make the act of charitable giving. There are no rules or expectations, and you can donate as much as you feel comfortable giving.

During this time however, and through seeing how the dollars have been spent, I’m reminded just how essential clean water is in setting up a foundation for everything else in life. In a developing community, clean water is the most important commodity, and it’s such an easy gift for us to give.

On What We All Can Do To Give Back

I think it’s always best to start on a local level. You’ll know what needs attention and how to make the biggest change in your own community. A fantastic resource and a great place to start is Volunteers of America. It’s a nationwide database of all sorts of organizations that could use an extra pair of hands. It’s as simple as putting in your zip code to see what non-profits are active in your area.

Check out what else Rachel has to say on giving back as well as her goals for 2013 over on Essence.

Do you have time to volunteer?

WENN.com

The Material Girl is taking a serious stand on education in Malawi.

Pop superstar Madonna announced that her charity, Raising Malawi, built 10 schools in the country in 2012 and six of them are already in use.  Initially, the schools were supposed to take 18 months to build, with the last one going up in June 2013, according to News24; however, with help from partners at the non-profit buildON, they are six months ahead of schedule.  The four schools that aren’t already open will be ready to go by the first day of school in January, Madonna said.

With the opening of the schools, Raising Malawi noted that the schools would help an estimated 4,871 children receive an education.  Malawi is listed as one of the world’s least developed countries and only a very small portion of boys and girls are able to go to school so this undoubtedly help in a tremendous way.

This huge project seems to make up for Madonna walking away from the creation of a $15 million girls academy in Malawi back in 2009 after Raising Malawi was accused of financial mismanagement. Madonna dismissed it by saying she decided not to continue with that project because she wanted to be able to reach thousands of children, not hundreds of girls.

If you’re wondering why Madonna seems so closely connected to Malawi, it is because two of her children – David and Mercy – were both adopted from there.

This is a huge undertaking so here’s hoping Raising Malawi and buildON continue to make it successful for the sake of the children.

Diddy and Olivia Wilde take the stage at the 12-12-12 Concert. AP Photo/Starpix, Dave Allocca

Hurricane Sandy caused more than $42 billion in destruction. Many lives were lost and people left homeless. So the $50 million relief from the recent “12-12-12” Sandy benefit concert is more than welcome.

Although the organizers of the star-studded concert have yet to announce the total amount raised, they have said that the first installment of donations is ready to be distributed, according to Rolling Stone magazine.

The fundraiser for The Robin Hood Relief Fund included performances at New York’s Madison Square Garden by Kanye West, Alicia Keys, the Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Bon Jovi, Billy Joel, the Who and Paul McCartney. The concert was broadcast on a number of television stations.

The money will go to various groups aiding victims of the late October storm that devastated parts of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, the Los Angeles Times reports. Money was raised not only through ticket sales but also sponsorships, merchandise, telephone and Internet donations, as well as online auctions of memorabilia and advance orders of a forthcoming live album, which hit number one on iTunes as a pre-order. In all, two billion people were said to have had access to viewing the event.

“The money raised to date is going right to hundreds of organizations in the tri-state area serving those who need it most,” said David Saltzman, executive director of Robin Hood Foundation, in a statement. “Robin Hood has already begun granting the funds for Sandy relief. We are continuing to raise funds through various ongoing sales opportunities and donations and we urge people to continue to contribute.”

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Starting this evening at The Boys and Girls Club in Las Vegas, Ne-Yo is kicking off the 6th Annual Compound Foundation Giving Tour, a series of events to raise awareness about and drum up support for underprivileged and foster youth.

Ne-Yo is the founder of The Compound Foundation, launched in 2007 with his business partner Reynell Hay. The organization provides grants to nonprofit organizations, awards scholarships, builds recording studios in group homes around the country, and does other philanthropic work all to benefit children in tough circumstances.

The concert tonight will be followed by one in Los Angeles tomorrow, another in Newark on Wednesday, and wrap up in Atlanta on Thursday. The events are meant to brighten the holidays for children who may otherwise not participate in the giving of the season. For example, 500 children between the ages of three and 18 will receive toys, clothes, and other gifts at the Newark event, which will also be attended by Mayor Cory Booker. New York Giants player Deon Grant is among the scheduled guests, according to the press release. Gifts will be provided by companies including by Carol’s Daughter and Coca Cola, among other organizations.

Unfortunately, these are private events, but you can donate on the foundation’s website. If you’d like to see Ne-Yo in concert (and take a little trip), he’ll be performing in the UK in March.

Women make up only 21 percent of leadership roles at nonprofit organizations with more than $25 million budgets, according to the “Benchmarking Women’s Leadership” study from the Women’s College of the University of Denver and The White House Project.

And minority women, including African Americans, make up an even smaller percentage. Here are some amazing African-American women who are leading cool nonprofit organizations across the country.

Beverly Bond, CEO of Black Girls Rock!
Launched in 2006, Black Girls Rock! is a youth enrichment and empowerment program based in New York that encourages young black women to get involved in music, culture, and the arts. Founder Beverly Bond has grown the organization to include a leadership camp and an annual awards show, which took place for the seventh time in 2012 and aired on BET on November 4.