11 News Investigates uncovers possible legal issues at Baltimore nonprofit, sparking investigation
TIME Organization, which has city contracts worth millions, under scrutiny as docs show financial discrepancies
WBAL logo Updated: 4:44 PM EDT May 21, 2025
https://www.wbaltv.com/article/time-organizat...t/64842004
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVZrScj8sQI
Baltimore's comptroller seeks an official investigation after 11 News Investigates uncovered financial discrepancies and possible legal issues at one of the state's biggest nonprofits.
TIME Organization Inc. is one of Maryland's largest nonprofits, tasked with helping some of the most vulnerable people in the Baltimore area. 11 News Investigates uncovered information showing the nonprofit failed to fully document what happens to the tens of millions of dollars it receives every year.
Officials told 11 News Investigates that TIME may have broken several state laws and could face a $20,000 fine. After Baltimore City Comptroller Bill Henry reviewed some of what 11 News Investigates uncovered, he asked the city inspector general to launch an investigation.
FEC records show political campaign donations
A year ago, a Baltimore small-business owner told 11 News Investigates that TIME Organization asked her to make a donation during a period when the organization was re-evaluating her contract.
TIME Organization reports employing more than 550 people and collects roughly $30 million in revenue, according to its most recent 990 form in 2023. The organization is a licensed mental health center that provides counseling and substance abuse treatment across Maryland while also operating two hotels that serve as shelters for those experiencing homelessness in partnership with the city of Baltimore. The nonprofit has submitted tax filings with the Internal Revenue Service dating back to 2016.
Federal Election Commission records obtained by 11 News Investigates show top TIME Organization employees have donated more than $1,000 since 2020 to the Democratic National Committee and to congressional races in Virginia and South Carolina.
Locally, campaign finance records during that same period show TIME's CEO and chief operating officer donated a combined $13,500 in their personal capacities to the campaigns of Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott.
Nonprofits required to register with state before making political donations
Because of the nonprofit's contracts with the city, 11 News Investigates sought answers from Allen Norfleet, the director of candidacy and campaign finance at the Maryland State Board of Elections, about the disclosures nonprofits and their officers have to make about campaign donations.
"We would expect to see any political contributions reported in their disclosure reports," Norfleet told 11 News Investigates.
Norfleet said nonprofits are required by law to first register with the SBE before making a single political donation, and then, submit disclosure reports every six months thereafter.
"If they haven't registered with me, that would be a problem," Norfleet told 11 News Investigates. "I think if you have nothing to hide, register with our office, report your contributions."
Norfleet confirmed that TIME Organization is not registered with SBE, but he could only speak generally about nonprofits beyond that.
"It's required by law and it's the right thing to do, and, again, it's your responsibility as a nonprofit or business in the state of Maryland," Norfleet told 11 News Investigates.
As Norfleet explained, for each report missed, there's a $1,000 fine, and the penalty is doubled if the nonprofit isn't registered with SBE to begin with. That means TIME Organization could be required to pay a $20,000 fine.
But the organization's problems don't end with Norfleet's office.
Watchdog found no audit of charitable contributions as required by state law
Laurie Styron is the CEO and executive director of CharityWatch, the only independent charity watchdog in the country, which focuses on exposing nonprofit abuses and informing donors. She referred to an audit that's required by Maryland state law that mandates charities to file if they receive more than $750,000 in one year from charitable contributions.
In its most recent tax filings in 2023, TIME Organization reported charitable contributions of $8.8 million — but there was no audit.
"The first really big red flag that we noticed was this organization does not have audited financial statements," Styron told 11 News Investigates. "Even if an audit can be somewhat expensive, these decisions are not optional."
Nonprofit not registered with Secretary of State's Office
Styron cited a second red flag, pointing to the website of the Maryland Attorney General's Office that says charities "must first register with the Office of the Secretary of State."
When 11 News Investigates asked the Secretary of State's Office about TIME Organization, the office responded, saying: "TIME is not registered as of May 14, 2025."
Public documents show the nonprofit started the registration process with the Secretary of State's Office in November but never completed it. Maryland law requires charities to be registered before accepting a single donation.
"For a state oversight office to not even have a record of a nonprofit being registered at all when it's known to be soliciting contributions from the public is extremely concerning," Styron told 11 News Investigates. "It's just a real recipe for disaster."
Nonprofit reports $8.8M in donations while spending nothing on fundraising
While TIME Organization reported receiving $8.8 million in charity for 2023, the nonprofit told the IRS that it spent zero dollars on fundraising. Styron called this her third red flag.
"No staff time expenses, no postage printing or mailing, no internet fees or running ads or, you know, printing brochures," Styron told 11 News Investigates. "How does a nonprofit raise that much money with without spending even one penny to do so? It's almost unheard of."
TIME Organization reported receiving zero donations in tax filings before 2023.
But 11 News Investigates reviewed old versions of TIME's website and found a "donate" button has existed since at least May 2021. Additionally, 11 News Investigates found social media posts seeking donations, like one in 2024 publicizing a golf tournament fundraiser costing $175 per player with all tournament funds directly supporting "our comprehensive programs."
In its search, 11 News Investigates also found other fundraising posts in 2021, 2022 and 2023.
The tax filings state that TIME's CEO made $226,692 in 2018, then $0 in salary from 2019-2022, and then than $476,000 in 2023.
"That causes us, as a watchdog, to question, 'Are they receiving compensation some other way through some related legal entity that is obfuscating what they're actually getting?'" Styron told 11 News Investigates. "There's just really obvious red flags with this organization not having an audit, claiming it has zero fundraising expenses."
TIME Organization did not respond to requests for comment
On its website, the TIME Organization states more than 13,000 clients have received mental health related services, and more than 3,200 clients received substance use disorder services.
When 11 News Investigates reached a high-level official with the TIME Organization on her cellphone, she hung up. TIME did not respond to multiple other calls or emails from 11 News Investigates seeking comment.
Baltimore comptroller seeks inspector general investigation
When 11 News Investigates brought its findings to Baltimore City Comptroller Bill Henry, he expressed concern.
"Those are definitely some very troubling allegations," Henry told 11 News Investigates.
After the Baltimore City Comptroller's Office made calls about some of what 11 News Investigates uncovered, Henry said he's asked the Office of the Baltimore City Inspector General to get involved.
"This is definitely something that we're going to have to ask for an investigation," Henry said. "We're going to be referring this to the Office of the Inspector General for them to investigate this matter more fully."
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