Donation questions surround South Florida Clean Water Movement

The blue-green algae and red tide crisis has taken over Southwest Florida.

Many have looked to the federal and state governments for help, but some take it upon themselves to make a change and ask the public for financial support.

GoFundMe accounts and fundraisers have collected thousands of dollars on behalf of John Heim’s South Florida Clean Water Movement.

But it now raises the question: How does a local activist who says he’s trying to spread awareness of our water emergency spend these donations?

“My work and transparency that I’m built on stands for itself,” Heim said.

Heim is well known for his efforts raising awareness of the water crisis in Southwest Florida. He’s organized fundraisers and made speeches in Southwest Florida and Washington, D.C.

People don’t question his passion and motives, but some do question how he’s spending your donated dollars.

“It’s for testing water, we’re donating to the Calusa Waterkeeper for testing that’s what that money goes for. I’m going around the state to give speeches that’s what that money goes towards,” Heim said.

Just two weeks ago, Millennial Brewing Company in Fort Myers teamed up with Heim for a fundraiser benefiting his efforts. They’re also passionate about helping our community fight this water crisis.

“It’s important and it’s something I need to focus we’ve been doing as much as we can to help the organization’s that are legitimately trying to help and do what they can do,” said owner Kyle Cebull.

But Cebull had concerns about the South Florida Clean Water Movement.

“We went and did our homework to make sure everything was on the up and up and found that it wasn’t registered or anything with the state,” Cebull said.

Cebull discovered after the fundraiser that Heim’s group isn’t a registered business or charity, WINK News confirmed that with the state, who added that the South Florida Clean Water Movement is in violation of state compliance because they must be registered in order to solicit funds.

“I run a community-based organization that is not affiliated with a 501(c) 3 or 4,” Heim said.

WINK News learned in 2017, Heim had a registered charitable organization license as Southwest Florida Clean Water Movement, but let it expire last January.

“Just like always the water cleared up and the problem went away so we dissolved the operation then, on the terms of our own personal decisions,” Heim said.

GoFundMe and a Facebook fundraiser are currently collecting money for the South Florida Clean Water Movement. Heim says he continuously donates that money to the Calusa Waterkeeper.

“The Calusa Waterkeeper works hand-in-hand with the South Florida clean water movement,” Heim said.

In fact, the Calusa Waterkeeper, a registered non-profit, sent WINK News a statement:

“While we encourage the sincere efforts of other advocacy groups, Calusa Waterkeeper does not have a partnership relationship with the South Florida Clean Water Movement.”

They went on saying, “Mr. Heim recently contributed $700 and he did offer more money, but we did not take him up on his offer.

Heim says of the thousands raised online, Heim only donated $700 of that to the Calusa Waterkeeper, so we pressed him on how he spent the other donations.

“I am fighting for the water as one guy who has managed to do it for 25 years on his own dime basically,” Heim said.

“Your own dime or the thousands of dollars you have been given?” asked WINK News reporter Brendon Leslie.

“You must be out of your mind,” Heim said.

“It’s a valid question you’re not showing me the receipts so I don’t know if you’re actually using it,” Leslie said.

“You don’t have to have the receipts you’re not a legal entity,” Heim said.

Heim did say his accountant holds onto all his receipts. He refused to show WINK News anything, leaving some still wondering how Heim and the South Florida Clean Water Movement spend your donations.

“The people that would add these accusations are the ignorant people that have no idea what they’re talking about, what it takes to actually make change in this community for clean water, so I would tell them both I dare them to walk in my shoes for a minute,” Heim said.

WINK News reached out to Heim Friday after the state said he’s not in compliance, but he has yet to respond.

Heim and the South Florida Clean Water Movement have many supporters and continue to shine a light on the water crisis.