SHEBA nonprofit founder, consultant under state and federal scrutiny
Mismanaging finances and potential fraud.
That’s how a state audit described the handling of money being transferred from the Blue Hills Civic Association (BHCA) to local nonprofit founder and consultant Sonserae-Cicero Hamlin, who runs SHEBA.
SHEBA got more than a million dollars from the BHCA, and federal investigators are looking into the organization and a state senator over alleged improper steering of state funds.
To provide education and financial resources for minority businesses, that’s the stated purpose of the nonprofit SHEBA. A recent state audit, however, raises questions about whether Cicero-Hamlin was effective in working with BHCA.
It shows SHEBA and Cicero-Hamlin receiving more than a million dollars in total in fiscal years 2023 and 2024 from the BHCA and, in FY2025, an additional $615k given at State Senator Doug McCrory’s direction, according to the audit.
The audit describes an invoice for $42,000 on a two-hour leadership training for BHCA staffers, which included a 13-minute YouTube video of a TED talk and a six-page PowerPoint, of which only four slides contained content.
The audit report called the transfer of money “a troubling pattern of financial mismanagement, potential fraud, and a complete breakdown of internal controls.” This comes as SHEBA also faces a federal probe.
In August, the FBI began investigating the nonprofit’s relationship with McCrory regarding state funding. Laurie Styron, CEO of Charity Watch, said that’s a big deal.
“A nonprofit has to really be doing something very concerning for a governmental office to get involved and start investigating it,” she said.
What about the finances of SHEBA itself? The nonprofit’s tax filings from fiscal year 2023 and 2024 each showed more than $900,000 in revenue, but no money was spent on fundraising. Stryon says that’s concerning.
“How was it possible to raise over $900,000 without spending even one penny in printing, postage, phone, staff time to do it?” Styron said.
She says there are other red flags with SHEBA’s tax filings, like the board of directors listing zero hours working for the nonprofit, even if they’re volunteers, as most charity boards are.
“You would at least see half an hour, an hour per week or per month of board members overseeing the governance of the organization,” Styron said.
While SHEBA is a federally registered 501 (c) (3) charity, the Department of Consumer Protection told NBC Connecticut they don’t have a charity permit on file with the state, which is required for fundraising.
A local business owner who took business courses from SHEBA and Cicero-Hamlin says these findings disturb him. We’re concealing his identity due to fears of professional retaliation.
“A betrayal. A deeper betrayal because you see her as a closer role model as to what to live up to, and then you find out what she did,” he said.
We reached out to Cicero-Hamlin by phone, but it went straight to a full voicemail box. We also reached out by email. We still have not heard back.
McCrory also didn’t respond for comment but said in a recent statement he did no wrongdoing in response to the state audit and called for stronger oversight of public funds. In a previous interview with NBC Connecticut, he said he would be cleared of wrongdoing in the FBI probe.
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