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Finance & Accounting
What do I do when my main investor passes away and I am in another country?
I'm currently in Africa with building my non-profit business charity and have found myself without the funding I had expected from this investor. I have a website that is being built, but at this point there is no way to let people know about the charity and to try and raise funds. Do you have any suggestions?

Asked by paris1995
Posted: Saturday, March 29, 2008  |  Found in Finance & Accounting


More answers by Tim Berry
Answer by Tim Berry
Do you have anything in writing?

If the investor has given you only a promise, then passed away, you have probably had some very bad luck. Check to see whether the investor's heirs might honor his or her wishes. And if that doesn't seem likely, you have to start over.

If the investor has given you written assurances, use these to address those in charge of executing his or her estate. Details of course will depend entirely on what you have as written assurances and in which legal jurisdiction. It is certainly not going to be easy.

I'm sorry to be delivering bad news, but I would guess, without knowing more than what you've included in this email, that the most likely outcome of this is having to start over. Of course if you actually have legal documentation, then your chances might be better.

Tim
Tim Berry is the president of Palo Alto Software Inc., which produces the industry's leading business planning software, Business Plan Pro, as well as other popular planning applications for businesses.


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