Penn State Scandal: Second Mile, Jerry Sandusky's Charity, May Fold (UPDATE)

UPDATE: Sandusky's Charity Throwing In The Towel?

UPDATED: Monday, November 21, 2011; 10:17 a.m.

The Second Mile Charity, founded by Jerry Sandusky, may throw in the towel.

As the organization begins conducting an internal investigation, the New York Times reported that the charity is "preparing to fold," transferring its programs that help underserved youth to other nonprofits.

“We’re working hard to figure out how the programs can survive this event,” CEO David Woodle told the news outlet. “We aren’t protective of this organization that it survives at all costs.”

"No decision has been made," Woodle said. "I told (the New York Times) exactly what I told (The Patriot-News); we have three viable options."

Those options are:
1. The programs continue under The Second Mile.

2. The programs continue under a different charity.

3. In the end, nothing of The Second Mile exists.

"We hope (option No. 3) doesn't happen," Woodle said. "We're only into this four days. We're figuring out what's viable."

Woodle wouldn't provide details to the Times which organization might be chosen to perpetuate the charity's work.

This week, the charity's board of directors hired former Philadelphia District Attorney Lynne Abraham, the Associated Press reported. With a team, she'll investigate the nature of the contact Sandusky had with children in the program and recount the steps, or missteps, it took after learning of the allegations.

The charity had reportedly said this week it didn't know if it would stay alive beyond December, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The governor's office suspended a planned $3 million grant to the organization, which had about 20 employees and revenue of $2.2 million last year, according to WSJ.

Since news of the scandal broke, a number of board members resigned and donors have pulled back on support. The organization had begun asking its partners and donors this week whether they'd continue to commit to giving, according to the Altoona Mirror.. Donors' responses were split.

"We live on donations," CEO Woodle had told the news oulet.

UPDATE: An earlier version of this story used the headline: "Penn State Scandal: Second Mile, Jerry Sandusky's Charity, Prepares To Fold." It has been updated to reflect the refuted report.

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