The sexual abuse allegations against Hope for Prisoners CEO Jon Ponder — having already added a plot twist to his redemption story from convicted bank robber to reformed member of society — have led some foundations and faith leaders to distance themselves from his nonprofit organization.
Multiple organizations that once served as sponsors, community partners or donors have said they will not support Hope for Prisoners following the Metropolitan Police Department’s Aug. 18 arrest of Ponder, who faces nine felonies and 11 gross misdemeanors, including sexual assault, suspicion of unauthorized contact with a prisoner by a prison employee or volunteer, attempted coercion and attempted unauthorized contact with a prisoner.
Kenneth Copeland Ministries had not been aware of the allegations until the Review-Journal contacted the organization on Wednesday, “and immediately determined to cease our financial support for Hope for Prisoners,” spokesperson Shawn Paul Wood said.
The Woodson Center, whose late founder Robert Woodson, Sr. once sat on the board of Hope for Prisoners, said in a statement that it was concerned about Ponder’s arrest.
“Though the Center remains committed to the mission of the organization to help men, women and young adults successfully reenter the workforce, their families and our community, we no longer financially support the organization,” said a spokesperson for the organization, which focuses on reducing crime and violence and restoring families.
The Hope for Prisoners website lists Central Church as one of its “faith-based partners,” but a spokesperson for the church said the organization misrepresented its relationship, noting that Central Church has no partnership or affiliation.
Hope for Prisoners did not respond to a request for comment.
Approached after a hearing Wednesday morning and asked about the future of Hope for Prisoners, Ponder, 60, made a zipping motion over his lips and said nothing.
Complaints filed with the Office of the Inspector General led the Metropolitan Police Department to launch an investigation in April into Ponder’s conduct. Metro detectives concluded that Ponder used his relationship with the Nevada Department of Corrections and position of authority to sexually prey on vulnerable female inmates seeking rehabilitation at the Jean Conservation Camp and Casa Grande Transitional Housing, the arrest report said.
The report also noted that Ponder had developed a reputation among inmates, officers and employees for inappropriate sexual conduct and had been the subject of a workplace investigation in 2020.
Despite the conduct allegedly stretching back several years, more money continued to funnel into his organization, whose board also became a roundtable of powerful and connected people, until his recent arrest.
Money and power
In 2012, the organization reported $14,242 in revenue, according to tax documents submitted to the IRS. By 2025, the organization received more than $4.8 million, though revenue peaked in 2024 at $7.45 million due to large government grants, according to the organization’s Form 990. Ponder’s salary in 2025 was $196,726, according to IRS documents.
Ponder’s stature also continued to grow in the state — earning appointments to Gov. Brian Sandoval’s Reentry Taskforce in 2016, the Nevada Sentencing Commission and Commission on Postsecondary Education in 2017 — as his programs proved successful in curbing recidivism, with Hope for Prisoners now touting partnerships with agencies like the prison system and Metro. A 2016 UNLV study on Hope for Prisoners found that only 6 percent of its participants were re-incarcerated.
During the organization’s rise to prominence, some of the most influential players in Nevada law enforcement, politics and business have sat on the board at one point, including former Clark County Sheriff Bill Young, former governor and attorney general Robert List, Sheriff Kevin McMahill and District Attorney Steve Wolfson, according to tax documents.
Metro did not respond to a request for comment about the status of its partnership.
Ponder’s work even caught the eye of President Donald Trump, who said, “Jon’s work is a beautiful testament to the power of redemption,” before granting him a pardon in 2020.
Hope for Prisoners has also received more than $750,000 annually from federal grants since 2020, the organization’s audits show.
Former COO warned board
Well before Ponder’s recent legal troubles surfaced, former employees questioned his leadership, including one former executive calling Ponder “an authoritarian.”
Grant McCandless, who served as Hope for Prisoners’ chief operating officer for more than eight months in 2020, filed suit against Ponder and the organization in district court on Oct. 28, 2022, for breach of contract after his employment was terminated.
McCandless said he had unwittingly angered Ponder a few times by doing things he thought were in the organization’s best interest. Then, McCandless said, an employee filed a complaint against him shortly thereafter accusing him of racism. Although McCandless said he was told an investigation did not find any evidence of misconduct, he was still fired because Ponder wanted him gone.
While Ponder was removed from the lawsuit, McCandless settled the case against Hope for Prisoners in November 2024. He said he could not legally disclose the terms.
That year, McCandless posted on social media that the board needed to oust Ponder from its helm.
In hindsight, McCandless said, Ponder presented red flags about his desire for control during his initial job interview, referencing sarcastic comments Ponder made in response to takeaways from a case study involving prisoner reentry that McCandless had referenced.
“He likes to give orders and directions and doesn’t really invite suggestions or certainly even constructive criticism from even his most senior leadership team,” McCandless said. “I thought it was my responsibility to help him grow the organization, make it better and solve problems, but I learned that wasn’t quite what he wanted from me.”
McCandless said he had only learned of allegations of sexual impropriety against Ponder after he had filed his lawsuit. Before settling the case, he unsuccessfully tried to compel Hope for Prisoners to turn over a letter written in 2020 by now-former board member Kristina Wildeveld that detailed how the board ignored a recommendation from its legal counsel to fire Ponder.
Wildeveld’s letter also opined that the organization had “lost its way” and added that “the focus has turned to promoting Jon Ponder and fundraising and promotion has been placed ahead of the original mission.”
Nonprofits can survive scandal
As questions swirl over Hope for Prisoners’ fate, scandal is not always a death knell for nonprofits, experts say.
Jessica Word, the associate dean of research and international programs in UNLV’s Honors College, said accusations against CEOs or key leadership positions usually present bigger challenges from a public relations, marketing and fundraising perspective, but impacts to an organization’s health can depend on the types of allegations and its funding streams.
“If the accusations are related to the mission, it probably has a bigger impact on fundraising and the ability to move forward,” Word said. “Big national scandals like the Boy Scouts that never seem to end have impacted the organization for a long time, but the Boy Scouts is old enough and big enough that it’s probably going to be around no matter what.”
Locally, Word pointed to the scandal at The Animal Foundation, which faced allegations that animals were mistreated despite one of its core missions centering around animal welfare.
“If they hadn’t had large donors and funders who were willing to stand by them, reinvest and reinvigorate them through those scandals, they probably wouldn’t be around,” Word said.
In the case of Kenneth Copeland Ministries being unaware of Ponder’s alleged misconduct, Word said donations and sponsorships are usually based on a memorandum of understanding or donor agreements that usually don’t necessitate disclosure of allegations unless specified.
However, Word said it was important for nonprofits embroiled in scandals to take ownership of problems because they rely on trust and goodwill to deliver their missions, raise money and garner support.
“From a strategic perspective, it is probably best for the board to reach out to their donors and their sponsors and say, ‘Here’s what happened. It’s terrible and here’s how we’re dealing with it,’” Word said. “If you take ownership of something and get ahead of the story and deal with it in the right way, you’re still going to weather a storm, but it can be less severe.”
Contact Devan Patel at dpatel@reviewjournal.com.
