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Where should Gawker donate its Rob Ford ‘Crackstarter’ funds?

Where should Gawker donate its Rob Ford ‘Crackstarter’ funds?

Life inside Toronto City Hall has returned to a near-state of normalcy, which means it is less dysfunctional than its Montreal counterpart but still more of a circus than Cirque du Soleil.

We are now nearly four weeks separated from the start of the Mayor Rob Ford crack video scandal, when reporters from two news organizations reported viewing a recording of Ford smoking from what appeared to be a crack pipe.

No one else in the general public has seen that video because, as the legend now goes, the video was intended to be sold for "six figures" – a price tag neither organization was willing or able to pay at the time.

U.S. gossip site Gawker was, at least, up for the challenge and launched a campaign to collect $200,000 in public donations through the website Indiegogo.

The campaign was controversial, ethically questionable and, ultimately, successful.

But when Gawker turned around to pay for the video, their source had disappeared, presumably amid the heat from the glare of an internationally-watched clusterduff.

[ Related: Indiegogo defends campaign for Rob Ford's alleged crack video ]

Where does that leave Gawker and its coin purse filled with $201,254, which was collected from more than 8,300 different donors?

After paying $16,564.19 in fees to Indiegogo and PayPal, the site was left with $184,689.81. (Indigogo co-founder Danae Ringelmann spoke with the Canadian Press about the ethics of the fundraising campaign, which can be found here. In short, he wasn't concerned.)

If the money wasn't going to go to drug dealers in exchange for the video, at the very least it could go toward an addiction foundation. Gawker editor John Cook reiterated the site’s promise to give the money to a Canadian charity on Monday, and urged readers to volunteer suggestions.

"We still hold out hope that a copy or copies of the video exist and, that someone who has access to one of those copies likes money enough to share it with us. But time marches on," Cook wrote.

"While we're not exactly closing up shop yet here on the Crackstarter, it is time to make preparations for the likelihood that the video eludes our grasp."

It seems inevitable that those who wanted to sell the video will not collect and the money will go to a charity. Here are a few possible, if not likely, candidates to become recipients of the $184,689.81 "Crackstarter" donation.

[ More Brew: Resigning Bob Rae says he will not run to be Toronto mayor ]

Centre for Addicition and Mental Health - One of two non-profits mentioned in Cook's latest blog post. CAMH is Canada’s largest mental health and addiction teaching hospital, and receives funding ($40 million in 2011) from a laundry list of donors, including Health Canada. They also accept public donations through the CAMH Foundation. A spokesman recently told the Globe and Mail the board would have to debate whether to accept the Crackstarter money, if it were offered to them.

Toronto Harm Reduction Task Force - Also identified as an early favourite to receive the donation, the task force is a "virtual meeting place for individuals and organizations dedicated to reducing the social, health and economic harms associated with drugs and drug policies." Much of their focus is on reforming drug laws to improve "harm reduction" strategies.

Legal Aid Ontario - The province's commitment to provide legal support for all residents would presumable benefit those suffering from drug addicition. "The greatest inequity in any drug arrest is the quality of legal service provided to those facing charges," a commenter wrote in recommending the non-profit corporation. However, Legal Aid Ontario, which received $344 million in funding in 2010) receives almost all of its support from the province and the Law Foundation of Ontario.

InSite - This is a supervised injection site in Vancouver, also suggested by a Gawker contributor. InSite allows drug users to do so in safety, with the intention of decreasing the negative consequences that come from the lifestyle. Funding a potential InSite location in Toronto seems somewhat apt in this case, considering what a big opponent Ford is of the idea.

The Salvation Army - The Christian church-led support group helps those struggling with poverty and others who are struggling. It offers shelter beds to the homeless and rehabilitation to those battling addiction. The Globe reports the Salvation Army said they would not hesitate to accept the money. As if their ears were burning, they just posted a list of reasons why Canadians donate. Contributing to the community was the second most common reason.