Occupy Wall Street finds money brings problems too

Occupy Wall Street has raised more than $500,000 in New York alone to support anti-greed demonstrations and, seven weeks into the movement, protesters are finding that having money creates headaches.

The challenges have included how to become a non-profit entity, how to deal with credit card companies withholding donations, choosing a bank that shares the movement's philosophy and budgeting what to spend cash on.

The totals raised - more than $500,000 in New York and around $20,000 in Chicago, Richmond and other American cities - have surprised everyone from the protesters to those overseeing their finances.

"I figured they would bring in maybe $10,000, maybe $20,000 and it would be no big deal. They were quickly bringing in that much and more a day," said Chuck Kaufman, the Tucson-based national co-coordinator of Alliance for Global Justice (AFGJ), the movement's fiscal sponsor.

"We were surprised and unprepared so it was a scramble to get our end of the system functioning at the volume the money was coming in."

Text: Ben Berkowitz, Chris Francescani, Reuters

Reuters Images