Charity Articles

‘Scam PACs’ Are On the Rise: Don’t Confuse Them for Legitimate Charities

June 17, 2020

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‘Scam PACs’ Are On the Rise: Don’t Confuse Them for Le...

Jun 17, 2020

Political action committees, also known as PACs, are not the same thing as public charities, but some questionable actors from the charity world may be confusing donors into thinking otherwise. These individuals appear to be opera...

Political action committees, also known as PACs, are not the same thing as public charities, but some questionable actors from the...

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COVID-19: The Struggle & the Aftermath

Apr 15, 2020

A Message from CharityWatch’s Executive Director, Laurie Styron: In times of tragedy we feel a deep need to make sense of an often chaotic world and to find order within it by acting upon it in some way. Donating to charit...

A Message from CharityWatch’s Executive Director, Laurie Styron: In times of tragedy we feel a deep need to make sense of ...

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Collapse of Third-Party Giving Platform Leaves Charities Unp...

Oct 16, 2019

“Leaving New York charitable donors uncertain if their donations will ever make it to their intended cause is unacceptable,” said New York’s Attorney General in an October 4, 2019 press release announcing a lawsuit filed aga...

“Leaving New York charitable donors uncertain if their donations will ever make it to their intended cause is unacceptable,” s...

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Move America Forward Held Back by Financial & Political Inte...

Sep 13, 2019

Officers and directors of the military charity, Move America Forward, have been accused of using charitable contributions to enrich themselves while misrepresenting to the public the percentage of donations used......

Officers and directors of the military charity, Move America Forward, have been accused of using charitable contributions to enric...

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Unboxing HeroBox

Jul 25, 2019

The mission of HeroBox is simple. Through its website at herobox.org, the charity matches deployed soldiers’ wish lists for comfort supplies with willing donors. Donors can choose to sponsor a soldier, referred to as a “h...

The mission of HeroBox is simple. Through its website at herobox.org, the charity matches deployed soldiers’ wish lists for comf...

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CharityWatch Calls for Military Care Package Charity to 'Ado...

Jul 25, 2019

CharityWatch has identified a history of troubling financial reporting by AdoptaPlatoon Soldier Support Effort that earned it “?” ratings from CharityWatch since its 2012 fiscal year, and an "F" rating for 2017...

CharityWatch has identified a history of troubling financial reporting by AdoptaPlatoon Soldier Support Effort that earned it...

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California AG Accuses Another Aid Charity of Misleading Dono...

Jun 24, 2019

The office of the California Attorney General (OAG) "is committed to protecting generous donors from the harm caused by misleading accounting gimmicks," states a May 30th, 2019 press release announcing the OAG's lawsuit......

The office of the California Attorney General (OAG) "is committed to protecting generous donors from the harm caused by misleading...

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Is the United Way Relevant in the Internet Age?

May 14, 2019

In the Internet age where giving directly to charity only requires a few clicks of a mouse or touches on a smartphone, is the United Way with its workplace giving campaigns even necessary? While the mechanics of directing money to...

In the Internet age where giving directly to charity only requires a few clicks of a mouse or touches on a smartphone, is the Unit...

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Veterans Charity Forgiven of $13.9 Million of Debt Is $6.9 M...

Mar 18, 2019

Only three years after Disabled Veterans National Foundation (DVNF) entered into a settlement agreement with the New York Office of the Attorney General and was forgiven of $13.9 million in fundraising debt, it reports being nearl...

Only three years after Disabled Veterans National Foundation (DVNF) entered into a settlement agreement with the New York Office o...

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Cat Charity Criticized for Straying from Good Governance Pra...

Dec 17, 2018

Alley Cat Allies, 'the global engine of change for cats' according to its website, has found itself the target of criticism in an article by Marc Gunther titled 'The Limits of Nonprofit Oversight.' The November 2018 article was pu...

Alley Cat Allies, 'the global engine of change for cats' according to its website, has found itself the target of criticism in an ...

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Charity Continues to Deceive Donors In the Name of Fallen Po...

Dec 05, 2018

"Police officers put their lives on the line every day for their communities. It is wrong for any organization to try to take advantage of public sympathy for the losses of the families of fallen heroes," said Minnesota's Attorney...

"Police officers put their lives on the line every day for their communities. It is wrong for any organization to try to take adva...

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How To Check If a Charity Respects Your Privacy

Oct 19, 2018

Before you make a charitable donation, do you consider how the charity might make use of your personal information? In other words, do you check for a donor privacy policy? Did you realize that some charities don't have a written ...

Before you make a charitable donation, do you consider how the charity might make use of your personal information? In other words...

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Planet Aid's Recycling Program, Debunked!

Oct 05, 2018

(Updated Mar 12, 2020) CharityWatch has been keeping an eye on Planet Aid, a charity known for its ubiquitous clothing collection boxes, for many years. This charity consistently reports low overhead and high program spending in i...

(Updated Mar 12, 2020) CharityWatch has been keeping an eye on Planet Aid, a charity known for its ubiquitous clothing collection ...

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CharityWatch Hall of Shame: The Personalities Behind Charity...

Aug 24, 2018

The most important lesson to be learned from the following colorful stories of charity scoundrels is that regardless of how distinguished, well-connected and honored a charity leader is, he is only human and may be tempted to use ...

The most important lesson to be learned from the following colorful stories of charity scoundrels is that regardless of how distin...

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Aid Charity's 95% Program Claim Is 'Unfair and Deceptive'

Jul 13, 2018

The California AG has accused Food For The Poor of using an "unfair and deceptive" program percentage statement in its fundraising solicitations. In that "95% Statement," which per the AG, "created a likelihood of confusion...

The California AG has accused Food For The Poor of using an "unfair and deceptive" program percentage statement in its fundraising...

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Don't Be Fooled By Name Rip-off Charity Scams

Jun 15, 2018

How much harm could there really be in confusing the names of two charities? Confusing a poorly-run charity for a well-run charity is one thing, but imagine how disheartening it would be if the entire amount of what you thought wa...

How much harm could there really be in confusing the names of two charities? Confusing a poorly-run charity for a well-run charity...

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Sorting Out Nonprofit Pairs

Apr 17, 2018

Donors are often confused by nonprofit pairs. These are related nonprofit organizations whose names often look very similar but that are legally separate entities. Such groups often share employees and other resources -- in some c...

Donors are often confused by nonprofit pairs. These are related nonprofit organizations whose names often look very similar but th...

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Gaia-Movement Living Earth's 'Recycling' Program, Debunked!

Apr 12, 2018

CharityWatch has been keeping an eye on Gaia-Movement Living Earth (GAIA), a charity known for its ubiquitous clothing collection boxes, for many years. GAIA consistently reports low overhead and high program spending in its annua...

CharityWatch has been keeping an eye on Gaia-Movement Living Earth (GAIA), a charity known for its ubiquitous clothing collection ...

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WonderWork Co-Founder is No Mr. Wonderful

Mar 08, 2018

Brian Mullaney, the man who for charities like Smile Train and WonderWork, popularized the dubious fundraising advertising claim of "100% to Program," may face legal action and tax penalties, potentially for unjust enrichment...

Brian Mullaney, the man who for charities like Smile Train and WonderWork, popularized the dubious fundraising advertising claim o...

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Conflicts of Interest Are a Red Flag for Donors: Some Charit...

Feb 20, 2018

The recent media attention given to conflicts of interest may have a political lean, but managing conflicts of interest has always been a critical part of good governance for charities and other nonprofits. The existence of confli...

The recent media attention given to conflicts of interest may have a political lean, but managing conflicts of interest has always...

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Vietnam Veterans of America's 'Recycling' Program, Debunked!

Dec 08, 2017

Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) reports reasonable overhead and program spending in its annual financial documents, but a closer analysis by CharityWatch reveals a different picture of how efficiently this charity operates.

Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) reports reasonable overhead and program spending in its annual financial documents, but a closer...

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The Senate Singles Out WWP For Bad Practices That Also Occur...

Aug 14, 2017

Multiple media outlets, including CBS News and The New York Times, accused WWP of wasting donations on "lavish" spending, such as pricey travel, food and drink, and conferences for WWP employees. The U.S. Senate Judiciary...

Multiple media outlets, including CBS News and The New York Times, accused WWP of wasting donations on "lavish" spending, such as ...

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Reported Charity Salaries May Not Tell the Full Story

Apr 04, 2017

Donors often seek out information on charity executive salaries when considering whether or not to donate to a particular nonprofit. Unfortunately, the presentation of such salary data often causes donors to incorrectly conflate l...

Donors often seek out information on charity executive salaries when considering whether or not to donate to a particular nonprofi...

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Costly and Continuous Kars4Kids Ads Disguise Charity's Real ...

Mar 10, 2017

Described by many as annoying and by SFGate.com as the subject of "widespread, ubiquitous hate," the catchy advertising jingle for the charity known as Kars4Kids can now be heard not only on radio stations nationwide...

Described by many as annoying and by SFGate.com as the subject of "widespread, ubiquitous hate," the catchy advertising jingle for...

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