Charity Articles

Busting the Myths of "The Overhead Myth"

June 10, 2021

Read Now

Busting the Myths of "The Overhead Myth"

Jun 10, 2021

Before donating to charity, many donors want to know what portion of their donation the nonprofit will spend on programs versus overhead. And this makes sense. Charities and nonprofit fundraisers often reference two industry-...

Before donating to charity, many donors want to know what portion of their donation the nonprofit will spend on programs versus ov...

Read Now

Fundraisers for ‘F’ Rated Charities Hit with a Combined ...

May 19, 2021

In separate actions in January 2021 and September 2020, the FTC joined forces with state charity regulators across the country to crack down on the predatory fundraising practices of for-profit companies soliciting donations on be...

In separate actions in January 2021 and September 2020, the FTC joined forces with state charity regulators across the country to ...

Read Now

5 Tips for Avoiding Charity Frauds & Scams

Apr 22, 2021

Your $10 donation to an efficient, effective, and legitimate charity will make a bigger impact in forwarding the cause you want to support than your $1,000 donation to a scammer or highly inefficient nonprofit...

Your $10 donation to an efficient, effective, and legitimate charity will make a bigger impact in forwarding the cause you want to...

Read Now

The Moral Questions of Giving

Mar 24, 2021

A message from CharityWatch Executive Director, Laurie Styron: Many of us receive significantly more requests for charitable donations than we have the resources to fulfill. As we attempt to narrow down the list of organizati...

A message from CharityWatch Executive Director, Laurie Styron: Many of us receive significantly more requests for charitable ...

Read Now

You're on the Case! Help CharityWatch Investigate '?' Charit...

Dec 04, 2020

Wise donors like you turn to CharityWatch for ratings and quality reporting on wrongdoing in the nonprofit sector because you know we aren’t afraid to name names and hold charities accountable to their donors...

Wise donors like you turn to CharityWatch for ratings and quality reporting on wrongdoing in the nonprofit sec...

Read Now

Our Hope for a Better World is Reflected in Our Acts of Givi...

Nov 02, 2020

A message from CharityWatch Executive Director, Laurie Styron: If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that suffering exists on a spectrum. However each of us measures success and stability in our lives this year we have...

A message from CharityWatch Executive Director, Laurie Styron: If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that suffering ex...

Read Now

Good Riddance ‘F’ Rated Charities

Jul 16, 2020

(Updated March 12, 2021) CharityWatch analysts collectively spend more than 1,000 hours each year analyzing and reporting on the financial waste and questionable practices we uncover. We warn donors about inefficient charitie...

(Updated March 12, 2021) CharityWatch analysts collectively spend more than 1,000 hours each year analyzing and reporting on the f...

Read Now

‘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...

Read Now

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 ...

Read Now

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...

Read Now

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

Sep 13, 2019

(Updated Nov 30, 2020) 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 ...

(Updated Nov 30, 2020) Officers and directors of the military charity, Move America Forward, have been accused of using charitable...

Read Now

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...

Read Now

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...

Read Now

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...

Read Now

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...

Read Now

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...

Read Now

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 ...

Read Now

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...

Read Now

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...

Read Now

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 ...

Read Now

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...

Read Now

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...

Read Now

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...

Read Now

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...

Read Now