Posted on 06/17/2013 3:02:18 AM PDT by servo1969
I always believed that giving to a good cause or helping victims of a disaster was a noble thing to do. I mean, “There but for the grace of God go I”, right? With the recent uncovering of scandals within the government, more and more investigators are digging to uncover other cases of fraud and mismanagement. Is nothing sacred anymore?
A recent investigation exposed by CNN, The Center for Investigative Reporting and the Tampa Bay Times have found that there are dozens and dozens of charities that basically do next to nothing for the causes they raise money for.
50 of the worst charities were looked at and it was concluded that they received 1 billion dollars over the last ten years, but the charities received only 50 million. Where did the money go? Well, the majority of the funds collected went to solicitors. These are the people who go out and raise the funds and collect the donations. This basically amounts to them raising money to pay themselves.
There are still many, many charities that actually distribute the majority of the monies collected to the intended recipients but these days it is wise to look before you open your wallet. For instance, one of the worst charities listed is an organization called “Kids Wish Network” that is supposed to collect money for terminally ill children and grant their wishes. Sound suspiciously familiar? The name is awfully close to the very legitimate “Make A Wish Foundation” which promises the same thing.
This is where the donor can be conned. Many people are told the names of these organizations and they feel that they have heard of them and what they do, so out comes the checkbook. Unfortunately they don’t realize that the “Kids Wish Network” raised $127 million dollars, paid their solicitors $109 million, paid their employees most of the remaining funds leaving less than 3% for granting wishes!
The 50 worst charities give less than 4% of donations raised to direct cash aid. One diabetes charity raised almost $14 million dollars over a ten year period and gave about $10,000 to patients. Another cancer charity paid a company owned by the president’s son almost $18 million dollars over eight years to solicit funds.
The specific kinds of charities that pay for-profit corporations to raise the majority of their donations regularly give their solicitors over two-thirds of the take. Good charities should spend no more than 35 cents to raise a dollar.
So the reality is that the “50 worst charities raised more than $1.3 billion over the past decade and paid nearly $1 billion of that to the companies that raise their donations”. Out of $1.3 billion dollars the charities received less than 4%. Had that money gone to the charities in the correct way it would have been able to build 20,000 Habitat For Humanity Homes, 7 million wheelchairs or provide nearly 10 million uninsured women, mammograms.
There are hundreds if not thousands of these “bad” charities that are taking money from sincere donors who faithfully believe that their hard earned money is going to the people it was intended for. Particularly disheartening are the Veterans organizations that “pretend” to send aid to disabled vets. The sad part is that many Veterans organizations ARE legitimate and they have to defend themselves because some other dishonest charity has poisoned the well.
In the wake of the IRS scandals, one would think that the “red flags” would have been raised on these organizations when their papers were filed every year. That however was not the case. The IRS was too busy targeting “Tea Party” and conservative groups to check on the American people being ripped off by the hundreds of millions of dollars.
The bottom line is we live in a world where fraud and deceit are running rampant. These “rip-off” charities have no qualms about taking our money and keeping it for themselves. Before donating, do your due diligence and check out the list of the 50 worst charities. Our money should go where we intend it to and if the government won’t help monitor this situation then like everything else, we have to do it ourselves.
they pay out 30 cents on the dollar.
I have found that you cannot go wrong if you tell everyone who solicits by phone to go to hell.
[ Not seven figures but still more than enough to disturb me...]
As it should, this organization is to ‘empower’ the vets or simply put, makes the feel better about themselves. One of their schemes was to take them on nature trips which were virtually impossible for many of them to navigate because of their injuries.
They receive NO SUPPORT, in any form, finacially.
Because of many people who receive pay including the director Steven Nardizzi, celebrities, millions in travel pay and vets in their ads, should lose their status ‘not for profit’.
Biggest fraud in my area is the United Way. Dumped the Boy Scouts and sponsors the annual Queer Youth Leadership Awards.
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/localnews/ci_23211297/queer-youth-leadership-awards-set-saturday
I won’t give to the United Way, either.
Ping charities
During Hurricane Alicia any years ago, the Red Cross was charging for food and blankets. No, they’ll never get a dime from me.
is Komans Race for the Abortion on the list?
An excellent and timely post.
Besides the data posted in the study, a big question not answered are the salaries of top money suckers and their staff. Out in Californicator land, many left wingers make their money supposedly working for non profits. They often get paid very well for so called advisory positions and as phony worker bees.
My wife, an RN all of her adult life has noticed a lot of new or semi new charities pushing for money for basically incureable diseases. These blood sucking phony charities might have some handouts for those suffering and their families.
Last but not least, many of the so called non profits send a lot of money to left wing politics and causes.
One more thing to check. How much do they spend on lobbying to raise taxes. A local to me charity does a great job supporting the elderly but they are always leading the charge for a tax levy to support various senior citizen projects.
Many so-called charities are simply deceptive and corrupt businesses.
The only giving I do is dropping something in the collection basket at church services when I attend,buying stuff at thrift stores, and cash into the little red kettles of the Salvation Army.Once in a while the change from a meal into McDonald House box.
I refuse ,and have refused many times,to donate to the United Way because many of their programs are actually destructive of traditional American values.Some of my managers at different companies over the years practically demanded donations because of the damnable United Way campaigns.Evaluations and promotions can be affected by bosses more concerned with political correctness than job performance. I say the United Way campaigns are often workplace blackmail.
I learned my lesson to donate only cash anonymously when my credit card donation to help Katrina victims was used in sending me thick envelopes of appeals for more donations!
Of course, I do donate a bit to Free Republic!!!
I usually give to the Salvation Army. They do a lot of good, and it is true Christian charity. They, if you will pardon the expression, are “in the shit”.
The first or at least one of the first to boycott the Boy Scouts aftet they won their SC case. I would never give them a dime and hope they RIH. Why dont you just send your donations to the DNC, ACLU and Planned Parenthood instead.””
Yes, UW stopped donating to the Scouts in my specific area when the policy stood that no male homos can be scout leaders. Not only that, but the UW has institutional monopolies at many public entities that shut out all competition. I voiced my opinion in a large meeting shortly after the BSA was removed from their funding list. No one else said a word during the meeting, but several agreed with me in private. Political correctness has stifled opposition to the perverts.
United way for many years supported planned parenthood. I think more recently they stopped, but I give only to charities directly. The Denver Rescue Mission is my favorite. Samaritan’s Purse is excellent as well.
I once got a telephone solicitation for a donation to help the victims of abuse caused by criminals. The caller represented himself as an active duty officer, putting in some extra time to raise funds for these victims.
The caller probably was an active cop because he clearly had that pushy presence in this voice that many street cops developed to obtain compliance.
So, I asked him a few questions about the charity and the percentages. He was evasive with the answers trying to turn it around and make the question about my guilt for not wanting to help these victims.
So I asked if he was volunteering his time or whether he got paid for the calls. I got the hint that he got a percentage.
Thats when I blasted into him and said as a retired LEO (law enforcement officer), I was ashamed of him of using these so-called victims just to put money into his own pocket.
I usually get mad during these calls. But I know someone else that uses a far different trick. Once they realize that are into it, they turn up the sweetness and begin to ask questions like "How could I arrange for a large donation? I think I might be wanting to......."
That is when they hang up while they are still speaking, then quickly enter the number into their blocked call registry.
The caller is taken back because folks don't hang up while they are still talking.
I only give to local events that I know the people running them and church. I give to no national charity.
I found i could get to the heart of whether a person tended to be conservative or liberal by just asking a simple question.
If you saw a person in need and felt you need to give them $5, which would be the preferred method:
1) Give them $5.00
2) Give the money to government to give, or
3) Give the money to a charity to give.
When they come back with either answer 2 or 3, then I ask how much do you in fact need to give to finally see they person get their $5.00
They don't know the answer and, if anything I cause them to start to think about the whole donation and liberal spending attitude.
If they stay adamant, I ask what is wrong with just giving the person the $5 on the spot, Don't they indeed get the entire $5?
They usually start into - They probably don't deserve it, Who am I to judge. it will go to the biggest need.
Then I go back to the initial issue - They feel that a person is in need of $5, or are they in need of giving $5.
It really roots them out quickly.
my dad was in the latter part of WWII, occupying Italy and he said the Red Cross would charge a nickle for donut and cup of hot coffee. said he would never give them another nickle as long as he lived.
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