Charities that spend most of their donated money on fundraising

[Platapus]

This should make everyone angry

http://www.tampabay.com/americas-worst-charities/

There are charities where 0.0% of the money collected went to the charity focus.

I urge anyone considering donating to a charity to check out the charity at

http://www.charitynavigator.org/
http://www.charitywatch.org/criteria.html
http://www2.guidestar.org/rxg/give-t...a-charity.aspx

Remember, you can pull the IRS form 990 of any Non Profit Charity at

http://www.guidestar.org/

Unfortunately, charities have become cash cows because they prey on people's emotions and good intentions - classic confidence game scam.

Takes a pretty scummy person to exploit a charity for personal gain. Unfortunately, we have plenty of scummy people in the US.

[Stealhead]

I heard a guy on NPR talking about charities he did some extensive research(he may have helped compile the data in your first link I do not recall his name) into them his concern was how much of money actually goes directly to support what ever the end goal is which in my opinion is the most important factor.He basically said that only a few of the larger national charities had a very high ratio(a sizable amount of each dollar going to the end goal) not necessarily that they where tricking people but rather that some where speeding a lot of money on funding events to raise awareness.



I look at the adds for some of these larger charities like the cancer ones and often wonder if they end up spending a lot of the donated money goes into funding events and adds and such and how much actually goes into funding research.I mean it is nice and all to get people to walk and donate but those events and adds also cost a lot of money to fund.

Anyway here is the link to the show I listened to awhile back
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2013-03-19/choosing-efficient-and-effective-charities/transcript

From the transcript:
And you're listening to "The Diane Rehm Show." And speaking of Florida, we've gotten a piece from FloridaWatchDog.org. about top executives for three Florida-based Goodwill charities who are taking home six-figure salaries while simultaneously paying some employees as little as 22 cents an hour. Now, the question is why some employers can be exempted from minimum wage payments where charities are concerned and all of these employees are with disabilities. And the argument comes back from these high-ranking executives who are paying 7300 of its 105,000 employees beneath minimum wage. How can they get away with this, Ken?

[Eisenwurst]

Good on you for posting this. I live in Australia and regularly give to a charity, I've checked them out by personally visiting some of the facilities they run and they're ok.

But I do know there are a lot of unscrupulous people out "there" who set up businesses, pretend to be charities, get government funding, employ their cronnies, and do a lot of fundraising with "guilt-trip" advertising. I can think of a couple down here who are VERY high profile organisations but won't mention them. Their self righteous attitude when they approach you on the street for a donation really gets my goat.

As for the "small fry" dodgy/incompetent or downright dishonest "charities", people need to be vigilant when giving away their hard earned money, and it really makes it very difficult for the honest charities to get money.

[Armistead]

Not sure if it's in the link, but did you catch CNN/Cooper's report on those 3 cancer charities? It seems all three are ran by the same family, with a member running each one. They all pay themselves close to 300K a year. Tax records show of all they take in, only 2% acutally goes to charity. Turns out these 3 are just one big scam, but 3 of the biggest known cancer charities. This scum of a family getting rich off peoples pain and death.

http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2013/06/1...rity-rip-offs/

[Stealhead]

Sometimes I wish that I could be the god of retribution.

[Eisenwurst]

My girlfriend died of lung cancer in late 2010 and while she was still alive I approached the Cancer Council ( our biggest very high profile cancer charity ) to see what help they could offer. I expected offers of : private nursing, subsidised treatment, recommended doctors, you know assistance. And what did they offer? counselling and brochures/pamphlets!

[u crank]

Let's face it, you have to do your homework if you're going to feel right about giving to charity. I'd like to see tighter laws.

Originally Posted by Stealhead

Sometimes I wish that I could be the god of retribution.

Oh yea.

[mookiemookie]

I always wonder why we have thousands of charities all working for the same cause. Wouldn't there be some economies of scale to be had if some of these little charities would merge?

[Wolferz]

The only charity you're giving to these days is the people running the charity.
That's why they'll never find a cure for cancer. If they did, the multibillion dollar corporate cancer treatment machine and the charities would become defunct. I don't think they have any desire whatsoever to dry up either of those cash cows.
The best treatment for cancer is prevention. Keep your thyroid gland in good working order and it's likely you'll never have cancer. Iodine in your diet is the key.
My mother died of cancer..... treatment. The same old story...
Lump in breast, biopsy, radical mastectomy and talking her into chemo using the old" It was close to your lung wall" excuse. The chemo allegedly got the cancer but, it got her immune system too. Same thing with her sister. It was sad to watch both of them go through that. All for the sake of the almighty dollar.

[Herr-Berbunch]

I remember a large charity here advertising for, I think, a communications director on almost/just over £100k.

That disgusted me, their reasoning was wanting a high calibre person and it was in London.

So move, sell off you London offices and move your HQ to somewhere cheaper. £100k to this charity is chicken feed but it's still 100k people donating £1 to a charity that essentially isn't being used for the purpose of the donation. I know of no one that gives money to a charity for it to be paying someone their wages at five times their own rate.

[soopaman2]

I came out pretty fortunate during the Hurricane/superstorm Sandy thing.

You know how I helped my community?

I let people stay at my house, I let my neighbors piggyback on my generator, I gave some people the room in my basement(total strangers, mind you, kinda wierd having people you don't know stinking up your bathroom ) , whos house was reduced to a foundation.

That is how I donate now, in person, with time and resources, not cash.

If you saw how much the head of the red cross makes you would be disgusted.

[Wolferz]

Good on ya Soopaman. That's the best way to practice charity. Directly!

You can't deduct it from your taxes but, unfortunately, that's the way our corrupt system likes it. Only we can change it with deeds like yours.

<--- Firm believer in the concept of reap what you sow

[Platapus]

Originally Posted by Wolferz

<--- Firm believer in the concept of reap what you sew

If you are reaping what you sew you are probably pulling too hard on the thread.

Perhaps you meant reap what you sow.

(Can't believe that post got past Steve.)

[Wolferz]

I can't believe it got past me, Platapus. S O W sow. Not S E W sow.
Maybe that's why my clothing keeps coming apart.

Sorted.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Platapus

(Can't believe that post got past Steve.)

Where and when have you ever heard me claim to be perfect?

Besides, I obviously have you to back me up.