Yesterday, March 23^rd, was our 20^th anniversary under the name “BBB Wise Giving Alliance.” Our history of charity reporting, however, goes back over a century. Originally, we functioned as a division of the national office of the Better Business Bureau and produced reports on nationally-soliciting charities starting in the 1920’s. Charity reporting efforts at BBBs, both nationally and regionally, expanded after World War II with the development of many war relief efforts. Then in 1971, when the national office re-organized and re-located to Washington, DC, the division’s name changed to Philanthropic Advisory Service. In 2001, the Philanthropic Advisory Service program merged with the National Charities Information Bureau which began in 1918 as the first organization in the nation to establish charity accountability standards. Both charity reporting entities had a shared mission of helping donors make wise giving decisions and both completed reports on nationally-soliciting charities using a broad set of standards that addressed governance, finances, and transparency issues.

Helping Donors Give Wisely and Verify Charity Trustworthiness

Throughout our history, the primary audience of our reporting has been the donating public. We have always encouraged contributors to check out charities before making a gift and millions have used our services to make informed giving decisions. Initially this was accomplished through individual reports that summarized basic facts about the charities’ program services, finances, finances and fundraising efforts. With the help of the charitable community, standards were developed to help assess the accountability of these organizations while also encouraging charities to meet recognized practices. In 1976, a summary list of the latest national charity evaluations was distributed which later evolved into the Wise Giving Guide magazine still produced today. In 1995, we were the first charity monitor to provide free online access to our latest reports through our website. Today, our Give.org website includes access not only to 1,500 national charity reports produced by BBB Wise Giving Alliance but over 10,000 reports on regionally soliciting charities produced by Better Business Bureaus.

Strengthening Charity Practices

One of our dual objectives has been working with charities to help improve accountability practices and strengthen public trust in organizations. To accomplish this, there is no charge to charities for the accountability assessment that we complete. Due to the rigorous nature of our reviews and the variety of issues addressed in the 20 BBB Standards for Charity Accountability, we ask charities to provide more information than just an IRS Form 990 or what appears on the organization’s website. Charities are provided with draft versions of these assessments and we often correspond with them to recommend improvements so they can address any deficiencies identified. The resulting report, indicating if a charity meets or does not meet these standards, is then posted on Give.org.

Future of Donor Trust

In our view, strengthening donor trust in giving is not only a function of verifying charity trustworthiness (such as identifying if a charity meets BBB Charity Standards) but is also related to how comfortable a contributor is in making a secure and safe online donation transaction. To help accomplish this objective, last year we launched a new donation platform: GiveSafely.io. Through the use of blockchain technology, this platform enables contributors to donate to participating BBB Accredited Charities while having greater control and security over personal information shared with the charity. Donors can donate on GiveSafely.io via cash or cryptocurrency. BBB Wise Giving Alliance does not touch the donation or take any transaction fees. It goes directly to the charity.

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Video of the Week

As part of our Building Trust Video Series, we are pleased to provide a video featuring Lieutenant General Robert Ruark USMC (Ret.), CEO of the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation (a BBB Accredited Charity), an organization that assists the families of United States Marine Corps and of United States Navy Corpsmen by providing their children with scholarships to attend colleges, universities and vocational and technical institutions.

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Recent Reports

We are always working with charities to publish or update reports for donors. Visit Give.org or local BBBs to check out any charity before giving. Our recently evaluated charities include:

• American Institute for Cancer Research
• Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America
• Native American Rights Fund

Finally, remember to let us know by going to www.give.org/charity-inquiry if you are interested in seeing a report on a charity not on the list and we will do our best to produce one.

H. Art Taylor, President & CEO
BBB Wise Giving Alliance

During the March 2021 meeting of the Board of Directors of the BBB Wise Giving Alliance, Ambassador Al Lenhardt, a long-time friend and supporter of the accountability mission of this organization, announced that he was stepping down from the Board. We very much appreciate his guidance over the years and will miss his insightful advice and deep understanding of the challenges facing the charitable sector. Prior to joining the Board, Ambassador Lenhardt served as Acting Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), President of the National Crime Prevention Council, and as Chief Operating Officer of the Council on Foundations.

In addition to the ones cited above, his career included a variety of achievements and positions. In 2009, President Obama appointed him as U.S. Ambassador to the United Republic of Tanzania where he served until 2013. He previously served as, and became the first African-American appointed as, an officer of the United States Congress in his capacity as the Senate’s Sergeant-at-Arms during 2001. His career in the United States Army included his service as Chief of Staff of the Director for the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization, Director of Personnel and Installation Management for the largest unit of the U.S. Army, head of the military police, and finally Commanding General of the U.S. Army Recruiting Command.

Ambassador Lenhardt’s expertise also extend to charity monitoring. Prior to 2001, he served on the Governing Board of the National Charities Information Bureau (NCIB), a nonprofit charity reporting organization that was founded in 1918 in New York City. In 2001, this organization merged with the Philanthropic Advisory Service of the national BBB office (Council of Better Business Bureaus, now known as International Association of Better Business Bureaus). The merged entity was renamed as the BBB Wise Giving Alliance. Ambassador Lenhardt joined the BBB WGA Board in its initial year and after his term expired, later re-joined the board in 2018.

In honor of his outstanding service to this organization, the BBB WGA Board passed a resolution stating that Ambassador Lenhardt will now serve as Director Emeritus to the Board of Directors effective March 11, 2021. In this capacity, he will be a nonvoting member that continues to advise the organization. BBB Wise Giving Alliance very much appreciates Ambassador Lenhardt’s leadership and looks forward to his future guidance and counsel.

Click below to listen to my two-part interview with Ambassador Lenhardt, discussing his perspectives and career.  These interviews are part of our Heart of Giving podcast, which you can subscribe to on your preferred podcast platform.

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Recent Reports

We are always working with charities to publish or update reports for donors. Visit Give.org or local BBBs to check out any charity before giving. Our recently evaluated charities include:

• Foundation for Children in Need
• Near East Foundation
• Operation Serve

Finally, remember to let us know by going to www.give.org/charity-inquiry if you are interested in seeing a report on a charity not on the list and we will do our best to produce one.

H. Art Taylor, President & CEO
BBB Wise Giving Alliance

 

 

 

 

On March 4, 2021, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) along with 38 U.S. States and the District of Columbia announced a shutdown of a telefunding operation accused of carrying out deceptive robocalls for charity. The telefunding firm, Associated Community Services (ACS) and related defendants, allegedly made more than 1.3 billion fundraising calls to more than 67 million phone numbers. As explained in the complaint, “Defendants knowingly duped generous Americans into donating tens of millions of dollars to nonprofit organizations they claimed helped breast cancer patients, the families of children with cancer, homeless veterans, fire victims, and more. In reality, almost no money went to the charitable purposes…described to donors.” In some instances, these companies kept as much as 90 cents of every dollar solicited. In addition, the complaint filed by the cited government agencies accused ACS of harassment for calling 1.3 million phone numbers more than ten times in a single week and more than 500 phone numbers were called 5,000 or more times.

As reported by the FTC, “the defendants will be permanently prohibited from conducting or consulting on any fundraising activities and from conducting telemarketing of any kind to sell goods or services.” They were also subject to a monetary judgment of $110 million which was suspended due to an inability to pay.

BBB Wise Giving Alliance encourages donors to always check out charities with Give.org before making a giving decision.  We also offer donors the following advice on handling telephone appeals:

1. Never give your credit card number or other personal financial information to unknown callers.

2. Ask who’s calling–a professional solicitor or an employee of the charity? If the call is from a telemarketing company, ask what percentage of your gift the charity will receive.

3. Get the name straight. Many organizations raising money for the same cause have names similar enough to confuse donors, sometimes intentionally.

4. Ask for specifics about the charity, if it’s unfamiliar. The caller should be able to tell you the organization’s purpose, whether contributions to it are tax deductible, how a gift will be used and how much of it will go to the charity’s program. 

5. Resist pressure. A responsible charity respects your right to make a thoughtful decision.

6. Opt out of future calls from the soliciting charity, if you wish. The national Do Not Call Registry does not generally apply to charity calls, but you have the right to ask a telemarketer not to call again on behalf of a particular charity.

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Video of the Week

As part of our Building Trust Video Series, we are pleased to provide a video featuring Chung Wha Hong, Executive Director of Grassroots International, a BBB Accredited Charity that supports small farmers and producers, Indigenous Peoples and women around the world to give access to the human rights to land, water and food.  The organization has particular focus on Brazil, Haiti, Mesoamerica, the Middle East and West Africa.

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Recent Reports

We are always working with charities to publish or update reports for donors. Visit Give.org or local BBBs to check out any charity before giving. Our recently evaluated charities include:

• National Breast Cancer Foundation
• National Federation of the Blind
• The Pink Fund

Finally, remember to let us know by going to www.give.org/charity-inquiry if you are interested in seeing a report on a charity not on the list and we will do our best to produce one.

H. Art Taylor, President & CEO
BBB Wise Giving Alliance

 

A few weeks ago, we noted that, as reported in The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Blackbaud Institute released its 2020 Charitable Giving Report which estimates that overall giving rose 2 percent during 2020. We are pleased to note that yesterday, The NonProfit Times announced more good news. Their article states that the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at IUPUS – Indiana University reports that charitable giving is projected to increase 4.1 percent in 2021 and 5.7 percent in 2022. In addition, the Lilly Family School estimates that giving by individuals will increase by 6 percent in 2021 and 3.9 percent in 2022. As explained, this predicted growth rate for individual giving is impacted by “…growth in the [Standard & Poor’s 500 Index], especially giving by those with median and higher levels of income.”

Keep in mind, while all of the above statistics sound promising for philanthropy, these are estimates that have margins of error. Nevertheless, this is welcome news for both donors and charities as most soliciting organizations were apprehensive about this year in view of the challenges that COVID-19 presented for their fundraising plans.  The Give.org Donor Trust Report released in November 2020 indicated that “many charities (49.4 percent) anticipate[d] that their 2020 revenue would decrease as compared to 2019.”

Anecdotal evidence of a better than anticipated fundraising result was reported in another NonProfit Times article that discussed Salvation Army’s 2020 development efforts. It stated that Salvation Army raised $557.3 million during the 2020 holiday season which was a 27 percent increase over what was raised in 2019. While this success at a large national charity is positive, it will be helpful to know how smaller charities fared with their 2020 giving results especially since previous reports indicated some were facing financial trouble and potential shutdowns.

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Video of the Week

As part of our Building Trust Video Series, we are pleased to provide a video featuring Rev. Steven E. Boes, President & National Executive Director, Boys Town (a BBB Accredited Charity) which seeks “to change the way America cares for children, families and communities by providing and promoting an Integrated Continuum of Care® that instills Boys Town values to strengthen body, mind and spirit.” Boys Town programs range from preventative services in the home to restrictive out-of-home placements for children with severe behavioral and mental health disorders. In between this range are school educational programs, in-home family counseling services, traditional and treatment foster care, short- and long-term family style residential programs and specialized group homes. 

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Recent Reports

We are always working with charities to publish or update reports for donors. Visit Give.org or local BBBs to check out any charity before giving. Our recently evaluated charities include:

• BrightFocus Foundation
• International Animal Rescue, US
• National Osteoporosis Foundation

Finally, remember to let us know by going to www.give.org/charity-inquiry if you are interested in seeing a report on a charity not on the list and we will do our best to produce one.

H. Art Taylor, President & CEO
BBB Wise Giving Alliance

Wise Giving Wednesday previously discussed the importance of charity transparency which has been viewed in past years as the availability of charity financial information but in more recent times is seen as charities providing disclosures about a variety of areas such as those addressed in the 20 BBB Standards for Charity Accountability.

We also strongly believe in another type of transparency that plays an important part in addressing accountability – evaluation transparency. In other words, being open about how we develop information, apply the standards and work with charities to address any issues that are identified.

Requesting Information
BBB Wise Giving Alliance requests that charities complete an online form along with additional documentation that would not typically be found on a charity’s website or in the annual financial information filed in an IRS Form 990. For example, details about board oversight of the CEO, related-party transactions, governing body meetings, in-kind contributions, appeal content, donor privacy and other matters. To learn more about the power of trust and why charities should disclose information, click here.

Applying the BBB Charity Standards
For each of the 20 BBB Charity Standards, our website provides two descriptions: (1) an explanation of the issue being addressed and (2) a detailed description of how the charity standard is implemented. It describes how the collected information would be reviewed to determine if the subject charity meets or does not meet the specified standard.

Communicating Findings and Recommendations to the Charity
BBB WGA staff contacts the subject charity, identifies any initial findings, shares recommendations on how they might be addressed, and provides a draft version of the report. The process includes back and forth communications that ultimately results in a report that is posted for free public access.  There is no charge to the charity for the accountability assessment.

Amending Findings
Charity reports with standards not met can be amended at any time based on new information or changed practices that the charity brings to BBB WGA’s attention.

While BBB WGA focuses its work on nationally soliciting charities, review of local or regional charities is available in many locations by BBBs.  These BBBs use the same Standards and a similar process to ours.

For more information about the review process, see the Accreditation Process page on Give.org and review the Explanation and Implementation boxes that appear next to each BBB Charity Standard.

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Video of the Week

As part of our Building Trust Video Series, we are pleased to provide a video of Stephen Wells, Chief Executive Officer, Animal Legal Defense Fund (a BBB Accredited Charity) which seeks to protect the lives and advance the interests of animals through the legal system. Through its litigation program, the organization files lawsuits to stop the abuse of companion animals, and animals abused in industries including factory farming and the entertainment business. ALDF also works with law enforcement and prosecutors to seek maximum penalties for animal abusers.

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Recent Reports

We are always working with charities to publish or update reports for donors. Visit Give.org or local BBBs to check out any charity before giving. Our recently evaluated charities include:

• Earthjustice
• National Foundation for Cancer Research
• National Network to End Domestic Violence

Finally, remember to let us know by going to www.give.org/charity-inquiry if you are interested in seeing a report on a charity not on the list and we will do our best to produce one.

H. Art Taylor, President & CEO
BBB Wise Giving Alliance

 

 

 

One year ago, on 2/12/2020, Wise Giving Wednesday first mentioned contributing to charities addressing coronavirus. Although, at that time, the focus was on helping people in China, charities in the U.S. were soon impacted in terms of their operations and then in their fundraising. While many organizations sought to adapt to the circumstances, some groups suffered financially. On April 7. 2020, BBB Wise Giving Alliance issued a Special Give.org Donor Trust Report: COVID-19 and the Charitable Sector which confirmed that most charities were concerned about maintaining a financially stable organization.

As a result, there has been great interest in identifying the end of year total giving figures for 2020. As reported in The Chronicle of Philanthropy yesterday, Blackbaud Institute released its 2020 Charitable Giving Report which provides one of the first estimates of giving totals from the previous year. Based on their tracking of $40 billion dollars raised by 8,800 groups, they estimate that overall giving rose 2 percent. That does not mean, however, that all charities did well. While the study announced charities that raise over $10 million saw a 5.3 percent increase, smaller organizations raising less than $1 million saw a 7.2 percent drop. In turn, some categories of charities experienced more financial hardship than others particularly arts & culture charities and medical research organizations.

In view of the fact that most in-person fundraising events by charities were either cancelled or not held in 2020, it is not surprising that online giving experienced a 21 percent growth and represents 13 percent of total fundraising in 2020. Blackbaud reported that online giving also grew in size, gift amounts and retention rates. Interestingly, faith-based organizations reported the largest percentage of fundraising from online giving – almost 18 percent. As the pandemic continues in 2021, it is likely that the transition to more online giving will grow further.

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Video of the Week

As part of our Building Trust Video Series, we are pleased to provide a video featuring Lieutenant General Robert Ruark USMC (Ret.), CEO of the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation (a BBB Accredited Charity), an organization that assists the families of United States Marine Corps and of United States Navy Corpsmen by providing their children with scholarships to attend colleges, universities and vocational and technical institutions.

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Recent Reports

We are always working with charities to publish or update reports for donors. Visit Give.org or local BBBs to check out any charity before giving. Our recently evaluated charities include:

• Prison Fellowship Ministries
• Prostate Cancer Foundation
• St. Baldrick’s Foundation

Finally, remember to let us know by going to www.give.org/charity-inquiry if you are interested in seeing a report on a charity not on the list and we will do our best to produce one.

H. Art Taylor, President & CEO
BBB Wise Giving Alliance

As Valentine’s Day approaches, most of us will think of how to demonstrate our affection for loved ones. While we wish a happy Valentine’s Day to all of our readers, we also hope that this day will inspire some to recognize the special place our hearts have for charities and how we might explore ways to show our support for our favorite causes. Here are some suggestions to consider.

Help Hearts Stay Healthy
February, coincidentally, is Heart Month. So consider supporting a charity that addresses cardiovascular disease, such as the American Heart Association, a BBB Accredited Charity that has been involved in public health education, research, professional education, training and community services for almost a century.

Warming Hearts with Warm Clothing
As cold weather is hitting most of us this winter, another Valentine’s option is to make in-kind gifts of coats and clothing to charities that accept such contributions. But before doing this, be sure to check out the charity to see if there is a BBB Charity Report specifying if the organization meets the BBB Charity Standards. Also, check with your state government’s charity registration office which is usually a division of either the office of the Attorney General or the Secretary of State. About 40 of the 50 states require such charity registration. In Canada, check with the Canada Revenue Agency. Also don’t assume that clothing collected in metal bins is distributed to the poor. Some may be sold in charity thrift shops to help raise funds. Or, in other cases, the metal bin placed in a parking lot may have no connection to charity whatsoever.

Send a Valentine to Your Own Heart
People feel good with they give to help others. It instills a sense of community as well as self-esteem. In a way, it’s a mental health Valentine to yourself. To further explore this objective, read the following blog (How Donating to a Charity Can Boost Mental Health) from our colleague, Kelsey Gardipee, Charity Review Manager at the Better Business Bureau Great West & Pacific.

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Video of the Week

As part of the Building Trust Video series, we are pleased to provide a video that features Nancy Brown, Chief Executive Officer of the American Heart Association (a BBB Accredited Charity) which seeks to improve cardiovascular health of all Americans while reducing deaths from cardiovascular diseases and stroke. The organization also reports that it works as a catalyst connecting across sectors, communities, and countries to drive toward an equitable and healthy world. AHA works to accelerate heart and brain science through grants. AHA also translates science and advocates to see it applied in the healthcare system, in public policies, and in communities. The organization provides science-based treatment guidelines to healthcare professionals to help them provide quality care to their patients, and educates lawmakers, policymakers and the public to advocate for changes to protect and improve the health of our schools, worksites, and communities. 

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Recent Reports

We are always working with charities to publish or update reports for donors. Visit Give.org or local BBBs to check out any charity before giving. Our recently evaluated charities include:

• Caring for Cambodia
• National Alliance to End Homelessness
• NeedyMeds

Finally, remember to let us know by going to www.give.org/charity-inquiry if you are interested in seeing a report on a charity not on the list and we will do our best to produce one.

H. Art Taylor, President & CEO
BBB Wise Giving Alliance

In the midst of a pandemic, charities are looking for alternatives to in-person fundraising events to help bring in new donor dollars and/or draw more attention to their cause. As reported in The NonProfit Times and other media, St Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital (a BBB Accredited Charity) is engaged in a fundraising promotion that involves “two seats on the first all-civilian mission to space, planned for the fourth-quarter this year by SpaceX….”  While outer space may not be the first thing that comes to mind for a charity seeking development options, it is bound to get more attention after a 30-second spot is aired during the upcoming Super Bowl. The promotion is also a collaboration with Shift4 Payments (a BBB Accredited Business), a payment processing company.

In terms of charities seeking funding from private foundations during these challenging times, a monograph was released today by Leap of Reason Ambassadors, a community of nonprofit thought leaders, practitioners and others “who believe that mission and performance are inextricably linked.”  The monograph titled “Funding Performance: How Great Donors Invest in Grantee Success” provides essays by a number of nonprofit leaders: Hilary Pennington, Ford Foundation; Daniel Stid, Hewlett Foundation;Sam Cobbs, Tipping Point Community; Jeff BradachandJeri Eckhart Queenan, Bridgespan; Lowell Weiss, Leap Ambassadors support team;Hilda Polancoand Deborah Linnell, FMA. The essays in this publication provide recommendations, including, but not limited to:

• achieving better results by viewing the charity/funder relationship as a type of partnership
• correcting the misperception that important change can happen quickly through small, short-term grants
• recognizing the need for funders to provide charities with sufficient indirect-cost reimbursements

It is encouraging to see these innovative approaches and ideas to help charities raise funds. It gives hope that the charitable sector can overcome current difficulties and find ways to grow.

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Video of the Week

As part of our Building Trust Video Series, we are pleased to provide a video featuring Steve Queior, CEO of Prader-Willi Syndrome Association, a BBB Accredited Charity that works to to raise awareness, offer support, provide education and advocacy, and promote and fund research to enhance the quality of life of those affected by Prader-Willi syndrome.

 

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Recent Reports

We are always working with charities to publish or update reports for donors. Visit Give.org or local BBBs to check out any charity before giving. Our recently evaluated charities include:

• Boys & Girls Clubs of America
• National Park Foundation
• Operation Healing Forces

Finally, remember to let us know by going to www.give.org/charity-inquiry if you are interested in seeing a report on a charity not on the list and we will do our best to produce one.

H. Art Taylor, President & CEO
BBB Wise Giving Alliance

Removing Your Name from Charity Mailing Lists

The vast majority of people contacting us or visiting the Give.org website are seeking out charity reports to make more informed giving decisions. From time to time, however, some ask for help in getting their names removed from charity mailing lists. They may be seeking to reduce their overall volume of charity mail or are annoyed by the number of appeals distributed by the same organization. Whatever the cause, we hope the following will provide some assistance in addressing this issue.

First, as background, please note that direct mail, even during the pandemic, continues to generate the lion’s share of contributions revenue for most of the nationally-soliciting charities on which we report. While online giving continues to grow in popularity, direct mail is the dominating cornerstone of fundraising activity. Nevertheless, here are some ways to reduce unwanted charity mail.

Focus your giving. Charities don’t expect a contribution from everyone. If you donate, even small amounts, to a large number of charities, that will likely increase your charity mail volume. Taking the initiative in selecting the charities you want to help and discarding the rest, can, over time, lead to reduced mail volume.

Inform the charity about appeal preferences. When you make a donation to a charity, let them know, at the time of the contribution, that you don’t want your name shared with any other organization. Also, if you want just one appeal per year, inform the charity about that as well. Most organizations will honor your requests since they want your continuing support.

Register with DMA Choice.  Visit DMAchoice.org and register to have your name removed form mailing lists that subscribe to this service. This will remove your name from both charity and business mailing lists but won’t eliminate all unwanted mail. DMAChoice also offers an email opt out service.

Cautions about sending appeals back to the charity  Some mistakenly believe that writing “return to sender” on charity appeals will help. Actually, the nonprofit postal rate only covers postage in one direction – to your home. If you write that message on the envelope without adding additional postage, the charity will likely not receive it. A better strategy would be to send a note to the organization along with copies of the mailing labels and/or return cards that came with the appeal. This will help them identify where the mailing list came from and how they might remove your name form future mailings.

Contact BBB Wise Giving Alliance. We recommend first contacting the charity directly about mailing list removal using the email and/or the physical address that appears on the charity’s website. If a nationally-soliciting charity does not honor your request to your satisfaction, contact the BBB Wise Giving Alliance by using our online complaint form or writing us at BBB WGA, 3033 Wilson Blvd, Suite 710, Arlington, VA 22201. If your mailing list removal complaint is about a regionally-soliciting charity, contact the Better Business Bureau that serves your area.

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Video of the Week

As part of our Building Trust Video Series, we are pleased to provide a video featuring Lisa Gurwitch, President and CEO of Delivering Good, a BBB Accredited Charity that provides donated essential items such as clothing, books, home goods and toys to serve needy children, families and individuals in all 50 states.

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Recent Reports

We are always working with charities to publish or update reports for donors. Visit Give.org or local BBBs to check out any charity before giving. Our recently evaluated charities include:

• CHC: Creating Healthier Communities
• Dressember Foundation
• Friendship Force International

Finally, remember to let us know by going to www.give.org/charity-inquiry if you are interested in seeing a report on a charity not on the list and we will do our best to produce one.

H. Art Taylor, President & CEO
BBB Wise Giving Alliance

As 2021 is now in its third week, many of us continue to work towards making new plans and resolutions into a reality. Regarding contributions, this past year has presented challenges and concerns that continue to overlap into our giving choices.  To help address this, we offer the following considerations:

Pandemic Pressures
As the U.S. has reached over 400,000 deaths from Covid-19 and 24 million cases, the pandemic continues to receive our attention. As a result, we need to remember charities, such as food banks, that are responding to the needs of families that struggle due to unemployment or other financial pressures. For the immediate future, these organizations will need our continued support.

Other Charities Need Help
While it may be difficult to imagine a time when the pandemic will be behind us, that should not distract us from helping other charities that are not directly addressing pandemic-related issues. These charities need our support throughout the year as well. Take the time to plan out your giving so that your household does not inadvertently neglect your favorite causes.

Making Choices
Whether you plan on spreading out your generosity to assist a variety of charities addressing different issues, or develop a more focused giving approach, please take time to ensure that the charities you choose are trustworthy and meet the 20 BBB Standards for Charity Accountability. Visit our charity reports at Give.org.

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Video of the Week

As part of our Building Trust Video Series, we are pleased to provide a video featuring Rev. Steven E. Boes, President & National Executive Director, Boys Town (a BBB Accredited Charity) which seeks “to change the way America cares for children, families and communities by providing and promoting an Integrated Continuum of Care® that instills Boys Town values to strengthen body, mind and spirit.” Boys Town programs range from preventative services in the home to restrictive out-of-home placements for children with severe behavioral and mental health disorders. In between this range are school educational programs, in-home family counseling services, traditional and treatment foster care, short- and long-term family style residential programs and specialized group homes.

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Recent Reports

We are always working with charities to publish or update reports for donors. Visit Give.org or local BBBs to check out any charity before giving. Our recently evaluated charities include:

• ICNA Relief USA
• Parkinson’s Foundation
• Relief International

Finally, remember to let us know by going to www.give.org/charity-inquiry if you are interested in seeing a report on a charity not on the list and we will do our best to produce one.

H. Art Taylor, President & CEO
BBB Wise Giving Alliance