Volunteers at charities have always played an essential role in the growth of philanthropy. Whether it consists of friends
and family helping to raise money for a favorite cause or neighborhood youth asking you to sign an advocacy petition,
we are asked with increasing frequency, especially in the summer months, to engage with charities that need our help.
Last month at our
BBB WGA Charity Conference, one of our speakers, Derrick Feldmann, President of
Achieve, shared his views about reaching out to Millennials and recommended that charities not just simply ask
them for donations but engage them in some meaningful way to develop a relationship that can build over time. To
a great extent, volunteering provides that opportunity.
I was reminded of the importance of volunteering when reviewing the latest entry of our
Building Trust Video Series, which features an interview with
Jaime Berman Matyas, President and Chief Executive Officer
,
Student Conservation Association(SCA). SCA has been involved in building the next generation of conservation leaders and encouraging environmental
stewardship since 1957. To learn more about their efforts, view the video, visit their website at
www.thesca.org and read our BBB WGA
report which shows they are a BBB Accredited Charity.
To get additional advice about volunteering, read our previous Wise Giving Guide
cover story which encourages donors to consider some key questions before they engage in the volunteering marketplace.
Read the story to find the answers:
• What should you expect of the charities when you or your child offers their time and talent?
• What should the charity expect of the volunteer?
• Are you aware that the IRS does not allow you to deduct the value of your time as a donation, but gas and other incidental
costs may be deductible?
• Is volunteering, with so many potential rewards for both charity and volunteer, always a win-win arrangement?
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:
Finally, remember to let us know by going to
https://www.give.org/ask-us-about-a-charity1/ 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
Outreach is an important part of our work at the BBB Wise Giving Alliance (BBB WGA). We participate in a variety of outside
conferences, meetings and advisory committees to help spread the word about our donor education activities and encourage
organizations to meet the 20
BBB Standards for Charity Accountability. On September 15
th, I attended the
Idaho Statewide Nonprofit Conference held at Boise State University and made a presentation about how we carry
out our charity reporting activities. On September 24
th, I was a keynote speaker at a
Charity Symposium held by the Better Business Bureau in Charlotte, North Carolina. My remarks included
comments about the Overhead Myth campaign which seeks to encourage donors not to solely focus on finances when assessing
a charity. And, in this coming week, I have two presentations. On October 5
th, I will be speaking about emerging trends in disaster fundraising at the Washington DC annual meeting of
the
National Association of State Charity Officials (NASCO) which is held in conjunction with the National Association
of Attorneys General. Following that, I am off to Phoenix, Arizona to be part of a panel discussion about overhead
issues being held at the 2015
United Way Financial and Talent Management Forum.
These interactions with both charitable organizations, government regulators and others help us educate the community
about the nature of our work but also help us learn how to better serve donors by being informed about the latest
accountability issues.
On a separate note, as part of our Building Trust Video Series we are pleased to provide a video that features Wayne
Pacelle, President & CEO of
The Humane Society of the United States (a
BBB Accredited Charity). This organization works to protect animals through advocacy, direct care, education,
investigation, litigation, field work, emergency response services, and public policy initiatives.
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:
Finally, remember to let us know by going to
https://www.give.org/ask-us-about-a-charity1/ 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
There are two types of nonprofit organizations: those that have been hacked, and those who don’t know they have been hacked. This memorable point was raised earlier in October, by a panelist during a livestreamed discussion, “Cybersecurity Planning for Nonprofit Leaders,” presented by the BBB Foundation of Metropolitan New York. You can learn more and access a video recording of the session at the link provided.
We have all heard about data security breaches that have taken place at retail stores and major corporations, but increasingly charitable organizations are experiencing cybersecurity problems as well. Cybersecurity has a direct and powerful impact on donor and client trust, so it is vital for nonprofit leaders to take steps that can lower the risks of suffering a harmful cyber incident. At the Independent Sector annual conference taking place this week in Miami, one of the panel discussions, “Preparing to be Hacked,” addressed data security issues and nonprofits.
The BBB Standards for Charity Accountability (Standard 18) includes specific provisions that address the content of privacy policies on charity websites. While this provides charity website visitors with some knowledge about how their data might be used by the organization, there are other factors that charities can consider to improve their cybersecurity. Recently, the BBB has created a new online resource , BBB Cybersecurity, to provide valuable tools, tips, and content to help organizations manage cyber risks and educate people about cybersecurity best practices.
Among other things, this site includes the BBB 5-step approach to cybersecurity that can be helpful to charities:
Step 1: Identify – Take inventory of key technologies you use, identify your data “crown jewels” and evaluate your cyber risk profile.
Step 2: Protect – Assess what protective measures you need and can afford to have in place (including systems, insurance, policies and procedures) to be as prepared as possible for a cyber incident.
Step 3: Detect – Put measures in place to alert you to current or imminent threats to system integrity, or loss or compromise of data.
Step 4: Respond – Make and practice a cyber Incidence Response Plan to contain an attack or incident and maintain business operations in the short term.
Step 5: Recover – Know what to do to return to normal charity operations after an incident.
We hope the above provides some initial insight and suggestions and welcome you to learn more at the links provided.
On a separate note, as part of our Building Trust Video Series, we are pleased to provide the following video that features Ellie Hollander, President & CEO of Meals on Wheels America (a BBB Accredited Charity) which supports more than 5,000 community-based senior nutrition programs across the country that are dedicated to addressing senior hunger and isolation.
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:
Finally, remember to let us know by going to https://www.give.org/ask-us-about-a-charity1/ 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
Quite a number of charities accept used clothing donations. Some will sell items that are in good condition in thrift
stores to both help raise funds as well as employ individuals in need. Some might sell clothing to companies that
will shred them into rag bond paper. While others may sell the used clothing, in bulk, to for-profit dealers that
ship them overseas.
As reported in the Washington Post this past week, one of the used-clothing markets (East Africa), has become a
billion dollar business. Who would guess that those unwanted t-shirts, jeans, sweaters, dresses and other
items would cumulatively result in such a large economic sum.
According to a July 2017 Report issued by the U.S. Agency for International Development, “
Overview of the Used Clothing Market in East Africa,” of the four largest importers of used clothing in East
Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda), Kenya is the largest. Kenya’s used clothing imports in 2016 were $124
million. The U.S. AID report notes “This is the equivalent to 6,000 40-foot containers carrying some 144,000 metric
tons of clothes.” Not all of this comes from the United States. The report estimates that the U.S. supplies
only about 19.5 percent of the total used clothing exports to this region but the U.S. share might be larger if it
includes indirect shipments from such countries as the United Arab Emirates, India and others. The AID report further
adds that “The used clothing industry creates an estimated 355,000 jobs in the East African community, which conservatively
generates incomes of $230 million that supports an estimated 1.4 million people.”
However, in an article appearing in
The Washington Post on May 30
th (“
African Nations are fed up with the West’s hand-me downs. But it is tough to keep them out.”) journalists Max Bearak and David Lynch report that East African nations believe the used-clothing sales in their
region are preventing them from growing their own textile industries. Some of them recently attempted to raise tariffs
on imported used clothing in an effort to reduce this influence. Under pressure from the U.S. government, all of
them returned to their previous rates except, Rwanda. As a result, Rwanda is now facing a potential loss of some
of its duty free trading privileges with the U.S.
In part, the philanthropic lesson here is that even the best of donated intentions can sometimes result in unimagined
consequences down the line. As donors, we often assume that our generosity only results in helping others. While
the charities that accept such used clothing donations are able to convert these gifts into cash to support their
missions, that is only the beginning of the journey for unwanted apparel.
Video of the Week
As part of our Building Trust Video Series, we are pleased to provide a video featuring John Walter, President &
CEO,
Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy, a
BBB Accredited Charity, which strives to build alliances between philanthropic individuals and organizations,
and medical and academic institutions, to promote cell and gene therapy research in order to combat cancer.
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:
Finally, remember to let us know by going to
http://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
Happy New Year! As this is the first week of 2016, it’s natural for everyone to think of resolutions to improve. As important
as they are, I am not talking about diet and exercise, but about being better donors and for charities to be more
mindful of donor trust issues. Donors reading this blog are likely to already be careful when making contributions.
Sadly, however, research has shown that only about a third of contributors check our charities before making a gift.
You can help change this in 2016 be encouraging family, friends and colleagues to visit
Give.org to identify the trustworthiness of charities by verifying if they meet the holistic
BBB Standards for Charity Accountability (i.e., a BBB Accredited Charity).
To help ring in more charity trustworthiness in the New Year, we offer the following infographic which identifies some
of the most frequent accountability deficiencies found in the rigorous evaluative reports completed by the BBB Wise
Giving Alliance. These tips point to activities that are basic steps that charities of all sizes should be able to
address – the frequency of governing board meetings, providing a results report for the charity’s board, having a
detailed expense breakdown in financial statements and producing an annual report.
As part of our Building Trust Video Series, we are pleased to provide the following video that features Linda Boucard,
Director of Public Relations,
Fonkoze USA (a
BBB Accredited Charity) which serves as a microfinance and poverty alleviation organization in Haiti and has
over 65,000 loan recipients and provides other financial services.
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:
Finally, remember to let us know by going to
https://www.give.org/ask-us-about-a-charity1/ 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
Although we have seen other tragedies and disasters in the past year, the terrorist bombing at the Manchester Arena in England has had a significant emotional impact. Many of those killed or wounded were of such a young age, it somehow magnifies the horror and the outpouring of public concern. This is all the more reason for us to caution donors about fundraising to help Manchester victims and their families and to be mindful of suspicious circumstances that often occur in tragedy-related philanthropy. Bad actors are more likely to strike when emotions run high.
1. Thoughtful Giving. Take the time to check out fundraising to help Manchester victims to avoid wasting your generosity by donating to a questionable or poorly managed effort. The first request for a donation may not be the best choice. Be proactive and find trusted charities that are providing assistance.
2. Crowdfunding Cautions.Watch out for those seeking to take advantage of high public sympathy by setting up a crowdfunding page that may have no official connection to the family or to any charitable organization. While some crowdfunding sites have procedures to identify questionable efforts, especially after a tragedy, the majority of them do not. Also, crowdfunding sites vary in terms of fees charged for transactions and when funds are made available for the cited cause.
3. Respecting Victims and Their Families.Organizations or individuals raising funds should get permission from the families to use either the names of the victims and/or any photographs of them.
4. How Will Donations Be Used? Watch out for vague appeals that don’t identify the intended use of funds. For example, how will the donations help victims’ families? Also, unless told otherwise, donors will assume that funds collected quickly in the wake of a tragedy will be spent just as quickly. See if the appeal identifies when the collected funds will be used.
5. What if a Family Sets Up Its Own Assistance Fund? Some families may decide to set up their own assistance funds. Be mindful that such funds may not be set up as charities. Also, make sure that collected monies are received and administered by a third party such as a bank, CPA or lawyer. This will help provide oversight and ensure the collected funds are used appropriately (e.g., paying for medical expenses, funeral costs, counseling, and other tragedy-related needs.)
6. Charities can be checked.One of the key advantages of giving to an established charity is there are more opportunities to verify their trustworthiness by visiting Give.org to find out if they meet BBB Charity Standards. Also, keep in mind that a charity needs to be based in the U.S. order to be eligible for contributions that are deductible. Despite this, if you are considering giving to a charity located in England, check the U.K. Charity Commissioners via this link to see if they are registered to solicit in the United Kingdom.
On a separate note, as we approach Memorial Day, we encourage donors to also remember those who gave their lives serving in the military. As with any charity donation, we urge givers to do some research before making the contribution by visiting Give.org. Watch out for name confusion, as many veterans charities include virtually the same words in different order. And, look for a clear description of the organization’s programs in its appeals and its website. Also be wary of excessive pressure to make an on-the-spot gift.
As part of our Building Trust Video series, we are pleased to provide a video of Melissa Hopson, Vice President of Finance of the Boot Campaign (a BBB Accredited Charity) which provides assistance to veterans, service members and their families across five initiatives – housing, jobs, wellness, urgent assistance and family support.
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:
Finally, remember to let us know by going to https://www.give.org/ask-us-about-a-charity1/ 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 partnership with the Stanford Social Innovation Review (SSIR), the BBB Wise Giving Alliance is producing an article
series that calls on the nonprofit sector, and others engaged in philanthropy, to embody a new and pioneering spirit
of collaboration. Grounded in trust, these partnerships reach broader audiences, share the risk involved in experimentation
and accomplish more than any single organization can do alone.
Today, May 17
th, my entry in the
Advancing Collaboration article series, titled “Hacking Collaboration,” is live on SSIR’s website and accessible
via the following link:
http://www.give.org/advancingcollaboration/art-taylor/
After reading this piece, we invite you (charities, businesses or donors) to join the movement by entering your name
on the
Advancing Collaboration pledge page which demonstrates a commitment to finding more partners with complementary
assets to execute a shared vision. Charities, business or other entities engaged in social good, can pledge to operate
with a collaborative spirit that fosters joint action to deliver greater value. Donors can pledge to support
collaborative organizations. After signing, you can download a pledge icon to place on your website or social media
to encourage others to join as well.
Additionally, as part of our Building Trust Video series, we are pleased to provide a video of Robin Smalley, Co-Founder
and Director of
mothers2mothers (a
BBB Accredited Charity) which offers support to HIV-positive pregnant women and new mothers in sub-Saharan Africa.
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:
Finally, remember to let us know by going to
https://www.give.org/ask-us-about-a-charity1/ 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
This is the time of year when many charities begin preparing their annual reports. When done properly, this item provides a helpful narrative summary of the organization’s recent accomplishments along with financial information and a board roster. While some organizations still produce the glossy, lengthy and picture-filled publications of yesteryear, an annual report can be a far simpler and less expensive product and still fulfill its legacy of helping donors with basic facts about the charity’s activities.
Some may view the IRS Form 990, the annual financial form filed by charities, as fulfilling the role of the annual report. While we believe access to these forms is an important aspect of transparency, they can be difficult for some donors to review and often do not include an adequate narrative description of the charity’s program service activities in the past year.
One of the easiest and least expensive ways of providing the donating public with an annual report is to have a page on the charity’s website that includes all of the recommended information in one place. Specifically, Standard 16 of the BBB Standards for Charity Accountability calls for charities to produce an annual report that includes (a) the charity’s mission, (b) a summary of the year’s program accomplishments, (c) a roster of board members, and (d) financial information for the year including total income, total expenses broken out by programs, fundraising and administration, and ending net assets. Having such a page on a website helps a charity meet this standard as long as the organization is also willing to print out the report to mail to those inquirers requesting a hard copy.
In view of the important role addressed by these reports, it is sad to note that the BBB Charity Standard addressing annual reports has been one of the one of the most frequently missed standards of the nationally-soliciting charities that are evaluated by BBB Wise Giving Alliance.
While charities have many ways to communicate with donors on their website, through social media, in direct mail or other means, the annual report provides a special opportunity to share a comprehensive overview of what the organization does. When done well, it can serve to inform but also inspire readers to contribute or get involved in other ways.
Video of the Week
As part of our Building Trust Video Series, we are pleased to provide a video featuring Cheryl Crazy Bull, President and CEO, American Indian College Fund, (a BBB Accredited Charity) which works to help all Native people meet their potential by providing them with access to a higher education. In the 2016 fiscal year, the organization provided approximately 4,100 scholarships to students seeking to better their lives through higher education. AICF also provides financial and programmatic support for the needs of 34 accredited tribal colleges and universities, ranging from capital support to cultural preservation curricula.
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:
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
Today, March 23
rd, is the 15
th anniversary of operating under the name “BBB Wise Giving Alliance.” We are proud of our legacy, devoted
to our mission of helping donors identify trustworthy charities, and look forward to expanding our reach in the charitable
sector in years to come. As we celebrate our anniversary, I am reminded about how the past 15 years have been
a function of our collaboration, communication and credibility.
When the BBB Wise Giving Alliance formed in 2001 it represented one of the highest forms of collaboration – a merger
of the two largest charity monitoring organizations that existed at that time: the National Charities Information
Bureau (NCIB) which began in 1918 as the first organization in the nation to establish charity accountability standards
and the Philanthropic Advisory Service (PAS) of the Council of Better Business Bureaus which had been reporting on
national charities under various different names since the 1920s. Both organizations 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. The combined charity reporting
legacy of the merger partners represents more than a century of experience and helped provide a solid foundation
on which to grow. But our collaborative efforts continued as we helped develop the reporting framework known
as
Charting Impact (2011) with both Independent Sector and GuideStar and helped spread the
Overhead Myth campaign (2013) with GuideStar and Charity Navigator.
Communication has also been a key element of our success these past 15 years as we have sought to expand our outreach
to help educate more donors about giving wisely whether it be in the rush to provide relief assistance in the wake
of a disaster or in the promotion of
Giving Tuesday, the designated day for giving initiated in part through the work of the 92
nd Street Y in New York City. The redesign and launch of the new
Give.org website also helped spread our communication efforts to two audiences – the donating public and charitable
organizations. Added features to the Give.org website included the
Wise Giving Wednesday weekly blog and the
Building Trust video series of interviews with CEOs and executives at BBB Accredited Charities. As a result of
all these activities and more, we were able to generate over 852 million media impressions in 2015 – a cumulative
total that far exceeds our efforts in previous years.
Finally, our credibility is not only built on our legacy of experience but on the rigorous and careful approach we use
in completing our evaluation of charities in relation to the 20
BBB Standards for Charity Accountability. This holistic approach to accountability has served donors well but is also a reflection of the open process
in which these standards were developed – a three year project that involved extensive research on donor expectations
and significant input form charities, foundations, regulators, accountants, fundraisers and other experts in philanthropy.
An advisory committee representing these diverse interests prepared a set of draft standards that were distributed
widely at conferences and placed on our website for public comment for over a year.
We welcome the opportunity to serve both donors and charities as we continue to expand our efforts to strengthen donor
confidence and help charities maintain accountable practices.
The video below features my comments on this 15
th anniversary:
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:
Finally, remember to let us know by going to
https://www.give.org/ask-us-about-a-charity1/ 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
Questions about executive compensation at charitable organizations have been an issue of donor interest almost as long as charities have been soliciting. Unfortunately, there are some donors who believe that all charities should be run by volunteers. And of those who support paying a staff to run things, they argue the amount should be relatively low. Of course this is neither fair, practical, or realistic. Employees of charities accept they usually will not be paid as much as those in other sectors but they also need not take a vow of poverty. Charities need to have paid staff to carry out their operations and to deliver the services and activities for which they are created. This week’s blog seeks to debunk some of the commonly held misconceptions about charity compensation.
Are salaries just “overhead” expenses?
There is a serious public misperception that the amount that charities pay in salaries is part of the organization’s “administrative expenses” also known by the lay term “overhead.” The reality is that charity financial statements appropriately allocate salary expenses among three major expense categories: program services, fundraising and management and general expenses. These allocations are usually based on the actual or estimated portion of staff time spent in carrying out various activities. For example, conducting research on environmental issues (program services), calling on major donors (fundraising), and meeting expenses for the board of directors (management and general.) Sometimes a single individual will carry out multiple functions and have a portion of his/her compensation recognized in each of these expense categories. In other cases, a staff member will have all his/her salary allocated to just one expense category, such as an accounting staff member’s salary recognized as management and general expense.
Is executive compensation of charity staff members considered public information?
Compensation information of the charity’s officers and key employees is routinely included as part of the IRS Form 990, the annual financial form completed by charities (other than houses of worship.) This transparency of compensation information has been a fact of life for charities for decades. While this openness is sometimes a challenging concept for former business executives who join the paid staff of a charity, most executives recognize this transparency as a routine aspect of philanthropy that is different than the private sector.
In response to donor interest in this area, BBB Wise Giving Alliance routinely includes the total compensation of the charity’s CEO in its evaluative reports on soliciting charities. Over the years, however, we have become aware of viral email messages and social media postings that have included false information about charity compensation at well-known charitable organizations. Be wary of sensationalistic accusations, check with trusted sources when seeking to find out about charity issues of interest.
Who is responsible for setting charity executive compensation?
Determining the compensation of the charity’s chief executive officer is one of the basic responsibilities of an organization’s board of directors. The governing board usually considers a variety of factors, including but not limited to: information gathered from nonprofit salary surveys, the geographic location of the charity’s offices, and the size of the organization finances and staff. One would not expect the CE0 of a $100 million charity to be paid the same wage as the CEO of a charity that brings in $1 million.
In any event, solely considering compensation will not provide a complete picture of a charity’s trustworthiness. Refer to the BBB Standards for Charity Accountability to better understand key factors that help verify trust.
Video of the Week
As part of our Building Trust Video Series, we are pleased to provide a video featuring Pamela Timmons, Executive Director of Good Shepherd Ministries of Oklahoma (a BBB Accredited Charity) which seeks to provide free health care for those who are low-income and uninsured in Oklahoma City, including medical services, dental services and prescription medications.
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:
Finally, remember to let us know by going to https://www.give.org/ask-us-about-a-charity1/ 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
Last November, I wrote an article that appeared in the Huffington Post in which I shared a very personal story from my childhood to help make a point about encouraging collaboration among charitable organizations. I received a lot of feedback from that posting, in part, because of the emotional impact of the recollection. It got readers’ attention and probably encouraged many to review the rest of the piece.
I mention the above since most successful charity appeals today use stories to help attract attention and motivate the recipients to contribute. A story about how someone was personally affected by the problem the charity is seeking to address and how he/she was helped by the organization enables donors to relate to the issue and understand things that statistics alone may not be able to explain.
With this in mind, here are some points for both donors and charities to consider when stories are used in charity appeals:
Did the story actually occur? It almost goes without saying but the best stories are the ones that actually happened. If a charity appeal includes a “representative” story that is really a compilation of various different incidents, then the organization should clearly identify this is the case. To do otherwise is misleading and can lead to recipients feeling manipulated or betrayed if the truth about the compilation is revealed at a later time.
Outdated stories should be identified. Unless told otherwise, appeal recipients will assume the story being shared is current. If the referenced story is more than three-years old and the appeal does not identify when the described events occurred, BBB WGA will ask the organization for a copy of the appeal to determine if this circumstance results in a misleading solicitation.
Proper use of photographs. See the previous Wise Giving Wednesday blog about the accurate use of photographs in appeals.
Statistics should be accurate and not exaggerated. To help supplement the story appearing appeals, a charity will often include statistics such as the frequency of the problem identified, how many individuals the charity assisted, or selected facts about the charity’s finances. Organizations should take care to verify the accuracy of these figures and be able to substantiate them if asked.
BBB Charity Standard 15 calls for solicitations and informational materials, distributed by any means, to be accurate, truthful and not misleading, both in whole and in part. Problems such as those described above can lead to a charity not meeting this standard.
As part of our Building Trust Video series, we are pleased to provide a video that features Sandra Raymond, President & CEO of the Lupus Foundation of America (a BBB Accredited Charity) which seeks to improve the quality of life for all people affected by lupus through programs of research, education, support and advocacy.
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:
Finally, remember to let us know by going to https://www.give.org/ask-us-about-a-charity1/ 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
