As mentioned in last week’s blog, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving (in the U.S.), December 1, is #GivingTuesday, the designated
day for donating to charities. As we give thanks this Thanksgiving week, please also remember the causes you care
about and donate to trustworthy charities on December 1 and throughout the year. To help give with confidence, here
is some advice.
Follow the five basic giving tips as provided in this
press release. The most important thing to remember is to take the time to find out more about the organization
before you donate.
Verify if your selected charity is trustworthy, by identifying if they meet all 20 of the holistic
BBB Standards for Charity Accountability by accessing charity reports on Give.org
Help others learn the wise giving message by participating in a
Thunderclapcampaign taking place on December 1
st, Giving Tuesday. For those of you who are unfamiliar a
Thunderclap is a specific message that is blasted out all at once, automatically, on social media accounts.
Just click on the following link choose the social media platform you would like to use (e.g., Twitter, etc.)
and click “add my support.”
https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/33760-give-wisely-on-givingtuesday?locale=en
Also, check out our full page ad in the December 1 print edition of
USA Today that will feature of a listing of BBB WGA national charity seal holders and will encourage everyone
to Give Wisely on #Giving Tuesday.
As part of our Building Trust Video Series, we are pleased to provide the following video that features Jim Stofan, Chief
Operating Officer of
Defenders of Wildlife (a
BBB Accredited Charity) works to protect and restore imperiled species throughout North America by transforming
policies and institutions and promoting solutions. Defenders promotes the conservation and restoration of North America’s
vulnerable species through habitat preservation and restoration on public lands, securing greater wildlife conservation
funding and defending and strengthening wildlife and public land management laws and policies.
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
As August completes its march into September, children begin returning to school. While parents are currently focused on filling their children’s backpacks with school supplies, many also recognize they will soon be asked to help raise money for class projects, trips and other activities not covered by existing school funding. These efforts can range anywhere from selling things (chocolate, gift wrapping, candy, etc.) to holding contests / charity events. If so, here are some tips to consider to help you manage the activity while also being accountable:
Set specific goals or plans before you start to raise funds. What is the total amount needed and how much time do you have to raise it?
Make sure the school informs parents either online or in hard copy with any needed instructions about the campaign.
Review the fundraising promotions created to make sure they accurately and adequately explain the nature of the school activities being funded.
Identify the volunteer or parent who will be in charge in keeping track of collecting and recording of donations received.
Inform parents and other volunteers about how much was raised.
Appreciate the generosity of contributors by sending thank you notes to them.
Create a feedback form that will help identify needed improvements to do even a better job next time.
There are a number of online giving platforms (e.g., DonorsChoose.org, Adoptaclassroom.org, Pledgecents.com) that help raise money for classroom projects. A school or teacher may consider posting a request on such sites to raise money for specific activities or needs. As always, we encourage contributors to visit Give.org to see if a charity meets the 20 BBB Standards for Charity Accountability. If you don’t see a report on a charity of interest, fill out this form to initiate an information request by BBB Wise Giving Alliance: https://www.give.org/charity-inquiry
Video of the Week
As part of our Building Trust Video Series, we are pleased to provide a video featuring Jim Lighthizer, President of American Battlefield Trust (a BBB Accredited Charity), which works to preserve America’s battlegrounds. The organization integrates the land it preserves into public parks to help educate visitors on the events that occurred there.
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
Most of the activity on the
Give.org website comes from individuals seeking to verify a charity’s trustworthiness before they make a donation.
This is accomplished by reviewing our
reports to see if the subject nationally soliciting charity meets the 20 holistic
BBB Standards for Charity Accountability. In turn, 57 of the 113
Better Business Bureaus report on regionally soliciting charities.
While such inquiries comprise the vast majority of our charity activity, from time to time, charities can be the subject
of public complaint. For national charities, the most common type of complaint consists of individuals seeking to
be removed from the mailing list of a charity. At the regional level, complaints can range from concerns
with a purchase at a charity thrift store to concerns raised about a pet adopted from an animal shelter. Whatever
the cause, our procedure is to forward the complaint to the subject charity and ask that they respond to the individual
with a copy to either BBB WGA (or the applicable BBB).
In addition, Standard 20 of the BBB Charity Standards calls for charities to promptly respond to and act on complaints
brought to their attention by the BBB WGA and/or Better Business Bureaus.
As part of our Building Trust Video Series, we are pleased to provide the following video that features Kelly Browning,
Chief Executive Officer of
American Institute for Cancer Research (a
BBB Accredited Charity) which funds research on the relationship of nutrition, physical activity and weight management
to cancer risk as well as to interpret scientific data and to educate people about reducing their cancer risk.
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
For the Northern Atlantic Ocean area, hurricane season goes from June until the end of November. For now, all eyes are on Tropical Storm Gordon. While the wind speed was just below hurricane force, the storm made landfall Tuesday night on the Mississippi and Alabama border. Flash flood warnings are in effect and some damage is anticipated.
To help those seeking to provide assistance to impacted areas, BBB Wise Giving Alliance encourage donors to review our disaster relief giving tips (here is a link to the Spanish version)
In addition to our tips, we encourage potential contributors to also review our charity reports on Give.org to verify if the subject charity meets the BBB Standards for Charity Accountability.
Video of the Week
As part of our Building Trust Video Series, we are pleased to provide a video of Jaime Berman Matyas, President and CEO, Student Conservation Association (a BBB Accredited Charity) which works to conserve lands and empower young people of all backgrounds to plan, act and lead while they protect and restore America’s natural and cultural resources. The organization’s programs provide young people aged 15-25 with opportunities to serve in crew, intern and corps programs lasting anywhere from two weeks to twelve months in urban and backcountry areas in all 50 U.S. states.
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
Like any other form of fundraising, telephone appeals can help a charity or become a significant failure if not managed
well. In general the most successful phone appeals take place when an organization calls previous donors to
encourage them to increase their support or contacts individuals with a special connection such as calling alumni
of a university to request a gift. In contrast, an organization can risk the potential of high fundraising costs
and annoyed call recipients if it engages in conducting a large volume of cold calls – contacting people who have
never donated and are not familiar with the organization.
To help donors handle phone appeals, I thought it would be helpful to share some of basic tips:
Ask the caller how much of your gift will get to the charity, especially if the caller states they are a professional
solicitor.
Remember, some charity names may sound similar. Be sure you are not confusing the charity with another group.
If you are interested, ask the caller for the charity’s website address or request written information on their programs
and finances to be sent to you.
Don’t succumb to pressure to make an immediate donation if you want more time to make a more thoughtful decision.
And, of course, check out the charity by visiting Give.org to verify if the charity meets the BBB Standards for Charity
Accountability.
On a separate note, as part of our Building Trust Video Series we are pleased to provide a video that features Stacy
Haller, President and CEO,
BrightFocus Foundation (a
BBB Accredited Charity). BrightFocus is an organization that seeks to advance research and public information
in three areas: Alzheimer’s disease, age-related macular degeneration and glaucoma.
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
One of the key factors that makes our charity reporting strong is the fact that the BBB Charity Standards are broad and cover a range of topics. With the news of the spread of coronavirus across the United States on everyone’s mind, we found that one of the topics, board meeting attendance, has been on the mind of several charities.
The Centers for Disease Control have issued advisories about air travel and recommendations to avoid crowds. Given this fact, charities are understandably concerned about their planned board meetings and asking board members to travel and gather in-person. We recently communicated with our national charity contacts, providing the following guidance regarding board member attendance.
BBB Charity Standard 3 calls for a minimum of three board meetings per fiscal year with an average of at least 50% attendance. It further calls for at least two of these meetings to be in-person and the rest can be by phone as long as official minutes are taken. While we encourage actual, physical face-to-face participation as much as possible because we believe it keeps board members most engaged, video meetings do count as in-person meetings for purposes of meeting this standard as long as participants can see each other. We began accepting video conferencing as an alternative in applying this standard several years ago.
Given the growing availability of video conferencing platforms, this has become a much more viable way to help keep board members engaged when they are otherwise unable to travel.
Video of the Week
As part of our Building Trust Video Series, we are pleased to provide a video featuring Glen Mangold, a board member for Gift of Adoption Fund (a BBB Accredited Charity), which provides grants for qualified parents to assist in their adoption costs.
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 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 we hear news reports of the devastating fires in Australia that have destroyed about 18 million acres of land, many are quite moved to provide assistance for displaced families and wildlife, as well as for the brave firefighters that are battling the blazes. To help donors make informed giving decisions, BBB Wise Giving Alliance offers the following advice.
Investigate before you consider a crowdfunding donation. In the wake of a major disaster like the Australian fires, thousands of crowdfunding postings quickly appear, which can include scams or poorly conceived fundraising projects. Plus, not all crowdfunding sites operate alike. Some crowdfunding platforms do a better job of vetting postings and projects than others, and they typically also charge various processing fees that may reduce donation amounts. ● Also, review the crowdfunding site’s description of its terms and procedures. When crowdfunding platforms do employ safeguards against potential frauds, they generally announce that fact loudly to help encourage giving. Check to see who is behind the crowdfunding appeal and consider whether that person or group might legitimately represent the named charitable cause. Also, see if the posting is claiming to be helping a specific individual/family/group or whether it claims to be passing on funds to a designated charity or charities. If a charity is named, consider making a direct donation to that organization (after checking them out as explained below) rather than relying on a third party to carry out your giving intentions.
How funds will be used. Whether you donate to a crowdfunding request or directly to a charitable organization, vague descriptions of how the collected funds will be used should be a yellow caution light. For example, will the funds be used for firefighting activities, temporary housing for displaced families, food, medical expenses, reconstruction, or other relief activities? Could donations be used for long-term recovery programs, or not? Thoughtful requests for funding will identify genuine disaster needs and response abilities, and communicate clearly about intended donation uses and plans for funding distributions.
Don’t assume pictures are used with permission. Unfortunately, some crowdfunding postings may be using pictures of victims without the permission of their families. As a result, you can’t assume the poster has an official connection. Again, each site has different rules on what they allow. As a donor, it is up to you to approach with caution, especially after a disaster or tragedy.
Your contribution may not be deductible as a charitable gift. If a crowdfunding posting or a charitable appeal is claiming to be helping a specific named individual or family, donors in the U.S. generally cannot take a federal income tax deduction, even if the individual or family is in need. See IRS Publication 526, page 6, for more information on this subject. On the other hand, if you are giving to a charitable organization that is helping a group of needy individuals and you are not restricting your gift to a specific person, then you can generally take a deduction. Keep in mind, however, if the charity is not located in the U.S., in most cases a gift would not be deductible even though a charity is receiving the contribution.
Australian-based charities. If you are considering donating to an Australian-based charity, check out the registry of the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission. While the registration with this government agency does not mean the government is recommending or endorsing the charity, it does signify that the group has filed the appropriate paperwork with this agency. The following charities located in Australia are raising funds to provide various types of assistance to people or wildlife. While the following five entities were not evaluated by the BBB Wise Giving Alliance, the American affiliates of these charities are BBB accredited (i.e., meet the 20 BBB Standards for Charity Accountability.)
United States-based charities. There are a number of U.S. based charities that are accepting funding to address the Australian fires. See the respective website links to find out more. The following list includes groups that are BBB Accredited (i.e., meet the 20 BBB Standards for Charity Accountability.)
Canadian-based charities: If you are considering donating to a Canadian-based charity, there is a list of Registered Charities provided by the Government of Canada, which can be found here. While the registration with this government agency does not mean the government is recommending or endorsing the charity, it does signify that the group has filed the appropriate paperwork with this agency.
Helping Australian Firefighter Organizations. Some donors also may have an interest in contributing to help the firefighters themselves. There are local Australian fire service entities known as “brigades” that do accept donations to carry out their various services. If you wish to support such entities, visit an official Australian government link such as the following: NSW Rural Fire Service. Be cautious about appeals from those claiming to raise funds for Australian firefighters without any official connection to them.
Our strongest recommendation is tocontribute to experienced organizations that meet the 20 BBB Standards for Charity Accountability, particularly in the wake of disasters. Visit Give.org to access reports on these and other charities. Experienced relief organizations are more likely to provide quick and effective assistance. Newly established entities may be well intentioned but may not have the skills and infrastructure to provide immediate help.
Video of the Week
As part of our Building Trust Video series, we are pleased to provide a video interview of David Barringer, CEO, National Council of the U.S. Society of St. Vincent de Paul (a BBB Accredited Charity) which seeks to help millions of people each year through home visits, housing assistance, disaster relief, job training, food pantries, clothing, care for the elderly, and other charitable activities.
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 and CEO
BBB Wise Giving Alliance
Sadly, another disaster has made the headlines. News reports indicate that over 1,300 people have lost their lives due to the double disasters of the devastating 7.5 earthquake and tsunami that struck Indonesia. And yesterday, the eruption of a nearby volcano, Mount Soputan, adds a third dangerous element to the circumstances. Rescue crews search for survivors in the rubble while others seek medical treatment, shelter, food and/or supplies. The devastation is heart wrenching to see and prompts many of us to help those in need by contributing to disaster relief organizations offering assistance.
We certainly encourage generosity to help the victims in Indonesia but also caution donors to avoid questionable appeals by keeping the following tips in mind:
Does the disaster relief charity meet BBB Charity Standards? You can help verify a charity’s trustworthiness by viewing an evaluative report completed by BBB Wise Giving Alliance. See the list provided below of disaster relief charities that that are soliciting for relief assistance to help Indonesia and that also meet the BBB Standards for Charity Accountability.
Is the charity experienced in providing disaster relief? Experienced disaster relief charities are the best bet to help deliver aid quickly and effectively. New entrants may have difficulty in following through even if they have good intentions.
Does the appeal make exaggerated financial claims such as “100% will be spent on relief?” Charities have fundraising and administrative expenses. Any charity claiming otherwise is potentially misleading the donating public. Even a credit card donation will have a processing fee.
Can the charity get to the impacted area? Not all disaster relief organization will be positioned to provide relief quickly. See if the charity already has a presence in Indonesia.
Should you send clothing and food? Local drives to collect clothing and food to send overseas are not practical. Disaster relief organizations are better equipped to obtain what is needed, distribute it and avoid duplication of effort.
The following is a list of BBB Accredited Charities (i.e., organizations that meet the 20 BBB Standards for Charity Accountability) raising funds for disaster relief in Indonesia. This list will be updated as additional relief efforts come to BBB WGA’s attention.
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.
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 nickel ain’t worth a dime anymore.” This priceless quote from the late Yogi Berra, the witty, retired baseball professional who passed away on September 22, 2015, reminds us of the financial necessity of keeping track of our budgets. For charities, the last quarter of the fiscal year is the time that most organizations finalize their expenditure plans for the coming year.
A charity’s budget is more than just a table of expected expenditures; it represents a cornerstone of good stewardship. While a charity’s audited financial statements and IRS Form 990 usually get the lion’s share of public attention, these items are historical and tell us where the organization has been, not where it is going. In contrast, a budget shows how the charity intends to spend funds in the current or coming year and will reflect any changes in program priorities and/or new activities.
One of the BBB Standards for Charity Accountability (Standard 14) specifically calls for charities to have a board-approved budget for the current fiscal that includes certain information. Specifcally, this standard calls for the budget to identify the projected total amounts to be spent on program activities, fund raising and administration. Such an expense breakdown will help the board gain a better understanding of how the charity’s resources will be used. While a table of budgeted expenses in natural categories such as salaries, postage, travel, etc. provides essential detail, the recommended allocation totals helps complete the financial picture.
Also, budgets are not a once a year charity activity. Well-managed governing boards will periodically review the budget in relation to actual revenues and expenses and adjust activity, as needed, based on available resources and/or changes in activity plans.
On a separate note, as part of our Building Trust Video Series, we are pleased to provide the following video that features Gail McGovern, President & CEO of the American Red Cross. With total revenues of about $3 billion, more than 450 chapters in all 50 states, over 25,000 paid staff members, 400,000 volunteers and responding to nearly 70,000 disasters large and small each year, the American Red Cross is one of the largest American charities in existence and one of the most recognized charity brands.
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
As charity impact continues to be a subject of significant interest, I thought it would be helpful to clarify our position
on this. First, the subject of charity impact (also called results reporting) has been discussed for decades.
Fifteen years ago we commissioned a survey of over 2,000 adult Americans and found significant public interest in
wanting to know about a charity’s success in achieving its purpose or mission. A more recent survey from
The Chronicle of Philanthropy shows this interest continues today. When we last revised our
BBB Charity Standards with the help of the charity community, we knew this issue needed to be addressed.
Standards 6 and 7 in the
BBB Standards for Charity Accountability call for charities to adopt a governing board policy to conduct a performance or effectiveness assessment at least
every two years and to produce a written report on this assessment for the board that explains the charity’s success
or impact in fulfilling its mission, goals and objectives. While we applaud charities that make such reports
public, our board emphasis in these standards reflects our continuing concern that a public distribution can sometimes
be more promotional in tone.
These standards do not require charities to conduct expensive long-term or longitudinal studies, but can be achieved
by much more modest means. As an example see the Charting Impact 5-question results-reporting format
recommended in the
2011 collaborative project that BBB WGA had with Independent Sector and GuideStar.
In the past decade, as we have applied Standards 6 and 7, we have found that most soliciting charities have been able
to meet these recommendations. We think we have played a part in helping charities improve their practices but we
also recognize that many others have brought thoughtful attention to this subject as well. I will be writing
more on this topic in the future and welcome you to contact me with your perspective, however, if you want to read
more on this subject, here are two of our past blogs on this issue:
On a separate note, as part of our Building Trust Video Series we are pleased to provide a video that features Michelle
DeLaune, Chief Operating Officer of the
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (a
BBB Accredited Charity). This organization works closely with families of missing children to help rescue
and recover them and also seeks to help prevent child sexual exploitation.
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
