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As the desperate situation unfolds in Afghanistan during the withdrawal of U.S. armed forces, it is difficult not to be moved by images of those seeking to flee and the immediate challenges being faced by Afghanistan citizens. A number of international relief organizations have indicated their commitment to stay in Afghanistan and continue their work to address food, shelter, and other needs and welcome continuing support from potential donors. It is likely that unfilled needs will dramatically increase as the situation worsens.

To help make informed giving decisions, the BBB Wise Giving Alliance offers the following tips:

• Does the organization meet BBB Charity Standards?  See if there is a BBB Report indicating that the charity meets the 20 BBB Standards for Charity Accountability.
• Do you know about the nature of the charity’s Afghanistan efforts? Visit the charity’s website to learn about the types of activities that the organization is addressing. For example, some are seeking to help with food insecurity within Afghanistan while others may be focused on helping refugees settling in other countries. Also, charities that are unable to continue program activities due to the Taliban may still need support to help with possible future evacuations.
• Does the charity have an established presence in Afghanistan?  Experienced organizations will likely be more effective in delivering assistance. It is difficult to vet newly established efforts and unlikely that they will be able to follow through, even if they have the best of intentions.
• Do you want to help allies seeking to leave Afghanistan? There are organizations, such as No One Left Behind, that provide help to allies and friends of U.S. forces that are seeking to resettle in the United States.
• Also consider helping U.S. veterans charities. Those who served in the U.S. armed forces in Afghanistan may have strong emotional responses to recent events. There are charities that seek to address those suffering from PTSD and other mental health challenges that would welcome support at this time.

The following is a list of BBB Accredited Charities (i.e., organizations that meet the 20 BBB Standards for Charity Accountability) raising funds for assistance in Afghanistan. This list will be updated as additional efforts come to the BBB’s attention. The first link shows the BBB Wise Giving Alliance Report on the charity. The second is a link to the page on the charity’s website that describes its Afghanistan activities or fundraising.

CARE USA – BBB Wise Giving Alliance Report – Afghanistan Activities
International Medical Corps – BBB Wise Giving Alliance Report – Afghanistan Activities
Islamic Relief USA – BBB Wise Giving Alliance Report – Afghanistan Activities
No One Left Behind – BBB Wise Giving Alliance Report – Afghanistan Activities
Relief International – BBB Wise Giving Alliance Report – Afghanistan Activities
Save the Children – BBB Wise Giving Alliance Report – Afghanistan Activities
United States Association for UNHCR – BBB Wise Giving Alliance Report – Afghanistan Activities
Women for Women International – BBB Wise Giving Alliance Report – Afghanistan Activities

The following is a list of BBB Accredited Charities (i.e., organizations that meet the 20 BBB Standards for Charity Accountability) raising funds for veterans’ needs including mental health issues. If you or someone you know is at risk for suicide, seek help immediately. Call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or visit suicidepreventionlifeline.org which is funded by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

Disabled American Veterans – BBB Wise Giving Alliance Report – Statement on Afghanistan
VFW Foundation – BBB Wise Giving Alliance Report – Statement on Afghanistan
Wounded Warrior Project – BBB Wise Giving Alliance Report – Mental Health Services for Veterans 

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Video of the Week

As part of the Building Trust Video Series, we are pleased to provide a video interview with Tim Earley, CEO of Make-A-Wish Foundation of Georgia (a BBB Accredited Charity) which grants wishes to Georgia children, between the ages of 2 1/2 and 18, living with a progressive, degenerative or malignant medical condition that has placed their lives in jeopardy. The organization reports that it grants between 300 and 400 wishes every year. 

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Heart of Giving Podcast 

This week’s Heart of Giving Podcast is celebrating our 1st anniversary by taking a walk down memory lane! In this special highlights episode, we revisit some of our most memorable episodes to learn about what drove our esteemed guests to a career of service and giving. This is part one of a two-part episode. 

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
• FINCA International
• Many Hands for Haiti

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 

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The Dixie Fire which began on July 13^th has become the second largest in California’s history. So far, almost 500,000 acres have burned and about 9,000 people are fighting the wildfires. The situation is horrific with firenadoes and other fire phenomena taking place. As reported, about 12,000 people in over eight counties are under evacuation orders.

To assist those seeking to provide help to either the impacted families, firefighters, or both, here are some suggestions.

• Give to Established Charities – Charities with experience in handling disaster situations will be more likely to be able to provide assistance quickly and effectively. Be cautious of new organizations that make promises to help without any connections, budgets, or plans.  

• Volunteer and Gifts in Kind – If you live near the impacted areas, one giving alternative might be to provide housing for firefighters or donate non-perishable food to help feed those battling the blaze. Contact charities such as the Salvation Army and United Way to find out more.

• Be Wary of Vague Appeals – Watch out for vague appeals that don’t describe the intended use of funds. For example, will they be used to help displaced families cover temporary housing, rebuild burned communities, or help address other needs?  Also, unless told otherwise, donors assume that funds collected quickly in the wake of a disaster will be spent just as quickly.

• Crowdfunding Cautions – For crowdfunding postings, it is always safest to contribute to people and/or families that you personally know that have posted pleas for financial help. While some crowdfunding sites take precautions in carefully screening postings after a disaster, others might not. If unsure, review the posting procedures described on the crowdfunding site and also find out about transaction fees and other specifics. If the posting claims they will be forwarding funds to an existing charity, consider cutting out the middle man and visit the website of the charity directly.

• Financial Transparency in Disaster Relief – After funds are raised to address a disaster, it is vital for organizations to provide an accounting of how funds were spent. Transparent organizations will post this information on their websites so that anyone can find out and not have to wait until financial statements are available sometime in the future.

The following organizations are BBB Accredited Charities (i.e., meet the 20 BBB Standards for Charity Accountability) and currently have a website that indicates they are collecting funds to assist those impacted by the fires in California.

Americares
BBB Wise Giving Alliance Report
California fires

American Red Cross
BBB Wise Giving Alliance report
California fires

Direct Relief
BBB Wise Giving Alliance report
California fires

GlobalGiving
BBB Wise Giving Alliance report
California fires

Salvation Army
BBB Wise Giving Alliance report on national office
Regional Salvation Army activity on fires

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Video of the Week

As part of the Building Trust Video series, we are pleased to provide a video interview with Mary Partin, President & CEO of the Dan Marino Foundation (a BBB Accredited Charity) that assists the autism community in South Florida. The organization operates the Marino Campus, which is a 10-month post-secondary education program to help young adults with autism and other developmental disabilities to aid in employment opportunities.  DMF also offers scholarships to post-doctoral neuroscience students researching autism and operates a virtual job interview training system.

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Heart of Giving Podcast 

This week’s Heart of Giving Podcast features an interview with Dr. Carylynn Larson, the founder of Rock Recovery, who discusses her personal journey and inspiring story of overcoming incredible obstacles and learning from her experiences. Rock Recovery is an organization dedicated to bridging gaps in eating-disorder treatment. 

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:

• Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation
• National Space Society 
• National Council on Aging

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 

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It’s common practice for charities to invite prominent business executives and community leaders to serve on their governing boards. Guidance from knowledgeable and respected individuals can help organizations make more informed decisions and perhaps may inspire others to join them on a charity’s board.

Serving on a charity’s board of directors, however, also involves a commitment of time and effort on the part of each board member. There are also responsibilities to maintain and address such as duty of care (wise use of the charity’s resources), duty of loyalty (priority of the charity’s mission in decisions) and duty of obedience (following bylaws and appropriate government regulations).

The end result is that certain individuals, due to their popularity, may end up serving on too many governing bodies (both charities and for-profit) which might lead to a circumstance called “overboarding.” This is a term we first heard several years ago at a presentation made by the governing expert and attorney Michael W. Peregrine at the annual meeting of the National Association of State Charity Officials. Mr. Peregrine is a partner in the law firm of McDermott Will & Emery LLP and also further describes this situation in an article appearing in Forbes.

Overboarding may also potentially lead to problems with the governance section of the BBB Standards for Charity Accountability. In part, these standards call for adequate board oversight of the charity’s operations and staff by ensuring such practices as evidence of disbursement controls through budget approval, oversight of fundraising practices and other measures to help safeguard charity finances. The BBB Charity Standards also require a minimum of three board meetings each year with a majority of members in attendance on average. Video conferencing is counted as an in-person board meeting. If a board member serves on a multitude of boards, he/she may have problems with attendance and/or ensuring that governing issues receive appropriate attention during their participation.

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Video of the Week

As part of our Building Trust Video series, we are pleased to provide a video interviews with Carolyn Aldige, Founder and CEO of Prevent Cancer Foundation and Lisa McGovern, Executive Director of the Congressional Families Cancer Prevention Program. The Prevent Cancer Foundation is a BBB Accredited Charity that supports cancer prevention research, education, and community outreach programs across the United States. The Congressional Families Cancer Prevention Program is an bipartisan activity of the Foundation that seeks to increase the public’s understanding of cancer prevention and early detection. Families of Senate, House, Cabinet, Supreme Court and the Diplomatic Corps are invited to work within their respective constituencies to educate the public.

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Heart of Giving Podcast 

This week’s Heart of Giving Podcast features an interview with Eduardo Vilaro, Artistic Director and CEO of Ballet Hispànico in New York City. He shares his journey from childhood Cuban immigrant in the Bronx to a leader and innovator in high-end performing arts. He also discusses his efforts to expand and diversify both his performers and audience while adapting a classical dance genre to 21st-century tastes.

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:

• Child Health Investment Partnership of Roanoke Valley
•  MAP International
• Passport

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 

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On July 20, 1969, 52 years ago, with the help of Apollo 11 and the Eagle Lunar Module, Neil Armstrong placed a footprint on the surface of the moon. This technological achievement impresses even a half-century later and has become a historical touchstone by which so many other goals are measured. How many times have we heard this sentence: “If we can put a man on the moon, why can’t we (fill in the blank)?” Of course, the cumulative cost of the Apollo effort (from 1960-1973) was huge: $25 billion. And according to a 2019 Space Review article, after adjusting for inflation, that total works out to $288 billion.

This total expense figure also helps put an interesting perspective on philanthropy. As noted in our previous blog, the latest Giving USA Report estimates that Americans donated a record total of $471.4 billion to charities in 2020. In other words, we are now contributing more than the cumulative cost of the Apollo mission, not just once, but on an annual basis. That level of investment in the charitable sector is an astounding achievement and shows that the people in the United States are some of the most generous in the world.  

As impressive as this total giving figure is, other recently released statistics are showing some cracks in American generosity. As reported in a June 27, 2021 article in the Chronicle of Philanthropy, a study just released by the Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, shows that less than half of U.S. households (49.6 percent) donated to charity in 2018. That’s a significant drop from the 68% of households that donated back in 2002. Although that statistic has been declining gradually over that twenty year period, it is a disappointing trend. Despite these limitations, the glass may still be seen as half full since the Indiana report also explains “Among households who donated to charity… the average giving amounts have remained relatively steady between 2000 ($2,703) and 2018 ($2,581)….”

It would be wonderful if the number of U.S. households that donated began to increase instead of drop. There certainly is much incentive given all the challenges faced by society today. Of course, we hope that a larger portion of these giving decisions will be made after having checked out the charity to verify if the subject organization meets the BBB Standards for Charity Accountability.

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Video of the Week

As part of our Building Trust Video series, BBB Wise Giving Alliance provides a video interview with Andrew Rosen, Executive Director of National Ataxia Foundation (a BBB Accredited Charity), which works to find the cause and cure for all types of Ataxia. The organization supports research and provides programs and services to those affected by both dominantly and recessively inherited Ataxia as well as Sporadic Ataxia and other closely related conditions.

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Heart of Giving Podcast 

This week’s Heart of Giving Podcast features interviews with Kari Luther Rosbeck, President and CEO, TSC Alliance and Susan E. Sherman, MHA Executive Director & CEO, The LAM Foundation. They talk about rare diseases, what motivates leaders to work in this field, and “The Power of Collaboration”. 

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
• FoodCorps
• Make-A-Wish 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 

On June 25, 2021, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Massachusetts announced that a woman was sentenced to six years in prison and to pay restitution for two fraud and embezzlement schemes that resulted in a $1.4 million theft form two nonprofit organizations. Prosecutors did not identify the names of the organizations but media sources reported that one was addressing nutrition in developing countries and the other focused on affordable housing.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office indicated that the first organization had funds stolen over a 4 and a half-year period beginning in August 2013 through the use of unauthorized checks to herself, unauthorized use of the organization’s credit card and accessing the group’s online bank accounts. The funds stolen cumulatively totaled over $1.3 million.

Sadly, while on a pre-trial release for this case, the U.S. Attorney’s Office further indicated that she was hired by another nonprofit. She used her married last name and did not disclose the previous charges to this other organization. She stole funds by diverting checks to herself and opening a Paypal account in the organization’s name. This embezzlement stole $57,000 from this second organization’s accounts.

While such fraud is not commonplace in charitable organizations this story puts a spotlight on the importance of strengthening internal accounting controls over access to organization bank accounts and credit cards. In addition, background checks on newly hired employees can help in identifying questionable circumstances in a candidate’s resume.

In the end, the buck stops with the charity’s governing board. BBB Charity Standard 1 specifically calls for a board of directors that provides adequate oversight of the charity’s operations and its staff. This includes establishing accounting procedures sufficient to safeguard charity finances.  For additional detailes about the BBB Standards for Charitable Accountabilty, see this link.

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Video of the Week

As part of the Building Trust Video series, BBB Wise Giving Alliance provides a video interview that features Jamie Amelio, founder and CEO, Caring for Cambodia (a BBB Accredited Charity) that seeks to educate a generation of Cambodian children today, to make a difference for Cambodia’s tomorrow. CFC reports that it provides education to 6,600 students at 12 preschools, 5 primary schools, 2 junior high schools and 2 senior high schools in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Classrooms are safe, modern and technologically equipped. The organization mentors and professionally trains teaching staff and funds supplies and other tools needed to teach.

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Heart of Giving Podcast 

This week’s Heart of Giving Podcast features interview with  three different individuals who took the initiative to impact the lives of a few people around them. The guests, Gerard Taylor, Ky Howard, and Pamela Diaz, realize that while it might not always be possible to impact others’ lives at a massive scale without the support of a big organization, sometimes all it takes is a small act of generosity to make small but significant changes around them. 

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:

• Peace Officers Relief and Education Foundation
• Ekal Vidyalaya
• EngenderHealth

Giving in 2020 grew to a record total of $471.4 billion as reported in the Giving USA Report which was published last month by the Giving USA Foundation and written by the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at IUPUI. This report is considered to be the definitive reference for U.S. total contribution statistics. This year’s report, more than most, was the subject of considerable attention as many were concerned about the anticipated negative impact of the pandemic, economy and other issues on giving. Nevertheless, the contribution total increased over the previous year by 5.1 percent in current dollars, a 3.8 percent increase if adjusted for inflation.

Individuals continued to serve as the largest source of giving with $324.1 billion (69%) of that total, foundations provided $88.5 billion (19%), followed by bequests $41.9 billion (9%), and corporations with $16.9 billion (3.6%). One should also consider that MacKenzie Scott’s staggering $5.7 billion contributions in 2020 was a significant part of that total. As noted by The Chronicle of Philanthropy, without her gift, “individual giving would have decreased by nearly 0.8 percent.” Also, giving by corporations declined 7.3 percent from the previous year’s total.

In terms of how these contributions were distributed among charitable recipients, Giving USA identified the following ten major categories:

• Religion, $131.08 billion or 28% of the total
• Education, $71.34 billion or 15%
• Human Services, $65.14 billion or 14%
• Foundations, $58.17 billion or 12%
• Public Society Benefit, $48.00 billion or 10%
• Health, $42.12 billion or 9%
• International Affairs, $25.89 billion or 5%
• Arts, Culture and Humanities, $19.47 billion, or 4%
• Environment / Animals, $16.14 billion or 3%
• Individuals, $15.22 billion or 3%

Of the ten categories noted above, there were only two that experienced a decrease from the previous year. In current dollars, Arts, Culture and Humanities had a 7.5% drop from the 2019 totals and Health had a 3.0% decrease. However, giving to individuals experienced a 12.8 percent over 2019. Giving USA explained that “the bulk of these donations were in-kind gifts of medications to patients in need, made through the patient assistance programs of pharmaceutical companies’ operating foundations.”

There is much more detail and analysis in the full Giving USA Report, but these numbers help to once again demonstrate the generosity of Americans during a most challenging year. It should also be noted that some charities experienced shortfalls, particularly smaller groups, but the clear message is that philanthropy continues to thrive even under the most difficult circumstances.

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Video of the Week

As part of the Building Trust Video Series, we are pleased to provide a video featuring Lindsay Jones, President & CEO, National Center for Learning Disabilities (a BBB Accredited Charity) advocates for federal policies, convenes experts to discuss issues facing the field, runs online programs, and publishes research and resources to improve practices in schools. The organization advocates for local and national policy to reduce barriers and increase access for all. The organization also reports that its research seeks to ensure emerging education initiatives benefit students with learning and attention issues.

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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:

• CURE Epilepsy
• National Council on Aging
• Partners of the Americas

For most publicly-soliciting charities, three words they hope to never hear are “conflict of interest.” When donors place their trust in a charity, they expect the charity’s mission, not personal financial gain, to be the motivation for leadership decisions made by the board of directors and paid staff. In some ways, this is one of the core distinctions between a for-profit business and a not-for-profit organization. So when this expectation is violated, contributors may feel betrayed or deceived.

This is why the fifth standard in the BBB Standards for Charity Accountability calls for no transaction(s) in which any board or staff members have material conflicting interests with the charity resulting from any relationship or business affiliation. This standard is intended to cover related-party transactions ranging from significant charity purchases of goods or services, grants and donations to board-member affiliated charities and loans made to board or staff members.

This does not mean that any related party transaction results in the charity not meeting our standard. This is where a review of the individual fact circumstances becomes important as no two transactions are exactly alike. These factors include, but are not limited to, the amount of the transaction, whether the interested board member participated in the board vote on this purchase, if competitive bids were taken and whether this was a one-time or ongoing transaction.

So, what are some examples of transactions that raise red-flags of potential conflicting interests? Here are some that would raise concerns:

• A charity makes a significant financial loan to an executive staff member so he can make major renovations on his home.
• The grants approval committee of the charity’s governing board has decided that almost all of its grants will go to board member affiliated charities.
• An organization hires the same IT services firm for five years while the principal of that firm sits on the governing board.

While most charities have a board conflict of interest policy, the mere existence of such a policy does not automatically resolve problems with this standard. The BBB WGA will ask the charity what steps were taken to ensure that a related-party transaction is not a conflict. In some instances, however, the transaction may be so significant that it raises concerns with this standard even if measures are taken.

This previous point also brings to mind that even if a charity can demonstrate that a related-party transaction is not a conflict, the public perception of such insider transactions are likely to be negative. This is why some charities avoid even the appearance of a potential conflict by not transacting with any board or staff member affiliated businesses or organizations.

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Video of the Week

As part of the Building Trust Video Series, we are pleased to provide a video featuring Stacy Haller, President & CEO of BrightFocus Foundation (a BBB Accredited Charity) which works to advance research and public information in Alzheimer’s disease, age-related macular degeneration, and glaucoma. 

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Heart of Giving Podcast 

This week’s Heart of Giving Podcast features part two of an interview with Pratichi Shah, an HR strategist and thought leader and the CEO of Flourish Talent Management Solutions, a firm focused on increasing impact through talent strategy development, organizational development; and coaching for emerging leaders. She is also currently serving on the Board of Directors for the BBB Wise Giving Alliance. 

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:

• Dress for Success Worldwide
• Days for Girls International 

• Reading Is Fundamental

One of the key findings in the survey results in Give.org Special Report: Charity Impact is that people gave higher importance to long-term results, depth of programs, and the overall accomplishments and capacity of the organization. Specifically, the online survey of 2,100 adults in the United States showed that respondents are more likely to consider long-term results to be highly important (32%) than immediate results (21%); and program quality to be highly important (38%) than program volume (32%). A separate survey of 1,000 Canadian adults showed similar results but Canadians gave slightly more importance to long-term results.

This data was somewhat surprising given the increasing attention on charity impact and the perceived public impatience in addressing issues such as climate change as demonstrated in a 2020 Pew Research study. On the other hand, this shows a public recognition that quality is more important than quantity and also may be influenced by the recognized diversity of causes and problems addressed by the charitable sector, many of which are not immediately resolvable.

Another curious aspect of public views on this issue is the significant difference based on levels of giving. When asked to consider a situation where a charity must demonstrate immediate results or long-term results, people who donated more than $5,000 in 2020 were more likely to express high priority for long-term results (23%) over immediate results (11%). In contrast, respondents who did not donate in 2020 were more likely to prioritize immediate (27%) over long-term results (11%).

A previous Wise Giving Wednesday blog noted the generational differences in how “charity impact” is defined. Similarly, charities might also benefit from adapting their communications about long term or immediate results to the audience that is being addressed.

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Video of the Week

 As part of the Building Trust Video Series, we are pleased to provide a video featuring Shelly Kirkland, Chief Executive Officer, Boot Campaign, (a BBB Accredited Charity) which seeks to improve the quality of life for veterans through innovative and holistic care for TBI, PTSD, chronic pain, self-medication and insomnia. 

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Heart of Giving Podcast 

This week’s Heart of Giving Podcast features Pratichi Shah, an HR strategist and thought leader and the CEO of Flourish Talent Management Solutions, a firm focused on increasing impact through talent strategy development, organizational development; and coaching for emerging leaders. She is also currently serving on the Board of Directors for the BBB Wise Giving Alliance. 

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:

• Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep
• Humane Society of the United States 

• Every Child Ministries