Article Archives

Wise Giving Wednesday: A Look at the Future of Charity Accountability

In an earlier blog, I talked about our 15th anniversary operating under the “BBB Wise Giving Alliance” name. Looking to our work in the coming years, I thought it would be helpful to offer foresight on the theme of charity accountability. Of course, this is a topic that will involve more than one posting. One good place to start is identifying what issues in the past are likely to continue in the years to come. Here are some thoughts.

Bad Actors Won’t Disappear . The recent settlement with the FTC, all 50 states and the District of Columbia that involved dissolving two cancer charities accused of fraudulent behavior, reminds us that bad actors are a continuing challenge to charities that seek to strengthen the public’s trust. Questionable organizations will continue to plague the community in decades to come as they have in decades past. We all need to be on guard, especially since government resources are limited in terms of addressing such cases.

Transparency Will Grow in Importance . In the past few decades, we have seen a continuing growth in the availability of charity information as the IRS Form 990 has become more accessible and charity websites provide details about their activities. We believe this trend will continue and charities will be prompted to be even more transparent about their activities, goals, results, impact and achievements. The notion of a charity choosing not to disclose information, will become more unacceptable.

Information Manipulation . As charity financial information has become more accessible, we have also seen a growing challenge in identifying the accuracy and consistency of shared data. For example, we have seen differences in how charity financial information is summarized. Some follow Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) in summarizing financial data, others don’t. It is likely that such data accuracy differences will extend to other areas as well and may confuse users seeking to make informed giving decisions.

The lesson learned in the above is that there will be a continuing need for people to rely on third parties that can filter information, such as the BBB Wise Giving Alliance, in seeking to verify charity trustworthiness. We look forward to continuing to assist both donors and charities in addressing this important objective.

On a separate note, the video below includes my comments on our 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 that has not been evaluated by us and we will do our best to produce one.

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

July 17, 2020

Wise Giving Wednesday: Giving for Hurricane Matthew Relief

Hurricane Matthew was rated a Category 4 (which is defined as having winds from 133 to 155 miles per hour) as it struck Haiti and now moves on to other islands in the Caribbean and then threatens the East Coast of the United States. Unfortunately, Haiti is particularly vulnerable as it has not fully recovered from the devastating earthquake that took place in 2010 that took 200,000 lives. It’s infrastructure is already damaged and a hurricane will only make matters worse. As the Atlantic hurricane season officially ends November 30 ^th, we still have a while to go before being out of harm’s way of such devastating storms.

As a result, donors should keep the following tips in mind as well to help avoid questionable appeals for hurricane relief efforts:

Find out if the charity has an on-the-ground presence in the impacted areas . Unless the charity already has staff in the affected areas, it may be difficult to bring in new aid workers to provide assistance quickly. See if the charity’s website clearly describes what the charity can do to address immediate needs.

Find out if the charity is providing direct aid or raising money for other groups . Some charities may be raising money to pass along to relief organizations. If so, you may want to consider “avoiding the middleman” and giving directly to those that have a presence in the region. Or, at a minimum, check out the ultimate recipients of these donations to see whether they are equipped to provide aid effectively.

Gifts of clothing, food or other in-kind donations . In-kind drives for food and clothing, while well intentioned, may not necessarily be the quickest way to help those in need – unless the organization has the staff and infrastructure to distribute such aid properly. Ask the charity about its transportation and distribution plans. Be wary of those who are not experienced in disaster relief assistance.

Understand crowdfunding . While this method of assisting individuals in need is popular, keep in mind that some crowdfunding sites dovery little vetting of individuals who decide to post for assistance after a disaster, and it is often difficult for donors to verifytrustworthiness of crowdfunding requests for support.

On a separate note, as part of our Building Trust Video Series we are pleased to provide a video that features Lindsey Groff, Executive Director, Barth Syndrome Foundation, a BBB Accredited Charity, which seeks to expand, curate and disseminate scientific and medical information about Barth syndrome which is a genetic disorder that impacts various body systems including the heart and muscles.

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

July 17, 2020

Wise Giving Wednesday: Serving on Too Many Governing Boards

Charities, especially at the regional level, often seek to engage community leaders, such as prominent business executives, by inviting them to join their board of directors. While this makes sense in terms of making helpful connections and getting input from successful individuals, organizations need to be aware that in some cases, the popularity of certain individuals may lead to instances of over commitments. A community leader may be serving on too many boards (both charity and for-profit) at the same time. This point came up in a presentation on board governance made on October 17 ^th by Michael Peregrine at the annual meeting of the National Association of State Charity Officials, an organization of state government regulators of charities which is also sponsored by the National Association of Attorneys General.

Mr. Perregrine, a partner at the law firm of McDermott Will & Emery, referred to this phenomenon as “charity overboarding” and noted that at some point a board member’s effectiveness is diminished by serving on too many governing boards. Board participation involves time commitments in terms of preparing for and attending governance meetings and other activities in fulfilling an oversight role.

As noted in the BBB Standards for Charity Accountability , a charity’s board of directors should provide adequate oversight of the charity’s operations and staff by fulfilling certain fundamental responsibilities (for example, budget approval, oversight of fundraising activities, etc.) and should have a majority of board members in attendance at meetings. A board member who serves on too many governing boards may have difficulty in meeting these responsibilities.

On a separate note, as part of our Building Trust Video Series we are pleased to provide a video that features an interview with Jaime Berman Matyas, President and Chief Executive Officer , Student Conservation Association, (a BBB Accredited Charity). They have been involved in building the next generation of conservation leaders and encouraging environmental stewardship since 1957.

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

July 17, 2020

Wise Giving Wednesday: Recurring Problems in 2018 BBB Charity Evaluations

As we are making holiday giving decisions and the year is drawing to a close, this edition of Wise Giving Wednesday takes a look back at some of the recurring problems we have seen in our evaluations of nationally-soliciting charitable organizations. While each charity presents a different set of fact circumstances, there are some issues that appear to come up more often. By bringing these to your attention, we hope to alert you to look more carefully at some appeals to ensure that they are providing an accurate picture of the organization’s situation.

Matching gifts should match. Matching gift appeals are quite common these days, especially towards the end of the year when organizations are competing with many other charities for support. The attraction is the promise that generous donor(s) have pledged to make a gift to the charity if the organization is able to raise an equivalent amount by some specified deadline. While the majority of matching gift appeals are accurate, BBB Wise Giving Alliance has found instances where the referenced amount is not a true match since it was already in the charity’s possession and was not restricted by donors for the purpose of matching.

Inaccurate promises of “doubling impact.” With the growing public interest in identifying charity results or impact, we have also seen instances where this language is used in an exaggerated way that can mislead donors. For example, we have seen appeals where an organization claims that donors can “double” or “triple” their impact by making a cash gift that can help deliver in-kind goods (such as food, medicines, or clothing) that an organization received from other sources. When asked by BBB Wise Giving Alliance, the subject charities are unable to substantiate the math of how impact is increased since they are just following through on a distribution of an existing gift.

Watch out for vague cause-related marketing announcements. BBB Charity Standard 19 calls for certain disclosures to take place in cause-related marketing promotions. Specifically, the promotion should identify the actual or anticipated portion of the purchase price that will benefit the specified charity. Sometimes, however, such campaigns use vague language such as “a portion of the proceeds” or “all profits to go” to the announced group. As a result, a consumer will be unable to know how much of their purchase will help the charity and/or may assume more is going to the organization than is actually the case.

Be wary of 100% claims in appeals. If you see a charity appeal that makes a 100% claim such as “all of the donation will be spent on program services.” Look more carefully at the solicitation to see if there is an explanation of how this is accomplished. (For example, generous donors or board members have made a donation to pay for charity overhead.) All charities have fundraising and administrative expenses. Even if your donation is not being used to cover these costs, these overhead expenses are still being incurred and the charity will need to pay for these activities. If there is no explanation on how the 100% promise is accomplished, ask the charity for clarification.

Video of the Week

If you have not already seen it, please take a moment to view our video that features interviews with BBB WGA staff members discussing donor misconceptions featured in the Give.org Donor Trust Report.

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://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

July 17, 2020

Wise Giving Wednesday: Deducting a Fundraising-Related Purchase

In addition to helping a good cause, one of the motivations for purchasing a ticket to a fundraising event in the U.S. is the ability to get an income tax deduction for the purchase. Donors need to keep in mind, however, that this does not mean one can claim the full purchase amount as a charity gift. IRS rules indicate that only a portion of the purchase, above the fair-market value of the ticket, would be deductible as a charitable donation.

For example, a charity is selling tickets to a charity benefit performance by a traveling musical production based on a Broadway show. The tickets would normally sell for $100 each but are being sold at $250 each for this charity event. In this case, only $150 of the purchase would be deductible. $250 purchase price ─ $100 fair market value = $150 deductibility result.

This same rule holds whether the event is a performance, golf tournament or fundraising dinner. The deductible portion is not based on how much it cost the charity per ticket to put on the event, but the market value of the benefit received by the donor/purchaser.

In addition, if the sale is more than $75, charities are required by law to include a disclosure statement in the written acknowledgement of the purchase that identifies the fair-market value of the item the donor received.

Also, the IRs indicates that “you can’t deduct as a charitable contribution amounts you pay to buy raffle or lottery tickets or to play bingo or other games of chance.”

For more information on the deductibility of such purchases, visit IRS Publication 56, Charitable Contributions and/or the following AICPA publication, Compliance Issues for Fundraising Organizations. In addition, IRS Publication 1771 includes helpful information on required charity disclosures.

Of course, we encourage all donors to learn more about the charity before participating and verify if they meet the 20 BBB Standards for Charity Accountability by reviewing the reports available on Give.org.

Video of the Week

As part of our Building Trust Video Series, we are pleased to provide a video featuring Christy Delafield, Senior Global Communications Officer, Mercy Corps, (a BBB Accredited Charity) which provides assistance to individuals and families in over 40 countries. When humanitarian disasters strike, the organization provides emergency relief, including food, water, shelter and other critical supplies. MC also helps communities move beyond the crisis and build better lives by helping them grow more food, earn higher incomes and advocate for their own needs. The organization makes small loans to help people start their own businesses; helps farmers grow better crops; and ensures that children have food, medical care and the opportunity to go to school.

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 /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

July 17, 2020

BBB Offers Ten Giving Tips for Orlando Tragedy

Arlington, VA – In the wake of the largest mass shooting in U.S. history, the BBB Serving Central Florida and the BBB Wise Giving Alliance, the national charity monitoring arm of the Better Business Bureau, caution donors about potential red flags in fund raising to help Orlando victims and their families, and to be aware of the different circumstances that often emerge in tragedy-related philanthropy.

“Tragedy inspires people to give, and this terrible tragedy is drawing incredible response already from people all around the world” said H. Art Taylor, President & CEO, BBB Wise Giving Alliance “The best way to help the victims, their families, and the people of Orlando is to make sure that donations end up where they belong. We are already hearing about click-bait schemes and questionable solicitations, and we expect there will be numerous scams and frauds. We urge those generous donors to give wisely so their gifts can do the most good.”

Holly Salmons, President & CEO of the Better Business Bureau Serving Central Florida, notes that “The world has rushed to support the City Beautiful and the victims on this heinous crime. We encourage those who want to show their support through donations to do so with caution. Scammers depend on heightened emotion and often follow closely behind tragic events.”

BBB Wise Giving Alliance urges donors to give thoughtfully and avoid those seeking to take advantage of the generosity of others. Here are “Ten Tips for Giving with Confidence” –

1. Thoughtful Giving

Take the time to check out the charity 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. Government Registration

About 40 of the 50 states in the U.S. require charities to register with a state government agency (usually a division of the State Attorney General’s office) before they solicit for charitable gifts (in Canada, charities register with the Canada Revenue Agency.) If the charity is not registered, that may be a significant red flag.

3. Respecting Victims and Their Families

Organizations raising funds should get permission from the families to use either the names of the victims and/or any photographs of them. Some charities raising funds for the Colorado movie theater victims did not do this and were the subject of criticism from victims’ families.

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 funeral costs, counseling, and other tragedy-related needs.)

6. Advocacy Organizations

Tragedies that involve violent acts with firearms can also generate requests from a variety of advocacy organizations that address gun use. Donors can support these efforts as well but note that some of these advocacy groups are not tax exempt as charities. Also, watch out for newly created advocacy groups that will be difficult to check out.

7. Online Cautions

Never click on links to charities on unfamiliar websites or in texts or emails. These may take you to a lookalike website where you will be asked to provide personal financial information or to click on something that downloads harmful malware into your computer. Don’t assume that charity recommendations on Facebook, blogs or other social media have already been vetted.

8. Financial Transparency

After funds are raised for a tragedy, it is even more important 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 the audited financial statements are available sometime in the future.

9. Newly Created or Established Organizations

This is a personal giving choice, but an established charity will more likely have the experience to quickly address the circumstances and have a track record that can be evaluated. A newly formed organization may be well-meaning but will be difficult to check out and may not be well managed.

10. Tax Deductibility

Not all organizations collecting funds to assist this tragedy are tax exempt as charities under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code in the U.S. (the equivalent in Canada are charities registered with the Canada Revenue Agency). Donors can support these other entities but keep this in mind if they want to take a deduction for income tax purposes. In addition, contributions that are donor-restricted to help a specific individual/family are not deductible in the U.S. as charitable donations, even if the recipient organization is a charity.

ABOUT BBB WISE GIVING ALLIANCE
BBB Wise Giving Alliance (BBB WGA) is a standards-based charity evaluator that seeks to verify the trustworthiness of nationally-soliciting charities by completing rigorous evaluations based on 20 holistic standards that address charity governance, effectiveness reporting, finances, fundraising, appeal accuracy, and other issues. National charity reports are produced by the BBB WGA and local charity reports are produced by local Better Business Bureaus – all reports are available at Give.org

ABOUT BBB
For more than 100 years, Better Business Bureau has been helping people find businesses, brands and charities they can trust. In 2015, people turned to BBB more than 172 million times for BBB Business Reviews on more than 5.3 million businesses and Charity Reports on 11,000 charities, all available for free at bbb.org.

July 17, 2020

Wise Giving Wednesday: Charities and Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Breast Cancer Awareness Month which takes place each October brings the public’s attention to this important cause. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control reports that there are about 250,000 new cases of breast cancer reported each year. This Awareness Month also helps raise significant contributions for many charities that are addressing this issue in a variety of ways such as medical research, treatment assistance and prevention education. As such, it is helpful to keep in mind that the name of the charity addressing breast cancer might not always reveal the activities that it conducts.

Many Charities Address This Cause. There are over 1,000 U.S. charitable organizations that include the words “breast cancer” as part of their name. This is all the more reason to look carefully to make sure the charity you are considering is the one you have in mind. Review the appeal and website of the organization carefully to gain a better understanding of what they do. While many of us only consider donating to charities that request our support, be aware there are numerous other potential choices for those willing to look further.

Celebrity Appeal. In some instances, famous celebrities help bring attention to specific breast cancer organizations. While well known-personalities can reach and teach us about the importance of this issue, it is still up to donors to ensure that their contributions will be used wisely. While the generous time celebrities provide helps demonstrate their good intent, it is the charity itself that needs to gain your trust.

Seeing Pink. While the pink ribbon is the symbol for breast cancer awareness, its appearance on a product does not necessarily mean that buying it will help a charity, unless it specifies that is the case. So look at the label carefully. Certain stylized versions of the pink ribbon are trademarked by specific breast cancer charities, but a generic pink ribbon image does not guarantee that you are helping the cause through the purchase.

Cause Marketing Promotions. To meet BBB Charity Standard 19, promotions that claim a purchase will help a charity should include a specific disclosure that identifies the actual or anticipated amount of the purchase that will benefit the charity. For example, 5 cents for every can of soup up to $100,000. If applicable the disclosure should also indicate the duration of the campaign and any maximum or guaranteed minimum donation amount. A complete disclosure might say, “8 cents for every sweater sold in the month of October will help XYZ Breast Cancer Charity up to a maximum of $25,000.” Watch out for vague language that state “a portion of proceeds” will help breast cancer charities.

BBB Wise Giving Alliance encourages donors to support these groups but also remember to visit Give.org to verify if they meet the 20 BBB Standards for Charity Accountability. If you don’t see a report on a group that interests you, complete our inquiry form so we can identify charities that can be the subject of an evaluation.

Video of the Week

As part of our Building Trust Video series, we are pleased to provide a video that features Lynda Houk, Executive Director, Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer (a BBB Accredited Charity evaluated by the Better Business Bureau serving Northern Indiana.) This organization raises funds for the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer Research Laboratories at the Indiana University Bren Simon Cancer Center in Indianapolis, Indiana.

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

July 17, 2020

GiveSafely.io Launches as a Secure Trust-Based Donation Platform for Leading Charities to Incentivize and Interact with New Donors

BBB Wise Giving Alliance’s new donation platform, GiveSafely.io, uses blockchain technology to enable donors to secure their data, contribute to BBB Accredited Charities and receive rewards via charity experiences.

80.5% of BBB Accredited charities anticipate that their 2020 revenue will be lower than expected and are searching for new ways to engage Millennials and Generation Z donors
Only 19% of people highly trust charities according to a Donor Trust Report produced by BBB Wise Giving Alliance
GiveSafely.io lists only BBB Accredited Charities and ensures donor data is only passed on with their permission. Sharing this data is rewarded with TrustTokens
All personal donor data is secured by the Ardor blockchain. Donations and donor data flow directly to the intended charities. GiveSafely.io has no access to donations, donor data and will receive no transaction fees.
GiveSafely.io’s rewards tie younger donors to charities’ missions in fun relatable ways as a first step of a deeper relationship
Initial participants on the GiveSafely.io launch are: Save the Children, Easterseals, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, Population Media Center, RedRover, Wild Animal Sanctuary and World Emergency Relief. All of these are nationally-soliciting charities that meet the 20 BBB Standards for Charitable Accountability

Arlington, VA (July 4, 2020) – Donation platform GiveSafely.io has launched today with notable BBB Wise Giving Alliance’s (BBB WGA) accredited charities including: Save the Children, Easterseals, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, Population Media Center, RedRover, Wild Animal Sanctuary and World Emergency Relief. The platform aims to provide a safe and transparent space connecting the donors with charities ensuring any personal information is secured by the Ardor blockchain. Donors who agree to share their information with charities, are rewarded with TrustTokens.

GiveSafely.io has been launched with the aim of reaching out to younger and more technologically proficient donors who are less likely to make donations compared to older or less technologically savvy ones. This is despite the fact that both Generation Z and Millennials indicated a higher willingness to be approached by charities to give (19% and 23%, respectively) compared to 11% for the general population. GiveSafely.io plans to engage these donors on terms more accustomed to them. The platform also aims to restore trust in the online donation model, address concerns people have about misuse of their personal data and potential hacks. All personal information is stored on the Ardor blockchain and is only accessible to charities with donor permission.

Art Taylor, President & CEO, BBB Wise Giving Alliance, notes “This platform will provide new forms of engagement with Millennials and Generation Z which we believe are critical audiences for the future growth of philanthropy. Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, charities were facing a wide variety of challenges in how their traditional fundraising model operated, we believe this new donation platform will help strengthen donor trust in charities while also providing a bridge to younger donors seeking new forms of engagement.”

“We are living through a period of unprecedented technological change and disruption,” states Ettore Rossetti, Senior Advisor, Digital, Marketing and Fundraising, Save the Children, “this is having far reaching impact on how traditional industries operate including nonprofit organizations. For charities to thrive in these increasingly uncertain times, they should look to embrace new technologies when trying to reach new, potential donors. Test, learn, innovate.”

In addition to strengthening trust in the online donation model, the TrustTokens people are rewarded with can be redeemed for gifts and online experiences that combine a human element with a connection to the charity’s mission. These 15-20 minute experiences include offers like healthy cooking tips and a discussion of what it’s like to work at the selected charity, and other conversations that connect them to the charity’s mission. GiveSafely.io also enables cryptocurrency users to make donations directly to charities, responding to a recent finding that 25% of wealthy Millennials hold or use digital currencies and 31% have expressed an interest in using it (Edelman Report, Millennials with Money).

About GiveSafely.io: GiveSafely.io is a program of BBB Wise Giving Alliance (BBB WGA). It aims to protect donors’ personal data when interacting with accredited charities. As a platform GiveSafely.io seeks to enhance trust in the online donation model and ensure personal data is only passed on to charities with the donors’ consent. Data passed on is rewarded with TrustTokens. BBB WGA accredited charities involved with GiveSafely.io include: Save the Children, Easterseals, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, Population Media Center, RedRover, Wild Animal Sanctuary and World Emergency Relief.

About BBB WGA: BBB Wise Giving Alliance (BBB WGA) is a standards-based charity evaluator that seeks to verify the trustworthiness of nationally-soliciting charities by completing rigorous evaluations based on 20 holistic standards that address charity governance, results reporting, finances, fundraising, appeal accuracy and other issues. National charity reports are produced by the BBB WGA and local charity reports are produced by local Better Business Bureaus – all reports are available at Give.org. GiveSafely.io is a program of BBB WGA.

July 17, 2020

Wise Giving Wednesday: Contributing to Charities Addressing Coronavirus

When a natural disaster or tragedy occurs, generous donors are quick to assist charities that are providing help. It is not surprising to see this same desire emerge as authorities seek to contain the spread of Coronavirus that began in Wuhan, China and has tragically resulted in over 1,000 deaths to date.

One of the first needs identified in China was the availability of face masks and other protective medical gear which quickly sold out both in retail stores and online. Inventories of face masks in other countries were also running low as individuals sought to ship these items to family members in China. A number of the American charities listed below are focused on helping to obtain and mail these needed medical supplies to China. Unfortunately, scammers have also taken advantage of these shortages. (See BBB Scam Alert on face mask cons.)

In addition, on February 5, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced that it will “immediately provide up to $100 million for the global response to the 2019 novel coronavirus.” Among other things, these funds will seek to improve detection, isolation and treatment efforts and accelerate the development of vaccines, drugs and diagnostics.

To help contributors make their own wise giving decisions to charities addressing the coronavirus outbreak, BBB Wise Giving Alliance suggests that donors keep the following tips in mind:

It is best to consider experienced relief organizations. New charities may have the best of intentions, but may face great challenges in fulfilling promises in another country.
Verify the trustworthiness of soliciting relief organizations by visiting Give.org to access free reports that specify if the charity meets the 20 BBB Standards for Charity Accountability.
See if the charity has existing connections to be able to deliver aid to impacted areas. Without well-established connections, it may be difficult to provide assistance quickly and effectively.
Some charities may be raising money to pass along to other relief organizations. If so, you may want to consider “avoiding the middleman” and give directly to charities that either have a presence in the region or an established connection.
See if the charity’s appeal clearly describes the intended use of funds. Watch out for vague solicitations that promise assistance to those in need but don’t explain how it will be carried out.
Understand crowdfunding. While there are resources like Give.org to help vet charities, it can be difficult to vet individuals. If you decide to contribute to an individual via crowdfunding, it is safest to give to people you personally know. Also, if a charity is raising money using a crowdfunding posting, see the advice noted above. Be particularly cautious of hazy requests that are not clear about the nature of support that will be provided. Also review the sites instructions to find out about any fees, how quickly funds will be disbursed and other matters of potential importance.

The American Red Cross (a BBB Accredited Charity) issued a statement on February 11^th indicating that it is currently supporting government agencies and state officials to assist evacuees returning to the U.S. from China. When requested, its role is to provide blankets, comfort kits, snacks, stuffed animals and other support items for those who have been quarantined at government facilities. The American Red Cross notes it will continue to work with U.S. officials to determine what additional support may be needed in the coming days and weeks.

The following is a list of other BBB Accredited Charities (i.e., organizations that meet the 20 BBB Standards for Charity Accountability) that announce (on their websites) their activities to address coronavirus. This list will be updated as additional relief efforts come to BBB’s Give.org’s attention.

Americares Foundation

Brother’s Brother Foundation

Direct Relief

GlobalGiving

Heart to Heart International

Project HOPE

Save the Children

United Methodist Committee on Relief

World Vision

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.

Video of the Week

As part of our Building Trust Video Series, we are pleased to provide a video featuring Cyndi Zagieboylo, President and CEO, of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (a BBB Accredited Charity) which funds research into the causes, treatments, and a cure of MS. The organization also provides education and support to people with MS, their families and caregivers; provides education and training for healthcare professionals who treat people living with MS; and provides direct financial assistance to people living with multiple sclerosis.

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

July 17, 2020

Wise Giving Wednesday: Earth Day & Philanthropy

Friday, April 22 ^nd is the 46 ^th Earth Day event which started in 1970. This environmental-focused movement has grown considerably over the years from gatherings at colleges, universities and schools in the U.S. to a global activity that, according to Earth Day Network, involves “…over one billion people in 192 countries… making it the largest civic observance in the world.” In part, what makes this Earth Day special is that the Paris Agreement will be signed that day, which seeks to lower greenhouse gas emissions and is intended to be an important step in addressing global warming. Over 100 countries are expected to sign this agreement.

According to Giving USA of the $358.38 billion Americans who contributed to charity in 2014, organizations addressing environmental/animal issues comprised $10.5 billion, which represented a 5.3 percent increase over the previous year when adjusted for inflation. In turn, the number of environmental organizations has grown over time as well. According to data accessible at the Center for Nonprofits and Philanthropy at the Urban Institute there are over 35,000 environmental organizations in the U.S. in 2016 which represents a 59% growth over the total number of such groups that existed in 1996.

As our attention and sympathy is drawn to environmental issues this Earth Day, we encourage donors to also verify the trustworthiness of environmental/animal groups by identifying which organizations meet the 20 BBB Standards for Charity Accountability . For your easy reference, here is a list of such organizations.

African Wildlife Foundation	Alaska Conservation Foundation
Amazon Conservation Team	Appalachian Trail Conservancy
Arbor Day Foundation	Center for Watershed Protection
Chesapeake Bay Foundation	Civil War Preservation Trust
Conservation Fund	Defenders of Wildlife
Ducks Unlimited	EarthJustice
EarthShare	Earthworks
Food and Water Watch	Friends of the Earth
Friends of Trees	Galapagos Conservancy
Grand Canyon Trust	Greenpeace Fund
International Rivers	Jane Goodall Institute
Jewish National Fund	Land Trust Alliance
National Environmental Education and Training Foundation	National Park Trust
Natural Resources Defense Council	Nature Conservancy
Ocean Conservancy	Oceana
Pacific Crest Trail Association	Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
Rainforest Action Network	Rainforest Alliance
Save the Redwoods League	Sierra Club Foundation
Student Conservation Association	Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership
Trees, Water and People	Union of Concerned Scientists
Waterkeeper Alliance	Wilderness Society
World Resources Institute	World Wildlife Fund
Yellowstone Park Foundation	Yosemite Conservancy

On a related note, as part of our Building Trust Video Series we are pleased to provide a video featuring Keith Laughlin, President of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (a BBB Accredited Charity) which is celebrating its 30 ^th anniversary this year. This organization partners with communities to transform unused railroad corridors into multi-use trails that protect landscapes, revitalize local economies and give Americans the opportunity to lead healthy, active lives.

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

July 17, 2020

Format: Article

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