Outreach is an important part of our work at the BBB Wise Giving Alliance (BBB WGA). We participate in a variety of outside conferences, meetings and advisory committees to help spread the word about our donor education activities and encourage organizations to meet the 20 BBB Standards for Charity Accountability .  On September 15 ^th, I attended the Idaho Statewide Nonprofit Conference held at Boise State University and made a presentation about how we carry out our charity reporting activities.  On September 24 ^th, I was a keynote speaker at a Charity Symposium held by the Better Business Bureau in Charlotte, North Carolina.  My remarks included comments about the Overhead Myth campaign which seeks to encourage donors not to solely focus on finances when assessing a charity.  And, in this coming week, I have two presentations.  On October 5 ^th, I will be speaking about emerging trends in disaster fundraising at the Washington DC annual meeting of the National Association of State Charity Officials (NASCO) which is held in conjunction with the National Association of Attorneys General. Following that, I am off to Phoenix, Arizona to be part of a panel discussion about overhead issues being held at the 2015 United Way Financial and Talent Management Forum.   

These interactions with both charitable organizations, government regulators and others help us educate the community about the nature of our work but also help us learn how to better serve donors by being informed about the latest accountability issues. 

On a separate note, as part of our Building Trust Video Series we are pleased to provide a video that features Wayne Pacelle, President & CEO of The Humane Society of the United States (a BBB Accredited Charity).  This organization works to protect animals through advocacy, direct care, education, investigation, litigation, field work, emergency response services, and public policy initiatives. 

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

• Alternative Gifts International
• Muscular Dystrophy Association
• Special Operations Warrior Foundation  

Finally, remember to let us know by going to  https://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