Watchdog Watch

Following are summaries of recent reports by the BBB Wise Giving Alliance. This private group reports on whether charities meet standards for fund raising, governance, financial management, and public information. The alliance does not approve or disapprove of charities, and urges potential donors to evaluate the importance of variations from the standards. It also notes that charities’ practices may change at any time. For organizations that do not meet the standards, information is given only on those standards that are not met. Those organizations meet all the other standards.

Copies of the full reports are available from the Wise Giving Alliance, 4200 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, Va. 22203; http://give.org.

Action Against Hunger, 247 West 37 Street, Suite 1201, New York, N.Y. 10018; http://www.aah-usa.org. Meets all standards.

Action on Smoking and Health, 2013 H Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20006; http://www.ash.org. As of August 2006, the organization had not provided current information about its finances, programs, and governance. The alliance is unable to determine if Action on Smoking and Health meets the standards.

Africare, 440 R Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001-1935; http://www.africare.org. Does not meet the standard calling for a charitable organization to have a minimum of three evenly spaced meetings per year of the full governing body, with the majority of board members attending each meeting in person.

Alliance for Marriage, P.O. Box 2490, Merrifield, Va. 22116; http://www.allianceformarriage.org. As of July 2006, the organization had not provided current information about its finances, programs, and governance. The alliance is unable to determine if the Alliance for Marriage meets the standards.

American Kidney Fund, 6110 Executive Boulevard, Suite 1010, Rockville, Md. 20852; http://www.kidneyfund.org. Meets all standards.

Angel Food Ministries, 1620 South Broad Street, Monroe, Ga. 30655; http://www.angelfoodministries.com. As of July 2006, the organization had not provided current information about its finances, programs, and governance. The alliance is unable to determine if Angel Food Ministries meets the standards.

B’nai B’rith International, also known as B’nai B’rith Foundation of the United States, 2020 K Street, N.W., Seventh Floor, Washington, D.C. 20006; http://www.bnaibrith.org. Meets all standards.

Children International, also known as Holy Land Christian Mission, 2000 East Red Bridge Road, Kansas City, Mo. 64131-3610; http://www.children.org. Meets all standards.

Concerned Women for America, 1015 15th Street, N.W., Suite 1100, Washington, D.C. 20005; http://www.cwfa.org. As of August 2006, the organization had not provided current information about its finances, programs, and governance. The alliance is unable to determine if Concerned Women for America meets the standards.

The Conservation Fund, 1655 North Fort Myer Drive, Suite 1300, Arlington, Va. 22209; http://www.conservationfund.org. Does not meet the standards calling for a charitable organization to: (1) have no more than one compensated person, or 10 percent of the board, whichever is greater, serving as a voting member of the board, and for compensated members not to serve as the board’s chair or treasurer; (2) submit to its governing body for approval a written report outlining the results of a performance and effectiveness assessment and recommendations for future actions; (3) include in its financial statement a breakdown of expenses (such as salaries, travel, and postage) that shows what portion of those expenses is dedicated to program activities; (4) have a board-approved annual budget for its current fiscal year that outlines expenses for major program activities; and (5) have an accessible annual report that includes the total amount spent for each of its major program activities.

Feminist Majority Foundation, 433 South Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills, Calif. 90212; http://www.feminist.org. As of August 2006, the organization had not provided current information about its finances, programs, and governance. The alliance is unable to determine if the Feminist Majority Foundation meets the standards.

Focus on the Family, 8605 Explorer Drive, Colorado Springs, Colo. 80920; http://www.family.org. Does not meet the standards calling for a charitable organization to include in its financial statement a breakdown of expenses (such as salaries, travel, and postage) that shows what portion of those expenses is dedicated to program, fund-raising, and administrative activities; and to take action to ensure that privacy concerns of donors are respected in the collection, dissemination, and securing of personal information, and allow donors opportunities to have their names removed from solicitation lists. As of August 2006, the organization had not provided complete information about its finances, effectiveness measures, governance, and solicitation materials. Therefore, the alliance is unable to determine if Focus on the Family meets 12 additional standards.

The Foundation for AIDS Research, formerly known as the American Foundation for AIDS Research, 120 Wall Street, 13th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10005; http://www.amfar.org. Meets all standards.

International Planned Parenthood Federation, Western Hemisphere Region, 120 Wall Street, Ninth Floor, New York, N.Y. 10005; http://www.ippfwhr.org. Does not meet the standards calling for a charitable organization to: (1) have a board policy for assessing, at least every two years, the organization’s performance and effectiveness and for determining actions to achieve its mission; (2) submit to its governing body for approval a written report outlining the results of a performance and effectiveness assessment and recommendations for future actions; and (3) include on Web sites that solicit contributions the same information recommended for annual reports, as well as the mailing address of the charity and electronic access to its most recent IRS Form 990.

Lymphoma Research Foundation, formerly known as Cure for Lymphoma, 111 Broadway, 19th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10006 ; http://www.lymphoma.org. Does not meet the standards calling for a charitable organization to: (1) have a board policy for assessing, at least every two years, the organization’s performance and effectiveness and for determining actions to achieve its mission; (2) submit to its governing body for approval a written report outlining the results of a performance and effectiveness assessment and recommendations for future actions; and (3) include on Web sites that solicit contributions the same information recommended for annual reports, as well as the mailing address of the charity and electronic access to its most recent IRS Form 990.

Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, James Forrestal Campus, P.O. Box 3008, Princeton, N.J. 08543; http://www.marine-scholars.org. As of August 2006, the organization had not provided current information about its finances, programs, and governance. The alliance is unable to determine if the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation meets the standards.

National Humane Society, 40 East Main Street, Suite 364, Newark, Del. 19711; http://www.humanesocietynational.org. As of August 2006, the organization had not provided current information about its finances, programs, and governance. The alliance is unable to determine if the National Humane Society meets the standards.

NGA, also known as New Clothes for New Tomorrows, 822 Veterans Way, Warminster, Pa. 18974; http://www.nga-inc.org. Meets all standards.

Witness for Peace, 3628 12th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20017; http://www.witnessforpeace.org. Meets all standards.

World Emergency Relief, also known as Children’s Food Fund, 2270 Camino Vida Roble, Suite K, Carlsbad, Calif. 92011; http://www.worldemergencyrelief.org. Meets all standards.

Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization, 212 West Van Buren Street, Suite 1000, Chicago, Ill. 60607; http://www.y-me.org. Meets all standards.