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.

Adventist Development and Relief Agency International, formerly known as SAWS, 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, Md. 20904; http://www.adra.org. Meets all standards.

African Team Ministries, P.O. Box 115, Sierra Madre, Calif. 91025; http://www.africanteamministries.org. As of February 2007, the organization had not provided current information about its finances, programs, and governance. The alliance is unable to determine if African Team Ministries meets the standards.

Asian Relief, also known as World Villages for Children, 6411 Ivy Lane, Suite 204, Greenbelt, Md. 20770; http://www.worldvillages.org. As of February 2007, the organization had not provided current information about its finances, programs, and governance. The alliance is unable to determine if Asian Relief meets the standards.

Celebrity Foundation for Children, also known as Celebrity Ranch, P.O. Box 12709, Newport Beach, Calif. 92658; http://www.celebrityfoundation.com. Does not meet the standards calling for a charitable organization to: (1) have a board of directors that provides adequate oversight of the charity’s operations and staff; (2) have a board of directors with at least five voting members; (3) 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; (4) 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; (5) 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; (6) accurately report expenses in financial statements; (7) have a board-approved annual budget for its current fiscal year that outlines expenses for major program activities, fund raising, and administration; (8) have an accessible annual report that includes a mission statement; program accomplishments; a roster of officers and members of the board of directors; and financial information such as net assets, income, and expenses; (9) 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; and (10) 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 February 2007, the organization had not provided complete information about its solicitation materials. Therefore, the alliance is unable to determine if the Celebrity Foundation for Children meets one additional standard.

Christian Foundation for Children and Aging, 1 Elmwood Avenue, Kansas City, Kan. 66103; http://www.cfcausa.org. Meets all standards.

Compassion International, 12290 Voyager Parkway, Colorado Springs, Colo. 80921; http://www.compassion.com. Meets all standards.

Environmental Defense, formerly known as the Environmental Defense Fund, 257 Park Avenue South, New York, N.Y. 10010; http://www.environmentaldefense.org. Meets all standards.

Foundation for Children in Need, 1417 East Miner Street, Arlington Heights, Ill. 60004; http://www.fcnindia.org. Does not meet the standards calling for a charitable organization to: (1) 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; (2) 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; (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, fund-raising, and administrative activities; (4) have a board-approved annual budget for its current fiscal year that outlines expenses for major program activities, fund raising, and administration; and (5) have an accessible annual report that includes program expenses.

International Children’s Fund, P.O. Box 583, Neenah, Wis. 54957; http://www.icfaid.com. As of January 2007, the organization had not provided current information about its finances, programs, and governance. The alliance is unable to determine if International Children’s Fund meets the standards.

King Hussein Foundation, 187 Chain Bridge Road, McLean, Va. 22101; http://www.kinghusseinfoundation.com. As of January 2007, the organization had not provided current information about its finances, programs, and governance. The alliance is unable to determine if the King Hussein Foundation meets the standards.

Multiple Sclerosis Association of America, 706 Haddonfield Road, Cherry Hill, N.J. 08002; http://www.msaa.com. Does not meet the standards calling for a charitable organization to: (1) spend at least 65 percent of its expenses on program activities; (2) have an accessible annual report that includes a roster of officers and members of the board of directors; and (3) take action to allow donors opportunities to have their names removed from solicitation lists. As of January 2007, the organization had not provided complete information about its effectiveness measures. Therefore, the alliance is unable to determine if the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America meets one additional standard.

National Parks Conservation Association, 1300 19th Street, N.W., Suite 300, Washington, D.C. 20036; http://www.npca.org. Does not meet the standard calling for a charitable organization to clearly disclose how the charity benefits from the sale of products or services that state or imply that a charity will benefit from a consumer’s purchase or business transaction.

United Cerebral Palsy Associations, 1660 L Street, N.W., Suite 700, Washington, D.C. 20036; http://www.ucp.org. Meets all standards.

Youth Development Fund, also known as A Child’s Dream, 8 Canberra Drive, Knoxville, Tenn. 37923; http://www.youthdevelopmentfund.org. Does not meet the standards calling for a charitable organization to: (1) have a board of directors with at least five voting members; (2) 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; (3) spend at least 65 percent of its expenses on program activities; (4) spend no more than 35 percent of contributions on fund raising; and (5) have an accessible annual report that includes a mission statement; a roster of officers and members of the board of directors; and financial information such as net assets and income. As of February 2007, the organization had not provided complete information about its donor privacy, effectiveness measures, finances, fund-raising disclosures, governance, and solicitation materials. Therefore, the alliance is unable to determine if the Youth Development Fund meets nine additional standards.