January 8, 2004 | Read Time: 6 minutes
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.
In March 2003, the BBB Wise Giving Alliance revised its standards (The Chronicle, March 20). Some of the reports summarized below were produced under the new standards, while others were based on the old standards.
Copies of the full reports are available from the Council of Better Business Bureaus, Wise Giving Alliance, 4200 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, Va. 22203; http://www.give.org.
America’s Athletes with Disabilities, formerly known as United States Organization for Disabled Athletes, 8630 Fenton Street, Silver Spring, Md. 20910; http://www.americasathletes.org. As of November 2003, the organization had not provided current information about its finances, programs, and governance. The alliance is unable to determine if America’s Athletes with Disabilities meets the standards.
American Foundation for AIDS Research, also known as AIDS Research Foundation and amfAR, 120 Wall Street, 13th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10005-3902; http://www.amfar.org. Meets all standards.
American Kidney Fund, 6110 Executive Boulevard, Suite 1010, Rockville, Md. 20852; http://www.kidneyfund.org. Meets all standards.
Asian Relief, also known as World Villages for Children, 6411 Ivy Lane, Suite 204, Greenbelt, Md. 20770; http://www.worldvillages.org. As of November 2003, 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.
Catholic Medical Mission Board, 10 West 17th Street, New York, N.Y. 10011; http://www.cmmb.org. Does not meet the standard calling for a charitable organization to have an accessible annual report that includes financial information such as net assets.
Centre for Development and Population Activities, also known as CEDPA, 1400 16th Street, N.W., Suite 100, Washington, D.C. 20036; http://www.cedpa.org. Meets all standards.
Huntington’s Disease Society of America, 158 West 29th Street, Seventh Floor, New York, N.Y. 10001-5300; http://www.hdsa.org. Does not meet the standards calling for a charitable organization to have a board of directors that provides adequate oversight of the charity’s operations and staff; and to have a board- approved annual budget for its current fiscal year that outlines expenses for major program activities, fund raising, and administration. As of November 2003, the organization had not provided complete information about its finances. Therefore, the alliance is unable to determine if Huntington’s Disease Society of America meets one additional standard.
Locks of Love, 2925 10th Avenue North, Suite 102, Lake Worth, Fla. 33461; http://www.locksoflove.org. Does not meet the standard calling for a charitable organization to make available annual financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. As of November 2003, the organization had not provided complete information about its finances. Therefore, the alliance is unable to determine if Locks of Love meets one additional standard.
Military Order of the Purple Heart Service Foundation, also known as Purple Heart Service Foundation, 7008 Little River Turnpike, Annandale, Va. 22003; http://www.purpleheart.org. As of December 2003, the organization had not provided current information about its finances, programs, and governance. The alliance is unable to determine if the Military Order of the Purple Heart Service Foundation meets the standards.
National Cancer Center, 88 Sunnyside Boulevard, Plainview, N.Y. 11803. As of November 2003, the organization had not provided current information about its finances, programs, and governance. The alliance is unable to determine if the National Cancer Center meets the standards.
National Relief Charities, also known as American Indian Education Foundation, American Indian Relief Council, Council of Indian Nations, Southwest Indian Relief Council, 70 Main Street, Warrenton, Va. 20186; http://www.nrcprograms.org. As of November 2003, the organization had not provided current information about its finances, programs, and governance. The alliance is unable to determine if National Relief Charities meets the standards.
Nora Lam Chinese Ministries International, 5442 Thornwood Drive, San Jose, Calif. 95123. As of November 2003, the organization had not provided current information about its finances, programs, and governance. The alliance is unable to determine if Nora Lam Chinese Ministries International meets the standards.
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, 2291 West Broadway, Missoula, Mont. 59808; http://www.rmef.org. As of December 2003, the organization had not provided current information about its finances, programs, and governance. The alliance is unable to determine if the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation meets the standards.
Share Our Strength, 733 15th Street N.W., Suite 640, Washington, D.C. 20005; http://www.strength.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) have a board-approved annual budget for its current fiscal year that outlines expenses for major program activities, fund raising, and administration; and (3) 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.
Smile Train, 245 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2201, New York, N.Y. 10016; http://www.smiletrain.org. Meets all standards.
Starlight Children’s Foundation, 5900 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 2530, Los Angeles, Calif. 90036; http://www.starlight.org. Meets all standards.
United Animal Nations, 5892A South Land Park Drive, P.O. Box 188890, Sacramento, Calif. 95818-9959; http://www.uan.org. Meets all standards.
United Service Organizations, also known as USO, 1008 Eberle Place, S.E., Suite 301, Washington, D.C. 20374-5096; http://www.uso.org. As of December 2003, the organization had not provided current information about its finances, programs, and governance. The alliance is unable to determine if United Service Organizations meets the standards.
Vanished Children’s Alliance, 991 West Hedding Street, Suite 101, San Jose, Calif. 95126; http://www.vca.org. Does not meet the standards calling for a charitable organization to have a board of directors with at least five voting members; and to have a board-approved annual budget for its current fiscal year that outlines expenses for major program activities, fund raising, and administration. As of December 2003, the organization had not provided complete information about its use of funds and fund raising. Therefore, the alliance is unable to determine if the Vanished Children’s Alliance meets three additional standards.
VietNow, 1835 Broadway, Rockford, Ill. 61104-5409; http://www.vietnow.com. As of December 2003, the organization had not provided current information about its finances, programs, and governance. The alliance is unable to determine if VietNow meets the standards.
World Emergency Relief, also known as Children’s Food Fund, Native American Emergency Relief, P.O. Box 131570, Carlsbad, Calif. 92013-1570; http://www.worldemergency.org. Meets all standards.
