Watchdog Watch
July 15, 1999 | Read Time: 2 minutes
Following are summaries of recent reports by the National Charities Information Bureau.
That private organization reports on whether charities meet standards for fund raising, governance, financial management, and public information. The organization 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 National Charities Information Bureau, 19 Union Square West, New York 10003; World-Wide Web http://www.give.org.
Children Inc., P.O. Box 5381, 1000 Westover Road, Richmond, Va. 23220-0381. Meets all standards.
Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, 371 East Jericho Turnpike, Smithtown, N.Y. 11787-2976; http://www.guidedog.org. Meets all standards.
National Mental Health Association (national service center only), 1021 Prince Street, Alexandria, Va. 22314-2971; http://www.nmha.org. Does not meet the standard calling for the organization’s annual report to present a description of its major activities in the same categories as used in the audited financial statements, or the standard calling for the organization to prepare a budget consistent with the major classifications in the audited financial statements.
National Multiple Sclerosis Society, 733 Third Avenue, New York 10017-3288; http://www.nmss.org. Meets all standards.
Omaha Home for Boys, 4343 North 52nd Street, Omaha 68104-2895; http://raptor.omaha.org/boyshome. Does not meet the standard calling for the organization to insure that fund-raising expenses, in relation to fund-raising results, are reasonable over time, or the standard calling for the organization to have net assets available for use in the following fiscal year not usually more than twice the current year’s expenses or twice the next year’s budget, whichever is higher.
The Wilderness Society, 900 17th Street, N.W., Third Floor, Washington 20006-2596; http://www.wilderness.org. Meets all standards.
Zero Population Growth, 1400 16th Street, N.W., Suite 320, Washington 20036; http://www.zpg.org. Does not meet the standard calling for the organization to spend at least 60 per cent of annual expenses for program activities, or the standard to insure that net fund-raising expenses, in relation to fund-raising results, are reasonable over time.
