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.

Compassion & Choices, formerly known as the Hemlock Society, 4100 East Mississippi, Suite 700, Glendale, Colo. 80246; http://www.compassionandchoices.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 a board policy for assessing, at least every two years, the organization’s performance and effectiveness and for determining actions to achieve its mission; (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 an accessible annual report that includes a roster of officers and members of the board of directors and financial information such as net assets, income, and expenses; and (5) 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.

Diabetes Action Research and Education Foundation, also known as the Diabetes Research Association, 426 C Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20002; http://www.diabetesaction.org. Meets all standards.

Disabled American Veterans, 3725 Alexandria Pike, Cold Spring, Ky. 41076; http://www.dav.org. Meets all standards.

Financial Assistance Network, P.O. Box 60848, Washington, D.C. 20039-0848; http://www.financialassistancenetwork.org. As of May 2003, the organization had not provided current information about its finances, programs, and governance. The alliance is unable to determine if Financial Assistance Network meets the standards. The alliance also noted that as of April 2003, the organization had not received tax-exempt status from the IRS.

Heart Support of America, 6344 Clinton Highway, Knoxville, Tenn. 37912; http://www.heartsupportofamerica.org. As of March 2006, the organization had not provided current information about its finances, programs, and governance. The alliance is unable to determine if Heart Support of America meets the standards.

Help In Crisis International, 21515 Waters Discovery Terrace, Germantown, Md. 20876; http://www.helpincrisis.net. As of March 2006, the organization had not provided current information about its finances, programs, and governance. The alliance is unable to determine if Help In Crisis International meets the standards.

Heritage for the Blind, 2071 Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11234; . As of March 2006, the organization had not provided current information about its finances, programs, and governance. The alliance is unable to determine if Heritage for the Blind meets the standards.

JBI International, formerly known as the Jewish Braille Institute of America, 110 East 30th Street, New York, N.Y. 10016; http://www.jbilibrary.org. Meets all standards.

Marijuana Policy Project, P.O. Box 77492, Washington, D.C. 20013; http://www.mpp.org. As of April 2006, the organization had not provided current information about its finances, programs, and governance. The alliance is unable to determine if the Marijuana Policy Project Foundation meets the standards.

Northwest Medical Teams International, 14150 Southwest Milton Court, Tigard, Ore. 97224; http://www.nwmedicalteams.org. Meets all standards.

Rafiki Foundation, 19001 Huebner Road, Suite 2, San Antonio, Tex. 78258; . As of March 2006, the organization had not provided current information about its finances, programs, and governance. The alliance is unable to determine if the Rafiki Foundation meets the standards.

Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation, 1150 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10128; http://www.waxmancancer.org. As of March 2006, the organization had not provided current information about its finances, programs, and governance. The alliance is unable to determine if the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation meets the standards.

Simon Wiesenthal Center, 1399 South Roxbury Drive, Los Angeles, Calif. 90035; http://www.wiesenthal.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 minimum of three evenly spaced meetings per year of the full governing body, with the majority of board members attending each meeting in person; (3) avoid having compensated board members serve as the chair or treasurer; (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) 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 (7) 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 March 2006, the organization had not provided complete information about its annual report. Therefore, the alliance is unable to determine if the Simon Wiesenthal Center meets one additional standard.

Special Operations Warrior Foundation, P.O. Box 13483, Tampa, Fla. 33681; . As of March 2006, the organization had not provided current information about its finances, programs, and governance. The alliance is unable to determine if the Special Operations Warrior Foundation meets the standards.

Student Conservation Association, 689 River Road, P.O. Box 550, Charlestown, N.H. 03603; http://www.thesca.org. Meets all standards.

Vasculitis Foundation, formerly known as the Wegener’s Granulomatosis Association, P.O. Box 28660, Kansas City, Mo. 64118; http://www.wgassociation.org. Meets all standards.

Wildlife Waystation, 14831 Little Tujunga Canyon Road, Sylmar, Calif. 91342; http://www.wildlifewaystation.org. Meets all standards.