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.

Equestrian Land Conservation Resource, 126B North Main Street, P.O. Box 423, Elizabeth, Ill. 61028; http://www.elcr.org. Does not meet the standards 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; and to submit to its governing body for approval a written report outlining the results of a performance and effectiveness assessment and recommendations for future actions.

Free Wheelchair Mission, 3100 Airway Avenue, Suite 115, Costa Mesa, Calif. 92626; http://www.freewheelchairmission.org. As of May 2006, the organization had not provided current information about its finances, programs, and governance. The alliance is unable to determine if the Free Wheelchair Mission meets the standards.

Half the Sky Foundation, 764 Gilman Street, Berkeley, Calif. 94710; http://www.halfthesky.org. 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) 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; (4) submit to its governing body for approval a written report outlining the results of a performance and effectiveness assessment and recommendations for future actions; (5) 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; and (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.

Hearts With Hands, 951 Sand Hill Road, Asheville, N.C. 28806; http://www.heartswithhands.org. As of May 2006, the organization had not provided current information about its finances, programs, and governance. The alliance is unable to determine if Hearts With Hands meets the standards.

Hope for Haiti Children’s Center, P.O. Box 608148, Orlando, Fla. 32860. As of May 2006, the organization had not provided current information about its finances, programs, and governance. The alliance is unable to determine if the Hope for Haiti Children’s Center meets the standards.

Hope Village for Children, P.O. Box 26, Meridian, Miss. 39302. As of May 2006, the organization had not provided current information about its finances, programs, and governance. The alliance is unable to determine if Hope Village for Children meets the standards.

Insight for Living, P.O. Box 269000, Plano, Tex. 75026; http://www.insight.org. As of June 2006, the organization had not provided current information about its finances, programs, and governance. The alliance is unable to determine if Insight for Living meets the standards.

League of Women Voters Education Fund, 1730 M Street, N.W., Suite 1000, Washington, D.C. 20036; http://www.lwv.org. Does not meet the standards calling for a charitable organization to spend at least 65 percent of its expenses on program activities; and 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.

Mission Aviation Fellowship, 1849 North Wabash Avenue, Redlands, Calif. 92374; http://www.maf.org. 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) 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; and (4) have an accessible annual report that includes expenses for its major program activities. As of June 2006, the organization had not provided complete information about its governance. Therefore, the alliance is unable to determine if the Mission Aviation Fellowship meets one additional standard.

National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, 475 Riverside Drive, Suite 880, New York, N.Y. 10115; http://www.ncccusa.org. As of June 2006, the organization had not provided current information about its finances, programs, and governance. The alliance is unable to determine if the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA meets the standards.

National Cristina Foundation, 500 West Putnam Avenue, Greenwich, Conn. 06830; http://www.cristina.org. As of June 2006, the organization had not provided current information about its finances, programs, and governance. The alliance is unable to determine if the National Cristina Foundation meets the standards.