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.

Carter Center, 1 Copenhill, 453 Freedom Parkway, Atlanta, Ga. 30307; http://www.cartercenter.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 board policy for assessing, at least every two years, the organization’s performance and effectiveness and for determining actions to achieve its mission; (3) have a board-approved annual budget for its current fiscal year that outlines expenses for major program activities, fund raising, and administration; (4) 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 (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 Research Institute Foundation, 3440 Hollywood Boulevard, Suite 100, Hollywood, Fla. 33021; http://www.drinet.org. Does not meet the standard 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.

Dove Foundation, 245 State Street, S.E., Suite 104, Grand Rapids, Mich. 49503; http://www.dove.org. As of March 2005, the organization had not provided current information about its finances, programs, and governance. The alliance is unable to determine if the Dove Foundation meets the standards.

Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, P.O. Box 393, Hohenwald, Tenn. 38462; http://www.elephants.com. Does not meet the standards calling for a charitable organization 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; and to have a board-approved annual budget for its current fiscal year that outlines expenses for major program activities, fund raising, and administration.

Give the Gift of Sight Foundation, also known as the LensCrafters Foundation, 4000 Luxottica Place, Mason, Ohio 45040; http://www.givethegiftofsight.org. Does not meet the standards calling for a charitable organization to: (1) 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; (2) make available annual financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles; (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; (5) 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 (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.

Help in Crisis International, 21515 Waters Discovery Terrace, Germantown, Md. 20876. As of March 2005, 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 2005, 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.

Hospice Education Institute, 3 Unity Square, P.O. Box 98, Machiasport, Me. 04655; http://www.hospiceworld.org. As of March 2005, the organization had not provided current information about its finances, programs, and governance. The alliance is unable to determine if the Hospice Education Institute meets the standards.

Human Rights Campaign Foundation, 1640 Rhode Island Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036; http://www.hrc.org. As of March 2005, the organization had not provided current information about its finances, programs, and governance. The alliance cannot determine if the HRC Foundation meets the standards.

Islamic Relief, 1919 West Magnolia Boulevard, Burbank, Calif. 91506; http://www.irw.org. As of March 2005, the organization had not provided current information about its finances, programs, and governance. The alliance is unable to determine if Islamic Relief meets the standards.

Nature Conservancy, 4245 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, Va. 22203; http://www.nature.org. Meets all standards. Women’s American ORT, 250 Park Avenue South, New York, N.Y. 10003; http://www.waort.org. Meets all standards.