Watchdog Watch
October 14, 2004 | Read Time: 2 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.
Copies of the full reports are available from the Wise Giving Alliance, 4200 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, Va. 22203; http://give.org.
American Farmland Trust, 1200 18th Street, N.W., Suite 800, Washington, D.C. 20036; http://www.farmland.org. Meets all standards.
American Parkinson Disease Association, 1250 Hylan Boulevard, Suite 4B, Staten Island, N.Y. 10305-1946; http://www.apdaparkinson.org. Meets all standards. Childreach/Plan USA, also known as Plan USA, 155 Plan Way, Warwick, R.I. 02886-1099. Meets all standards.
Christian Reformed World Relief Committee, 2850 Kalamazoo Avenue, S.E., Grand Rapids, Mich. 49560-0600; http://www.crwrc.org. Meets all standards.
Guiding Eyes for the Blind, 611 Granite Springs Road, Yorktown Heights, N.Y. 10598; http://www.guidingeyes.org. Meets all standards.
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, 700 Light Street, Baltimore, Md. 21230; http://www.lirs.org. Meets all standards.
National Audubon Society, 700 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10003; http://www.audubon.org. As of August 2004, the organization had not provided current information about its finances, programs, and governance. The alliance is unable to determine if the National Audubon Society meets the standards.
National Center for Learning Disabilities, 381 Park Avenue South, Suite 1401, New York, N.Y. 10016; http://www.ncld.org. Meets all standards.
National Children’s Leukemia Foundation, 172 Madison Avenue, Suite 502, New York, N.Y. 10016; http://www.leukemiafoundation.org. As of September 2004, the organization had not provided current information about its finances, programs, and governance. The alliance is unable to determine if the National Children’s Leukemia Foundation meets the standards.
Native American Rights Fund, 1506 Broadway, Boulder, Colo. 80302-6296; http://www.narf.org. Meets all standards.
Police Protective Fund, 1114 West Seventh Street, Suite 3, Austin, Tex. 78703; http://www.policeprotectivefund.org. As of July 2004, the organization had not provided current information about its finances, programs, and governance. The alliance is unable to determine if the Police Protective Fund meets the standards.
Red Cloud Indian School, 100 Mission Drive, Pine Ridge, S.D. 57770-2100; http://www.redcloudschool.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 spend no more than 35 percent of contributions on fund raising.
United Palestinian Appeal, 1330 New Hampshire Avenue, N.W., Suite 104, Washington, D.C. 20036; http://www.helpupa.com. Meets all standards.
