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.

Animal Protection Institute, also known as the Primate Sanctuary, 1122 S Street, Sacramento, Calif. 95814; http://www.api4animals.com. Meets all standards.

Association for Police and Sheriffs,

121 North State College Boulevard, Suite 14, Anaheim, Calif. 92806; http://www.apscares.org. As of June 2005, the organization had not provided current information about its finances, programs, and governance. The alliance is unable to determine if the Association for Police and Sheriffs meets the standards.

Hope Worldwide, also known as Save the Family, 353 West Lancaster Avenue, Suite 200, Wayne, Pa. 19087; http://www.hopeww.org. Does not meet the standard calling for a charitable organization to have no more than one compensated person, or 10 percent of the board, whichever is greater, serving as a voting member of the board.

Humane Society of the United States, 2100 L Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20037; http://www.hsus.org. Meets all standards.

International Justice Mission, 4601 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 1201, Arlington, Va. 22207; http://www.ijm.org. Does not meet the standards calling for a charitable organization to 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 to clearly disclose how the charity benefits from the sale of products or services that state or imply that a charity will benefit from a consumer’s purchase or business transaction.

Music Educators National Conference, also known as the Fund for the Advancement of Music Education, 1806 Robert Fulton Drive, Reston, Va. 20191; http://www.menc.org. Meets all standards.

National Abortion Federation, 1755 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Suite 600, Washington, D.C. 20036; http://www.prochoice.org. Meets all standards.

National Multiple Sclerosis Society, 733 Third Avenue, Sixth Floor, New York, N.Y. 10017; http://www.nationalmssociety.org. Meets all standards.

Project Concern International, 5151 Murphy Canyon Road, Suite 320, San Diego, Calif. 92123; http://www.projectconcern.org. Meets all standards.

U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, 1717 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Suite 200, Washington, D.C. 20036; http://www.refugees.org. Meets all standards.