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.

Amnesty International of the USA, 332 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10001; http://www.amnestyusa.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) include on Web sites that solicit contributions the same information recommended for annual reports, as well as electronic access to its most recent IRS Form 990; and (3) 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.

B’nai B’rith International, 2020 K Street, NW, Seventh Floor, Washington, D.C. 20006; http://www.bnaibrith.org. Does not meet the standard calling for a charitable organization to spend at least 65 percent of its expenses on program activities.

Center for National Independence in Politics, also known as Project Vote Smart, 1 Common Ground, Philipsburg, Mont. 59858; http://www.vote-smart.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 Center for National Independence in Politics meets the standards.

Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, P.O. Box 393, Hohenwald, Tenn. 38462; http://www.elephants.com. Meets all standards.

From the Top, 295 Huntington Avenue, Suite 201, Boston, Mass. 02115; http://www.fromthetop.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 no more than one compensated person, or 10 percent of the board, whichever is greater, serving as a voting member of the board, and for compensated members not to serve as the board’s chair or treasurer; (3) have an accessible annual report that includes a roster of officers and members of the board of directors; (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. As of April 2005, the organization had not provided complete information about its efforts to measure organizational effectiveness. Therefore, the alliance is unable to determine if From the Top meets one additional standard.

Greenpeace Fund, 702 H Street, N.W., Suite 300, Washington, D.C. 20001; http://www.greenpeacefund.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 of directors with at least five voting members; (3) 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 (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.

Mission of Mercy, also known as Bethesda Ministries, 15475 Gleneagle Drive, Colorado Springs, Colo. 80921; http://www.missionofmercy.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 no more than one compensated person, or 10 percent of the board, whichever is greater, serving as a voting member of the board, and for compensated members not to serve as the board’s chair or treasurer; (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) include in its financial statement s 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; (5) have a board-approved annual budget for its current fiscal year that outlines expenses for major program activities, fund raising, and administration; (6) have an accessible annual report that includes financial information such as net assets, income, and expenses; and (7) 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.

National Parkinson Foundation, 1501 N.W. Ninth Avenue, Bob Hope Road, Miami, Fla. 33136; http://www.parkinson.org. As of May 2005, the organization had not provided current information about its finances, programs, and governance. The alliance is unable to determine if the National Parkinson Foundation meets the standards.