Watchdog Watch
March 23, 2000 | Read Time: 3 minutes
Following are summaries of recent reports by the Council of Better Business Bureaus’ Philanthropic Advisory Service and the National Charities Information Bureau.
Those two private organizations report on whether charities meet standards for fund raising, governance, financial management, and public information. The organizations do not approve or disapprove of charities, and urge potential donors to evaluate the importance of variations from the standards. They also note 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 Council of Better Business Bureaus, Philanthropic Advisory Service, 4200 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, Va. 22203; http://www.bbb.org; and the National Charities Information Bureau, 19 Union Square West, New York 10003; http://www.give.org.
BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU
American Children’s Safety Source, 5015 Tracy, Suite 100, Dallas 75205. As of December 23, the organization had not provided current information about its finances, programs, and governance. The bureau is unable to determine if ACSS meets its 23 standards.
American Health Assistance Foundation, 15825 Shady Grove Road, Suite 140, Rockville, Md. 20850; http://www.ahaf.org. As of December 15, the organization had not provided current information about its finances, programs, and governance. The bureau is unable to determine if AHAF meets its 23 standards.
American Indian Relief Council, P.O. Box 6200, Rapid City, S.D. 57709-6200; http://www.airc.org. As of December 23, the organization had not provided current information about its finances, programs, and governance. The bureau is unable to determine if AIRC meets its 23 standards.
NATIONAL CHARITIES INFORMATION BUREAU
American Friends Service Committee, 1501 Cherry Street, Philadelphia 19102-1479; http://www.afsc.org. Meets all standards.
American Near East Refugee Aid, 1522 K Street, N.W., Suite 202, Washington 20005; http://www.anera.org. Meets all standards.
American Refugee Committee, 2344 Nicollet Avenue South, Suite 350, Minneapolis 55404-3305; http://www.archq.org. Meets all standards.
Guiding Eyes for the Blind, 611 Granite Springs Road, Yorktown Heights, N.Y. 10598; http://www.guiding-eyes.org. Meets all standards.
Izaak Walton League of America, 707 Conservation Lane, Gaithersburg, Md. 20878-2983; http://www.iwla.org. Meets all standards.
League of Women Voters Education Fund, 1730 M Street, N.W., Washington 20036; http://www.lwv.org. Meets all standards.
MAP International, 2200 Glynco Parkway, P.O. Box 215000, Brunswick, Ga. 31521-5000; http://www.map.org. Does not meet the standard calling for the organization to not have a persistent deficit in net current assets, or the standard calling for the organization’s annual report to include an explicit narrative description of the organization’s major activities, presented in the same major categories and covering the same fiscal period as the audited financial statements.
National Executive Service Corps, 120 Wall Street, 16th Floor, New York 10005. Does not meet the standard calling for the organization to spend at least 60 percent of annual expenses for program activities.
National Urban Fellows, 55 West 44th Street, New York 10036; http://www.nuf.org. Meets all standards.
Pan American Development Foundation, 2600 16th Street, N.W., Washington 20009. Does not meet the following standards: (1) that the organization’s governing board have no more than one paid staff member, usually the chief staff officer, who shall not chair the board or serve as treasurer; (2) that the organization’s annual report include a comprehensive financial summary that reports expenses in the same program, management/general, and fund-raising categories as in the audited financial statements, and that reports ending net assets; and (3) that the organization prepare a detailed annual budget consistent with the major classifications in the audited financial statements, and approved by the board.
United Service Organizations (USO), 1008 Eberle Place, S.E., Suite 301, Washington 20374-5096; http://www.uso.org. Does not meet the standard calling for the organization to ensure that fund-raising expenses, in relation to fund-raising results, are reasonable over time.
Wildlife Preservation Trust International, 1520 Locust Street, Suite 704, Philadelphia 19102; http://www.wpti.org. Meets all standards.
