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Some of the Biggest Charity Scandals of The Past Year: CharityWatch Comments

    Jan 28, 2026

Laurie Styron, CEO and executive director of CharityWatch, regularly works with journalists across the country by providing expert analysis and plain-language commentary on nonprofit finances, governance, and accountability. Drawing on decades of experience evaluating charities, Styron reviews audited financial statements, IRS Forms 990, and other regulatory filings to help reporters identify red flags, understand complex financial arrangements, and explain why certain practices matter to donors and the public. Her commentary is frequently cited in investigative reporting that examines whether nonprofits are operating transparently, honoring donors’ intentions, and using charitable funds in ways that align with their stated missions.

This kind of independent research and expert analysis is made possible by supporters who believe donors deserve clear, unbiased information about how charities operate. When you donate to CharityWatch, you help fund the investigative work and media engagement that hold nonprofits accountable and protect the public’s trust in charitable giving.


2026

“Laurie Styron, executive director and chief executive of CharityWatch, a Chicago-based watchdog of nonprofit organizations, said the foundation ‘should be excited about’ disclosing specifically how it is spending donor money, including on the PR company.

“‘The fact that they’re being cagey about it is eyebrow-raising,’ she said.”

– CharityWatch CEO, Laurie Styron, comments on a charity’s decision to spend donations intended to support firefighters on a celebrity public relations firm instead.

    Los Angeles Times, 01/21/2026


“‘As for Kelce’s decision to donate his contest winnings to an established charity, in the short term this was the right call,’ said Laurie Styron, the CEO and executive director of CharityWatch, an independent watchdog group. ‘The people operating the foundation need time to get their accounting, governance, and legal house in order. It was the responsible move under the circumstances.'”

    The Arizona Republic (via PressReader), 01/11/2026


“‘There could be legitimate operational reasons for winding down this program early,’ said Laurie Styron, CEO of CharityWatch, a nonprofit watchdog.

“‘But from a gut check perspective, it is unusual for a nonprofit to leave this much money on the table,’ Styron concluded.”

– CharityWatch CEO, Laurie Styron, reacts to news that RAICES, a major immigration legal services nonprofit, abruptly ended its unaccompanied children’s program and dropped vulnerable clients even after federal funding was restored.

    The Barbed Wire, 01/07/2026


“‘When a charity suffers a scandal, it almost always has some impact on its donations,’ Laurie Styron, CEO and executive director of CharityWatch, said. ‘The extent of that impact largely depends on the nature of the scandal, the amount of money involved … and whether the charity’s management and board do a good job on damage control by taking responsibility.

“Sexual abuse claims are ‘particularly concerning,’ she said, because unlike other types of scandals, ‘they raise questions about the safety and quality of the charity’s programs. The very mission of the charity comes into question versus only the stewardship over its finances.'”

– CharityWatch CEO, Laurie Styron, when speaking about Boys Town, discusses how sexual abuse allegations are not like other charity scandals when it comes to donor perception and maintaining public trust.

    The Bond Buyer, 01/07/2026


“Our mission has always been steadfast … We want to make sure that people actually get the information they need to make informed giving decisions.

“Charity financial reporting is just notoriously inaccurate, inconsistent, incomplete, and incomparable, especially when you’re just looking at the tax filings. There’s a number of online databases that rate hundreds of thousands of charities, and that would work ok if the underlying reporting was reliable. But it’s not.

“Not only is it unreliable because a lot of charities lie in their unaudited fax filings … and those automated ratings are based on the tax filings, but they’re just incomplete due to the complexity of charity financial reporting.”

– CharityWatch CEO, Laurie Styron, talks with Ari Weitzman about what sets CharityWatch apart from other charity evaluators and why not all “easy” ways to give are in donors’ best interests.

    The Tangle Podcast, 1/01/2026


2025

“‘It appears to function more as an extension of the management company versus as an independent public charity,’ said Laurie Styron, the executive director of CharityWatch, an independent charity watchdog group that reviewed the nonprofit’s tax filings for The Arizona Republic.

“‘That’s not how charities work. It’s wrong.’

“… Kelce’s nonprofit’s charitable spending each year has been reported on one vague line called ‘other fees for services,’ rather than delineated, which ‘tells the public nothing about what the charity is accomplishing,’ Styron said.

“‘Players and their managers need to stop using charities this way. Don’t get creative. Don’t look for loopholes. If you establish a charity, stop mixing in business interests or using friends to operate it. Do it the right way or don’t do it at all. There are a lot of ways for players to give back without founding their own charity.'”

– CharityWatch CEO, Laurie Styron, commenting on Travis Kelce’s Eighty-Seven & Running Foundation, after The Arizona Republic exposed paltry programmatic spending and serious governance concerns at the footballer’s charity.

    The Arizona Republic, 12/31/2025

    USA Today, 01/06/2026


“The mantra that I’m going to repeat throughout our conversation, and this is going to cut down on 90% or more of your risk when donating to charity, and that is, ‘Choose the Charity, Don’t Let the Charity Choose You.’ It helps you avoid high pressure tactics, and it helps make sure that you are supporting the causes most important to you and the charities working most effectively and impactfully in those causes.”

– CharityWatch CEO, Laurie Styron, joins WBUR’s Robin Young (NPR Boston) on the Here & Now program to discuss how to donate to charity safely and avoid the most common giving mistakes.

    Boston National Public Radio, WBUR, 12/25/2025


“‘Someone needs to be looking out for players and charitable dollars, and the best-positioned organization to be doing that is the NFL,’ said Laurie Styron, the executive director of CharityWatch, an independent nonprofit watchdog group based in Chicago.”

– CharityWatch CEO, Laurie Styron, responding to news of a widespread waste and mismanagement among the charities of the winners and nominees of The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award.

    Rockford Register Star (via PressReader), 12/25/2025


“‘Having an independent review and having an official process in place for board approval, including independent data collection to set that compensation of the leader is really important for following best practices.’

“Styron emphasized that nonprofits relying heavily on taxpayer funding carry heightened responsibilities. ‘When you’re a nonprofit that relies primarily on taxpayer dollars, those taxpayers are sort of willingly or unwillingly supporting you,’ Styron told Spotlight on Maryland. ‘You really have a duty to your community to make sure, as a board of directors, that you’re following all of the best practices.'”

– CharityWatch CEO, Laurie Styron, discusses best practices charity boards should follow when setting nonprofit executive compensation.

    Baltimore FOX 45 News, 12/23/2025


“Just because a charity is ‘legitimate’ doesn’t mean it’s going to use your donation better than a scammer would.

“Donating to too many charities is also a great way to end up on dozens and dozens of telemarketing, email, or direct mail lists, since many charities lack policies that prohibit them from sharing your data.”

– CharityWatch CEO, Laurie Styron, talks to AARP about how donors can avoid some of the most popular giving mistakes during the holiday season.

    AARP, 12/18/2025


“‘Fundraising isn’t free,’ Laurie Styron told CNN. These platforms ‘don’t run on air. Providing the service costs money.’

“… donor advocates would prefer platforms not prepopulate the tip field. ‘As a watchdog we deeply dislike that,’ Styron said. ‘People are busy and they’re just trying to do a good thing. … Make it something you have to opt in (to) rather than opt out (of).'”

– CharityWatch CEO, Laurie Styron, warns against fundraising platforms that charge hidden fees or tips that require opting out to avoid.

    CNN, 11/08/2025


“Nonprofit officers have a fiduciary duty to be good stewards of their organizations’ resources, said Laurie Styron, the executive director of CharityWatch, a nonprofit that rates and investigates other nonprofits. If Kanai didn’t have the resources to manage the raffle properly, he shouldn’t have run it.”

“‘This is just another example of someone running a nonprofit as if it’s their personal proprietorship,’ Styron said. ‘If you want to risk your own money, that’s your own business.'”

“‘But this is not his personal money. This is the charity’s money.'”

– CharityWatch CEO, Laurie Styron, comments on legal judgment against youth hockey leader found to have diverted funds to personal interests.

    USA Today, 10/31/2025


“There’s a chance such work will be ‘performative,’ says Laurie Styron, who leads CharityWatch, which reports on nonprofit financial abuses and grades groups based on their fiscal management. But she would like the president’s rhetoric to persuade organizations to accept greater regulation and transparency.”

“There’s a reason to be hopeful that the nonprofit sector will get the memo and read the room, but they need to approach it with authenticity.”

– CharityWatch CEO, Laurie Styron, commenting on the nonprofit sector’s response to President Trump’s disparaging remarks about charities, and encouraging organizations to be more transparent and accountable.

     The Chronicle of Philanthropy, 10/28/2025


“‘The optics here are not good,’ said Laurie Styron, CEO of CharityWatch. ‘Nonprofits should not only avoid conflicts of interest but should avoid even the appearance of them. Transactions like this erode public trust, even if they are otherwise above board. They suggest an unlevel playing field where connected organizations are positioned to receive more favorable treatment than unconnected ones, irrespective of merit.'”

– CharityWatch CEO, Laurie Styron, commenting on potential conflicts of interest at the Baltimore Children and Youth Fund (BCYF).

     Baltimore FOX 45 News, 10/17/2025


“‘From a gut-check perspective, I can say that the IRS generally doesn’t like to start fights it doesn’t think it can win,’ Laurie Styron, CEO of CharityWatch, told TCPalm. ‘And proving intent is almost always an uphill battle.'”

“‘It’s a difficult judgment call to make given that political and religious ideology are inherently intertwined,’ Styron said.”

– CharityWatch CEO, Laurie Styron, commenting on whether a church’s monument and tribute to slain right-wing activist, Charlie Kirk, threatens its tax-exempt status.

     Treasure Coast Palm News, 10/09/2025


“‘Gaining a basic understanding of just how unregulated the nonprofit sector is will work wonders for any donors feeling pressured to give,’ said Laurie Styron, CharityWatch CEO and executive director…”

“A fundraiser that uses high pressure tactics by claiming that something bad will happen if you don’t donate immediately or who manipulates language by falsely claiming that your donation will be ‘matched’ are some things to watch out for.”

“‘A good rule of thumb is that if you don’t trust a charity to use your donation wisely, don’t give to that charity,’ Styron said. ‘After your donation leaves your account, that’s not a good time to start questioning how it will be used.'”

– CharityWatch CEO, Laurie Styron, on why donors should resist high pressure tactics from charity fundraisers when making their giving decisions.

    The Minnesota Star Tribune, 09/15/2025


“‘Data on this compliance issue wasn’t buried in a vault,’ said Laurie Styron, the executive director of the independent charity watchdog group CharityWatch. A 30-second search of a free online government database quickly returned an expired filing status.”

“Styron, the executive director of CharityWatch, said proper vetting of nominees’ nonprofits by the NFL would provide an incentive for ‘players and their marketing teams to take compliance issues, good governance, and financial efficiency seriously in order to not be excluded from consideration.'”

“‘It could fix the problem practically overnight.'”

– CharityWatch CEO and Executive Director, Laurie Styron, commenting on the NFL’s announcement that compliance with nonprofit laws will now be a prerequisite for submitting nominees for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award.

    The Arizona Republic & The USA Today Network, 09/03/2025


“‘Whether or not a rule is being strictly broken, it’s clear that the spirit of the rules are not being followed,’ wrote Laurie Styron, CEO of nonprofit watchdog group CharityWatch, in an email to the Times. ‘Since the foundation doesn’t provide a detailed description of these circular transactions, it’s difficult for the public to judge whether or not the charitable purpose is being met or to quantify the for-profit’s accomplishments.'”

– CharityWatch CEO, Laurie Styron, commenting on circular transactions between a for-profit utility company and its related nonprofit amid allegations of corruption.

    Tampa Bay Times & Yahoo Finance 9/03/2025


“‘At CharityWatch, we see charities playing fast and loose with the facts in their marketing claims on a regular basis,’ she said, describing the field in general, not the discourse around support for Israel’s military. ‘Some charities lie outright, while others define words in ways that are extremely narrow or broad so they ‘technically’ aren’t lying. They know most donors will infer what they want them to infer based on how they frame a particular fact.'”

“Styron said that misleading or exaggerated marketing is rarely punished, even if it influences donor behavior. ‘A charity has to work really hard to get into legal trouble for its marketing claims,’ she said, noting that regulators often lack the resources to investigate unless harm to donors is significant and clear-cut. That, she added, is why donors should be cautious about taking any charity’s promotional language at face value.”

– CharityWatch CEO, Laurie Styron, commenting on charities exaggerated marketing claims, urging donors to not take fundraising language at face value.

     Jewish Telegraphic Agency08/21/2025


“Laurie Styron, executive director of CharityWatch, warned that the tax exemption can lead to ‘mission drift’. While investment income may fund member benefits, fraternal portfolios increasingly mirror those of commercial asset managers, including private equity and hedge funds — raising questions, she said, about whether their primary purpose remains fraternal.”

“‘Enforcement is always tougher when it requires case-by-case judgment calls, especially when those calls affect monied interests,’ she added. The IRS, she noted, uses a principle-based rather than rules-based approach to assess charitable benefit.”

“Styron of CharityWatch said that the hybrid nature of fraternal insurers — as tax-exempt entities and state-licensed insurers — complicates oversight. No single regulator assesses the combined impact of these overlapping legal frameworks, which differ in purpose, governance and enforcement standards.”

“She questioned whether such a regulatory regime would be adopted today.”

“‘In fact, from a gut-check perspective, I wonder if we’d allow fraternal organizations of this size, operating in this way, to be considered nonprofits at all,’ she said.”

– CharityWatch CEO, Laurie Styron, questions whether it makes sense for fraternal organizations to continue to enjoy nonprofit status in cases where their size and operations closely mirror those of for-profit companies.

    Life Annuity Specialist, 08/08/2025


“‘It is, unfortunately, extremely common for for-profit professional fundraising companies to keep the majority of the donations they raise on behalf of their charity clients,’ says Laurie Styron, CEO and executive director of CharityWatch, an independent charity watchdog.”

“When people donate in response to a telemarketing call or a direct mail letter, they run a high risk of wasting most of their donations on middleman fundraisers.”

“Styron says donors should avoid high-pressure tactics that promote impulsive giving. ‘Donating in response to a telemarketing call or direct mail letter is a no-go if you value your privacy and want your donation actually to accomplish something.'”

“Charities and their fundraisers often rent, sell, exchange or share their donor lists. Styron therefore advises checking a charity’s privacy policy before donating to avoid receiving an avalanche of fundraising letters and telemarketing calls after making a single donation to one organization.”

“‘Donate directly to a charity versus through a middleman company if you want to avoid a big chunk of your donation going to a for-profit company,’ she says.”

– CharityWatch CEO, Laurie Styron, warning donors that for-profit professional fundraising companies often keep a large portion of what you donate for themselves.

    Nashville Scene, 07/23/2025


“‘Charities must have clear procedures for advertising grant opportunities, determining eligibility, vetting recipients, and making sure that funds are used for legitimate purposes and avoid conflicts of interest, like grants being steered to people connected to board members,’ said Laurie Styron, CEO of CharityWatch.”

“‘Grant decisions shouldn’t be made based on the whims or pet causes of a charity’s staff or board members. This is public money. It must be used for the public good,’ Styron said.”

“Charities must document that payments to vendors and other expenses benefit the charity and ‘were not made for the private benefit of an employee, board member or some other interested party,’ said Styron of CharityWatch.”

“Hope Florida reported on its tax return that it had no document retention policy, which would raise flags for an auditor who would ask to see proof about those expenses.”

“‘It wouldn’t pass an audit,’ she said.”

– CharityWatch CEO, Laurie Styron, warns that Hope Florida Foundation’s grantmaking appears driven by insiders’ preferences rather than transparent, needs-based criteria, risking conflicts of interest and undermining donor trust.

    Orlando Sentinel and Yahoo News, 07/11/2025


“‘For a state oversight office to not even have a record of a nonprofit being registered at all when it’s known to be soliciting contributions from the public is extremely concerning,’ Styron told 11 News Investigates. ‘It’s just a real recipe for disaster.'”

“While TIME Organization reported receiving $8.8 million in charity for 2023, the nonprofit told the IRS that it spent zero dollars on fundraising. Styron called this her third red flag.”

“‘No staff time expenses, no postage printing or mailing, no internet fees or running ads or, you know, printing brochures,’ Styron told 11 News Investigates. ‘How does a nonprofit raise that much money with [sic] without spending even one penny to do so? It’s almost unheard of.'”

“The tax filings state that TIME’s CEO made $226,692 in 2018, then $0 in salary from $2019-2022, and then than [sic] $476,000 in 2023.”

“‘That causes us, as a watchdog, to question, ‘Are they receiving compensation some other way through some related legal entity that is obfuscating what they’re actually getting?’ Styron told 11 News Investigates. ‘There’s just really obvious red flags with this organization not having an audit, claiming it has zero fundraising expenses.'”

– CharityWatch CEO, Laurie Styron, cites major red flags at a Maryland nonprofit based on her analysis of its financial reporting.

    Baltimore WBAL TV News Investigates, 05/21/2025


“Laurie Styron is the CEO of CharityWatch, where she researches non-profit finances. She said she was puzzled by the arrangement between BCYF and Mayor Scott.”

“‘When dealing with public money, not closing loopholes to avoid audits or disclosures is really bad form, whether strictly illegal or not,’ Styron told Spotlight on Maryland. ‘While there could be legitimate instances of transactions occurring back and forth between a charity and a government office, I have never seen an arrangement structured in a way that has the effect of allowing a government office to avoid scrutiny about its use of public money.'”

– CharityWatch CEO, Laurie Styron, comments on a circular financial arrangement between a charity and a government office that could limit accountability over certain funds.

     Baltimore FOX 45 News05/09/2025


“Laurie Styron, the CEO and executive director of CharityWatch, said fiscal sponsorships make it difficult to track how money is spent, which becomes especially concerning when taxpayer dollars are involved.”

“‘It’s just so tricky because this information is reported in aggregate and the public just can’t see what’s going on with the individual organizations and that really does create a really big transparency and public accountability issue,’ she told Spotlight on Maryland.”

– CharityWatch CEO, Laurie Styron, cites the transparency and accountability issues inherent in fiscal sponsorships.

     Baltimore FOX 45 News03/28/2025


“Laurie Styron, CharityWatch’s executive director and chief executive officer, was surprised to find that the school’s three-member board doesn’t have a conflict-of-interest policy, a whistleblower policy or a document retention and destruction policy.”

“‘This lack of basic policies combined with a 3-person board and significant related party transactions is a recipe for disaster,’ Styron said. ‘There is no accountability here.'”

– CharityWatch CEO, Laurie Styron, questions financial transactions between a virtual religious school and the family members who run it, citing weak governance.

     The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel03/25/2025


“Laurie Styron, the CEO and executive director of CharityWatch, said fiscal sponsors can lack transparency and efficiency, especially when dealing with taxpayer dollars.”

“‘When one charity folds, you’re [not] just talking about losing the resources and the services and the community support of one organization,’ she told Spotlight on Maryland. ‘When a fiscal sponsors folds, or spins off its fiscal sponsorships, there could be dozens and dozens of individual organizations affected very suddenly that may not be able to carry out programs that people are relying on.'”

– CharityWatch CEO, Laurie Styron, commenting on the instability created for fiscally sponsored organizations when a sponsorship arrangement ends unexpectedly.

     Baltimore FOX 45 News03/21/2025


“Laurie Styron, the CEO and executive director of CharityWatch, said fiscal sponsors can become inefficient and lack transparency when using taxpayer dollars.”

“‘Anytime you have layers of different organizations in between the money and the end recipient, there’s always going to be additional overhead costs at the different legal entities that are occurring,’ Styron told Spotlight on Maryland.”

“So if the money is going from the government to then a fiscal sponsor to then a fiscally-sponsored organization and then, eventually, maybe granted to an individual or used to carry out specific programs, there’s going to be overhead costs all along the way that take a cut of that money.”

– CharityWatch CEO, Laurie Styron, comments on tax-payer funded arrangements with fiscal sponsor nonprofits and the layers of overhead that can eat into such funding, leaving less for programmatic activities.

    Baltimore FOX 45 News, 03/20/2025


“Laurie Styron, CEO at CharityWatch, a Chicago-based watchdog for nonprofits, said the dairy farmers who are represented by Dairy Management should be made aware of the salaries.”

“‘A nonprofit’s stakeholders shouldn’t be blindsided with a seven-figure severance payout to its leader,’ Styron said. ‘When someone is making a purchase of any kind they consider the cost of what they are buying relative to the value they are receiving in exchange.'”

– CharityWatch CEO, Laurie Styron, commenting on a seven-figure severance payout to an outgoing Dairy Management, Inc. executive, Thomas Gallagher. (Dairy Management is a 501 (c)(6) nonprofit organization).

     The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 03/14/2025


“‘It would not be correct to say Folds [of Honor Foundation] spent 91% on direct grants for scholarships,’ said CharityWatch Executive Director Laurie Styron. ‘The laws governing how charities are allowed to spend their money are highly permissible. You can’t generally trust what charities tell you in their marketing.'”

“‘It’s not aboutwhether or not some good is being done,’ Styron said. ‘It’s about whether a charity is accomplishing as much as it can with the resources it has.'”

“‘If the charity is fortunate enough to receive a donation of a size large enough to cover the costs of a private jet and first-class travel, that money could likely be better spent on providing more life-changing scholarships,’ Styron said. ‘A public charity’s money doesn’t belong to the people running it, but to the public.'”

– CharityWatch CEO, Laurie Styron, explains that direct scholarships or grants are not the only types of program expenses charities are allowed to include in their financial reporting, and that charity marketing materials are frequently misleading.

    Treasure Coast Palm Newspaper, 03/12/2025


“‘Ethically speaking, it’s concerning,’ said Laurie Styron, CEO of CharityWatch, an independent charity watchdog group.”

“‘What was the purpose of creating middlemen entities when there are so many established groups in the climate space with good track records? What was the value-added in [by] doing it this way, especially with such large sums of taxpayer funds?'”

– CharityWatch CEO, Laurie Styron, comments on billions in taxpayer funds granted to new climate charities with inadequate track records.

     The New York Post, 03/05/2025


“‘Maintaining public trust should be something charities are enthusiastic about, not something they begrudgingly participate in only when you force their hand,’ Styron told Spotlight on Maryland.”

“‘If Thrive Arts had filed its final tax filing with all the required schedules, we would be able to see if money was returned to BCYF and in what amount,’ she told Spotlight on Maryland.”

“‘Since it didn’t bother to file tax returns, the public has no way of verifying what happened to the taxpayer funds.'”

– CharityWatch CEO, Laurie Styron, comments on a public charity’s responsibility to disclose how it distributed its assets upon dissolution.  

    Baltimore FOX 45 News, 02/28/2025


“Laurie Styron is the CEO and executive director of CharityWatch, a nonprofit watchdog. She noted nonprofits are required to file annual tax forms as well as an additional tax form when they dissolve that details how their assets are distributed. She questioned how Thrive Arts was able to secure the BCYF grant in the first place.”

“‘Typically, to receive a grant of that size, the charity has to show some kind of a track record that it’s capable of overseeing those kinds of funds and responsibly spending them,’ Styron told Spotlight on Maryland. ‘Usually, this much taxpayer money doesn’t go to an untested organization that’s small and just getting started.'”

“‘A charity’s board of directors has a duty to provide proven oversight of its grantmaking activities,’ Styron told Spotlight on Maryland. ‘Part of that includes adequately vetting organizations to which it’s donating money. So for an organization to have only been in existence for 18 months to receive that size of donation, there should have been more follow through there to really ensure it was prepared to be able to spend that money according to the grant agreement.'”

– CharityWatch CEO, Laurie Styron, comments on a taxpayer-funded children’s charity grantmaking process and its oversight of grantees.  

    Baltimore FOX 45 News, 02/26/2025


“‘A board member voting to end their own lucrative, multiple six-figure contract with the same charity they are responsible for overseeing seems unlikely, even if it would be in the charity’s best interest for them to do so,’ said Laurie Styron, the CEO of CharityWatch.”

“Unless the consultants are offering some kind of incredible discount for services and these services could not be reasonably obtained elsewhere from a disinterested provider, charities really shouldn’t engage in these kinds of contracts.”

“‘It just looks bad,’ Styron told the Washington Examiner. ‘It damages public trust.'”

– CharityWatch CEO, Laurie Styron, reviewed recent audits and tax filings of The Flower Hill Institute, a charity that was found to have material weaknesses in internal controls related to its government funding.  

    The Washington Examiner, MSN  02/14/2025


“CharityWatch executive director Laurie Styron says donors should try not to give in to heart-wrenching appeals, she adds: ‘Use your empathy and compassion as a catalyst for giving, but don’t allow your emotions to make your giving decisions for you.'”

– CharityWatch CEO, Laurie Styron, advises donors to be cautious of emotional fundraising appeals and high-pressure tactics related to California wildfire relief.

    AARP, 01/22/2025


“During disasters like these ‘it’s best to donate to a highly efficient and experienced charity versus to an individual crowdfunding campaign,’ said Laurie Styron, the CEO and executive director of CharityWatch. ‘Charities are better equipped to distribute aid equitably to everyone who needs help.'”

“If you aren’t sure how best to provide support, ‘don’t donate impulsively,’ Styron said. ‘Take your time to confirm that a charity is not only legitimate and efficient but is actively providing aid on the ground.'”

– CharityWatch CEO, Laurie Styron, providing advice for donating to aid victims of the wildfires in greater Los Angeles.

    CNBC, 01/09/2025


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