Matchless Matching Campaign

Dec 1, 2006

The Union of Concerned Scientists recently conducted a fundraising campaign, "Save the Science," which promised that the UCS board of directors would "match all contributions from UCS members from now...

Inefficient, Tax-Delinquent, and Even Fake Charities Pass CFC Screens

Aug 1, 2006

For many donors, an easy, convenient way to donate to charity is through the United Way, the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), or other workplace giving campaign that allows employees to...

The Road to Regaining Trust in the Nonprofit Sector: 10 Essential Reforms

Dec 1, 2004

Only 11% of the public thinks that charities do a very good job of spending money wisely, and only 19% feels that charities do a very good job of running...

Buried in Solicitations

Dec 1, 2001

As a charity watchdog, we receive loads of complaints about the practices of nonprofit organizations. By far the most frequently heard donor complaint expresses this sentiment: "I am fed up...

Zero Fundraising Costs May Signify Zero Accountability

Aug 1, 2000

The high percentage of charities filling IRS forms that report $0 in fundraising costs could make you believe that money is falling from trees. According to a recent Urban Institute...

Don’t Be Misled by Deceptive Business/Charity Marketing

Sep 1, 1999

The names and logos of nonprofit organizations are showing up more frequently in advertisements and packaging for a plethora of products from ice cream bars to nicotine patches. A 1997...

Appetite Stimulants for the Starving: In-Kind Donations Are Not Always Kind to Recipients

Apr 1, 1998

It is easy to be impressed when reading of the large quantities of donated medical supplies and drugs that charities and businesses send to areas devastated by wars, earthquakes and...

The Truth About Prospect Fundraising

Dec 1, 1997

The following is a solicitation letter–for new donors from a fictitious charity–that a fundraiser would write only after swallowing a dose of truth serum...