Donors Lose Tax Benefits for Supporting Poorly Performing Charities

Dec 1, 2013

If a charity can't manage to spend even 30% of its total expenses on program services, should it be allowed to receive tax-deductible donations? Not according to the State of...

Million Dollar Pay at Nonprofit Hospitals

Nov 19, 2013

Is it acceptable for the head of a nonprofit to earn a seven-figure salary? Upon what criteria should a salary be based? A recent study in JAMA Internal Medicine reveals...

Leadership Booted at Dishonored Veterans Charity Ordered to Pay $2.5 Million Restitution

Oct 1, 2013

Despite having raised donations amounting to tens of millions of dollars from well-meaning donors while using significant portions of it to enrich himself, Roger Chapin was an expert at maintaining...

Know Your Options When Giving to the Red Cross

Oct 1, 2013

In the wake of any humanitarian disaster that hits the U.S., the American Red Cross usually takes the lead in providing immediate and long-term disaster relief services. The Red Cross,...

You Can’t Judge a Book by its Cover nor a Charity by its Name

May 7, 2013

Receiving approval from the IRS to be tax exempt and to collect tax-deductible contributions does not guarantee that a group is a good charity -- even if Good Charity, Inc....

Tricks of the Charity Trade: Donors Unknowingly Pay to Receive More Solicitations

May 1, 2013

How many return address stickers, note pads, and greeting cards have you collected from charity mailings urging you to make a contribution? How many phone calls have you received from...

Gay/Atheist Controversy Strikes Scouting: Guide to Finding a Group that Matches Your Views

May 1, 2013

The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) has come under increasing fire for its ban on gay scouts and scout leaders. Many parties have urged the organization to revise its policies...

Accounting Rules Allow Nonprofits Discretion in the Reporting of Joint Costs

Apr 16, 2013

In nonprofit financial reporting, the funds spent on telemarketing, direct mail, or other solicitation activities that also include an "action step" or "call to action" are referred to as "Joint...

CharityWatch Research Shows Veterans Get Short End of Stick: Attorney General Sues F Rated Veterans Charity

Dec 1, 2012

The AG alleges that Help Hospitalized Veterans (HHV) disseminated false information to potential donors and used accounting gimmicks in order to inflate the amount it reported spending on charitable programs....

Look-Alike Charities Busted

Dec 1, 2012

Paralyzed American Veterans (not to be confused with Paralyzed Veterans of America) and Disabled Veterans of America (not to be confused with Disabled American Veterans) conducted telemarketing campaigns from January...

Scammer Uses Dead Soldier to Defraud Donors

Dec 1, 2012

"My name is Tiffany Fennery, I'm posting this for my family and my twin brother, Chris, who lost both his legs and his left arm," a recent posting on Craigslist...

Don’t Judge a Not-For-Profit by Its Profits

Aug 1, 2012

Unlike for-profit businesses, charities do not exist for the purpose of accumulating assets and turning profits to enrich their shareholders. So when judging a charity's financial stability, it is not...