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...

Think! Before You JustGive

Aug 1, 2012

JustGive is one of a growing number of websites that, for a reasonable fee of 4.5% per contribution, processes donations for people wishing to give to charities online. This is...

You Can’t Have Your (Angel Food) Cake and Eat It Too

Aug 1, 2012

Angel Food Ministries (AFM), a Georgia-based nonprofit that provided discounted food to families in need across the U.S., has shut its doors. The group blamed factors such as the poor...

Never Again! Red Cross Needs Policy of Cooperation in Major Disasters

May 22, 2012

Other Americans and I were outraged over the American Red Cross' early refusal to participate in a shared computerized database of the victims of the September 11 disaster. It took...

What You Need to Know to Donate Safely Online

May 17, 2012

Donating online is a quick and convenient way to give to charity, but it also comes with drawbacks that donors need to be aware of. To help you donate online...

Fundraising Reduction Notice

May 17, 2012

When you give money to a charity or nonprofit group, enclose a note requesting that the organization not rent, sell or exchange your name, address and giving history with anyone...

Eight Rungs of the Giving Ladder

May 17, 2012

The concept of giving anonymously without knowing the recipient can be traced back to ancient Israel. Beggars would regularly congregate next to a wall of a courtyard, and donors, being...